Meet the Team.
Our team
Dr. Niall Reynolds, DProf, MSc, BA
An experienced social care consultant, systemic psychotherapist, and research supervisor with 20 years of diverse experience in child protection, welfare, and clinical settings. Dr. Reynolds has a strong interest in working with disadvantaged communities and marginalized groups. Dr. Reynolds has expertise working in secure care for many years and has worked with children exhibiting challenging behaviours with complex clinical and social profiles. He spent ten years working with the Tusla NIAPP service, specializing in assessing and treating children who had engaged in harmful sexual behaviour. In his private practice, Dr. Reynolds specialises in working with family law cases referred through the courts and with foster children and their carers through his T-SOS service. As a published researcher, he has focused on aftercare, reflective practice, and creative responses to challenging behaviours in adolescents. Dr. Reynolds is currently a faculty member of the UCD School of Medicine- MSc Systemic Psychotherapy program, where he teaches and supervises systemic research. He also founded The Relational Space, a nationwide service providing training, consultation, and systemic psychotherapy for children and families.
Carole Brophy M.Sc, H. Dip Psych, P/G Dip. Soc Pol, B.A. Hons
Carole Brophy has been practising as a Systemic Psychotherapist since 2017. Carole has a double 1st Class Honours from UCD in H.Dip Psychology and MSc: systemic Psychotherapy, UCD & Mater Misericordia. Carole completed training in a variety of trauma-informed approaches such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, specialist training in trauma and developmental trauma and Play, Family Therapy with a major component in Child Development. Carole has recently trained as a Clinical Supervisor at Clanwilliam Institute in Dublin.
Carole has experience as a Family Therapist for direct clinical provision to children and families who are survivors of torture and complex trauma through family, couple therapy, play therapy and group therapy. Carole has developed a systemic approach to working with separated young people seeking international protection including direct clinical work, consultancy and trainings for social care/work teams such as working in a trans-cultural context, trauma informed approach and reflective practice. Carole also worked as a family therapist team lead where she was responsible for clinical management of a team of family therapists. Carole has experience of providing specialised clinical and Court reports for the International Protection Office and other agencies as required.
Carole has developed a broad practice base which includes working as a Systemic Psychotherapist/Family Therapist in private practice. She has extensive experience working systemically with children in care and foster families. In previous employment, she has worked with agencies such as Family Resource Centres, Barnardo’s, One in Four, Genesis Psychotherapy and Family Therapy Service and in the UK in agencies such as London Connection, London Borough of Lewisham, and Ealing, and London Borough of Greenwich as a community worker.
In 2024 Carole joined Relational Space a nationwide service providing training, consultation and systemic psychotherapy for families.
Dr. Aileen Tierney PhD, MSocSc, BSocSc
Dr. Tierney has been practising as a systemic family therapist and independent social worker since 1988 and trained both as a therapist and clinical supervisor in Clanwilliam Institute, where she held the role of CEO for over 10 years. In her current role with Clanwilliam she continues to be the director of academic courses. Dr. Tierney qualified with a Phd from Tilburg University in 2011 where her research focused dialogical approaches to disability, constructions and discourses.
Dr. Tierney has a broad practice base which includes systemic family psychotherapy, external clinical supervision, design and delivery of reflective practice groups and training in various areas using systemic approaches. She has provided organisational consultation and staff support provision to several state, charity and voluntary organisations. Dr. Tierney has taught clinical counselling skills in both Trinity college and UCD for over 15 years on the Masters in social work courses. She works directly with individuals, couples, children, adolescents and their families. In 2023 she joined the Relational Space a nationwide service providing training, consultation, and systemic psychotherapy for children and families.
Jennifer Arkins, Office Manager
Jennifer has developed her administrative expertise in a variety of settings over a 20-year period, including time spent at the Oasis therapy centre in Dublin. In addition, she brings with her a long-standing experience in community and youth work, including with St. Agathas’ youth project and the Lourdes youth and community service. Jennifer has a strong interest in equality, human rights and social justice and has worked for the community action network (CAN) for 16 years.