Senior Social Work Practitioner / Counsellor
Qualifications
BSSc – Queen’s University, Belfast
Dip in Social Work – Edinburgh University
Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and
Psychotherapy (AMBACP)
Accredited Member of the British Infertility Counselling Association (AMBICA)
Experience
I was employed initially as a Trainee Social Worker in the Royal Victoria Hospital and on qualifying as a Social Worker, moved to work in a Community-based Family and Child Care Team where I also carried out Adoption Home Studies.
On joining Family Routes, a full range of adoption work formed the foundation of my employment.
As a staff group, a number of referrals were received from those ending fertility treatments. In the late 1980’s, together with two colleagues, I set up what is now known as the Fertility Counselling Service ni. Over the years we have expanded the service to offer an extensive range of Therapeutic and Implications Counselling. Along the way CBT skills were added to my initial Person-Centered training.
With BICA I served on the:
Executive Committee
Accreditation Committee
Represented BICA on PROGAR (British Association of Social Workers Project Group on Assisted Reproduction).
With a colleague, co-authored a BICA Pubilcation Practice Guide.
I am also a founding member of the Irish Fertility Counsellors’ Association.
Continuing in Family Routes, I am now the lead for our Fertility Counselling Services and also Next Step.
More recently I have joined the Adoption Routes Adoption Panel.
What do you like to do in your free time? I re-upholster old chairs, and thoroughly enjoy going for a walk while catching up on Podcasts.
All time favourite TV series? ER and The West Wing.
