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Meet the Team
Dr. Paul D’Alton, Head and Clinical Lead of the Department, Senior Clinical Psychologist
• E-mail: P.D’Alton@st-vincents.ie
Dr. Paul D’Alton manages the multi-disciplinary psycho-oncology department that works to provide services to cancer patients throughout the hospital. His primary area of clinical interest is the application of mindfulness-based interventions in health care. Dr. D’Alton completed his internship and teacher intensive training at the University of Massachusetts where Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy originated. He is actively involved in teaching undergraduate and post-graduate classes, as well as nurse education programmes at University College, Dublin with the Royal College of Surgeons. He has contributed to doctoral programmes in Psychology at University College Dublin as well as Trinity College Dublin. Paul convened the Psycho-oncology Research Advisory Group as the assistant chair, and is currently designing a five year research strategy and partnership with academic and clinical colleagues. Paul has also completed funded research projects that look at distress screening for in-patients and out patients. In 2009, Paul was appointed an expert member of the SVUH Medical Research and Ethics Committee
Dr. Louise Kinsella, Clinical Psychologist
• E-mail: L.Kinsella@st-vincents.ie
Louise returned to work at SVUH in September of 2010 after completing her clinical training and research here two years prior. She works in conjunction with the Psycho-oncology team to provide psychological assessment and intervention to oncology patients and their families. Louise works mostly with people who are inpatients of the hospital, offering individual therapeutic support during this difficult time. Support for staff caring for oncology patients is an important aspect of this work. Louise has experience working therapeutically with clients from across the lifespan and in a variety of settings from acute mental health to community. She works half time with the Psycho-oncology Department in addition to working with families and children in a community setting outside of SVUH. Currently Louise is working on a proposal to further her research into the experience of palliative patients in a general hospital.
Dr. Finn CG Reygan, Post-Doctoral Research Psychologist
• E-mail: F.Reygan@st-vincents.ie
Finn’s major area of research and education focuses on the health of gendered and sexual minority populations. He researches, develops and delivers educational initiatives on the well-being and rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) populations in Ireland and internationally. In 2011 Finn completed an innovative pilot study funded by the Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Cancer Society and Health Service Executive entitled: The development of best practice guidelines and a pilot training programme for health and social care professionals providing palliative and oncological care to lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) patients. He lectures in a number of areas including developmental psychology, gender and sexuality, and research methods and has worked and lived in Europe, the US and Africa.
Alison McGrann, Counselling Psychologist
• E-mail: a.mcgrann@st-vincents.ie
Alison’s clinical interests include psychological assessment and various psychotherapeutic interventions, including humanistic, psychodynamic and emotion-focused therapy. Alison has experience with numerous psychological presentations including relationship difficulties, acute and chronic trauma, adjustment reactions, psychological effects of health related issues, complicated grief, and coping with significant life events. She has worked with clients in a general psychotherapy practice, with medical hospital patients and their families and also with individuals bereaved through suicide over the past nine years. She also works as a clinical supervisor of psychologists and psychologists in training. Alison is a registered member of the Psychological Society of Ireland as well as an associate member of the Irish Analytical Psychology Association.
Marie Byrne, Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Email: marie.byrne@st-vincents.ie
Marie has been the department’s Clinical Nurse Specialist since January 2011. She is currently studying Psychotherapy and received a years training facilitated by Paul D’Alton under clinical supervision. Marie works in alliance with the head of the department and other members of the Psycho-oncology team to provide care at all stages of the cancer diagnosis and treatment. Marie is also involved in initiating and administering patient and nurse education on aspects of Psycho-oncology including survivorship and fatigue. She has worked in both medical and surgical oncology. In addition, she has worked in the following areas: Breast and Lung, Gastro-Intestinal, Neuro-oncology, Urology, Palliative Care, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant. Marie has worked closely with nurses undertaking the Graduate Diploma in Oncology by supporting and guiding them through their academic year. Marie hopes to undertake her thesis by researching women’s experience of a premature menopause following chemotherapy in breast cancer using a phenomenological approach in the near future.
Mary Moriarty, Complementary Therapist
• E-mail: M.Moriarty2@st-vincents.ie
As a complementary therapist, Mary works as part of the psycho-oncology team to provide comfort orientated massage and reflexology to haematology, oncology, and palliative care. Mary’s main focus at SVUH is to promote relaxation and to reduce anxiety felt by patients. Complementary therapy aims to relieve stress related symptoms such as pain and muscle tension as well as treatment related symptoms like nausea and fatigue. Mary utilizes Aromatherapy, Massage Therapy and Reflexology to help minimize the symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment. She is also a member of the National Register of Reflexologists, MLD Ireland and the Irish Massage Therapists Association.
Psychologist in Clinical/Counselling Training
o Email: T.Psychologist@st-vincents.ie
The psychologist in training is involved in a doctorate level training programme with an established Irish University such as Trinity College Dublin or University College Dublin. As part of this program, the psychologist in training is offered a unique opportunity to engage in a specialist placement with the Psycho-oncology unit at SVUH. A placement will be of 5 month or 10 month duration. The psychologist in training has a number of roles including providing psychological support to the multi-disciplinary teams working with cancer patients; facilitating group psychological interventions for staff and patients; and engaging in one-to-one psychological intervention. The psychologist in clinical training is involved in the assessment of psychological difficulties through clinical interview and psychometric use. The psychologist in training also engages in individual psychotherapy with cancer patients at inpatient and outpatient status.
Marianne Keenan, Assistant Psychologist
• Email: assistantpsychologist@svuh.ie
Marianne has worked on research at the Institute of Psychiatry, London where she was involved in a study focusing on autism spectrum disorders and anxiety. Within the department, Marianne works under the supervision of the Senior Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Paul D’Alton. Currently, she is working on collaborative research with the Department of Dermatology and will also be involved in assessing client suitability through psychological screening for participation in Mindfulness training intervention. Marianne also provides assistance and support as needed to various research groups including the Arts Committee, Psycho-oncology Research Advisory Group and LGB Project. Additionally, Marianne provides a supportive role within the department in the delivery of projects. Marianne hopes to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology and will apply to the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the coming year.
Caroline Livingstone, Office Administrator
• E-mail: C.Livingstone@st-vincents.ie
When you contact the Department of Psychology, Caroline, our Administrator, will be your first point of contact. She organises the diary of the Psychologists and Complementary Therapist and schedules all appointments to see them. Caroline also organises all courses such as Mindfulness, Stress Management, Massage/Reflexology and Look Good Feel Better make up class. She processes all correspondence, messages, referrals and meets and greets patients for their appointments.
Sr. Anne McLoughlin, Associate Chaplain
• a.mcloughlin@svuh.ie
Sr. Anne is a member of the Chaplaincy team in SVUH and as associate chaplain of the psycho-oncology team offers ‘Pastoral Care’ to patients and their families who are dealing with cancer related illnesses and treatments and in some cases poor prognosis. ‘Pastoral Care’ deals explicitly though not exclusively with spiritual aspects of reality. It is the spiritual and emotional support of people in their search for meaning. Sr. Anne’s ministry to patients focuses on empathic listening recognising that it is not just the body that may be in pain and confusion but a persons ‘soul’ or ‘inner life’. Sr. Anne’s ministry is for people of all faiths and none. Leaders of other faiths are also contacted by Sr. Anne when requested by patients. For many of the Roman Catholic patients receiving the Sacraments is a source of comfort and strength which they can request at any time. Sr. Anne worked as a nursing sister for many years in England, Ireland and Romania and after receiving a BA Divinity (Honours) degree from Pontifical University Maynooth completed three units of Clinical Pastoral Education in St. Vincent’s UniversAity Hospital and was certified by the Healthcare Chaplaincy Board as a Chaplain.