Dr Suzanne McMahon

Clinical Director

Dr Suzanne McMahon is a Chartered Senior Clinical Psychologist with over a decade of experience in the field of psychology. Dr McMahon was awarded her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Trinity College Dublin and her Master of Arts, Higher Diploma, and Bachelor of Arts from UCC. Dr McMahon recently completed her fifth university degree – the Postgraduate Certificate in Paediatrics and Child Health at the School of Medicine in UCC. Dr McMahon has worked in the health service since 2015 in a variety of settings including University hospitals, specialist mental health services, inpatient services, community services, disability services, and residential services.  Dr McMahon has a special interest in working with neurodivergent children and adolescents. As well as being the Clinical Director for Waves Wellbeing, she also works part-time on a Children’s Disability Network Team. Dr McMahon has published research in the area of health psychology and disability and has presented her research at international conferences. Dr McMahon completed a randomized controlled trial of the recently developed Parents Plus Special Needs Programme, which has been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Dr McMahon lectures on the topic of parenting on the Clinical Psychology Doctoral programme at Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Niamh Clarke

Clinical Psychologist

Dr Clarke is a Clinical Psychologist who is passionate about fostering young people’s strengths and individual differences. Dr Clarke was awarded her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Trinity College Dublin. Prior to this, Dr Clarke was awarded her Master of Science from UCD and her Bachelor of Arts from UCC. She has been providing clinical services to vulnerable children and families for over 6 years. She works with Waves Wellbeing on a part-time basis as well as being in fulltime employment as a Clinical Psychologist with the Department of Justice. 

Dr Clarke works from a person-centered and neuroaffirmative approach. She has a wealth of experience working with young people presenting with a wide range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. She is an experienced clinician in providing comprehensive neurodiversity assessments, including Autism and ADHD identification. Niamh uses an integrative approach in her therapeutic work, drawing from a range of evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness based approaches. 

Caren Ní Dhroma

Assistant Psychologist

We are excited to introduce Caren as our newest Assistant Psychologist at Waves Wellbeing. Caren joins us with a robust background in education and psychology, offering a unique combination of academic knowledge and hands-on educational experience. She holds a Bachelor of Education, earned in 2004, and has built an impressive career as a Special Education Teacher in diverse educational settings. More recently, Caren began to develop her clinical and psychological knowledge by completing a Master of Science in Psychology.

Caren’s deep understanding of the education system, paired with her experience supporting children with complex developmental needs, allows her to provide valuable insights into child-centred educational recommendations. She brings a teacher’s perspective, understanding the practical challenges educators face when implementing these strategies.

In her role, Caren supports senior clinicians with assessments and is honing her skills in psychological practice. With aspirations to pursue doctoral training in Educational Psychology in the near future, Caren is dedicated to further advancing her psychology career and expertise.

Vicki Smith

Specialist Senior Speech & Language Therapist

Vicki Smith is a specialist speech and language therapist who works part-time at Waves Wellbeing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Speech and Language Studies from Trinity College Dublin.

In addition to her work with Waves Wellbeing, Vicki works with the Middletown Centre for Autism. She has previously worked as a speech and language therapist within Children’s Disability Network Teams, Early Intervention services, and Primary Care services. She has supported children and young people aged 0-19 years with complex needs, providing both multidisciplinary assessments and interventions, as well as speech and language-specific assessments and therapies. Her experience spans a variety of home and school settings.

Vicki has gained specialized expertise in neuroaffirmative autism assessments and brings extensive experience and knowledge to our autism assessment team. She has a natural talent for making children and young people feel at ease, ensuring that the assessment process is both meaningful and positive for all the young people and families she works with.

John Power

Administrative Manager

John is an invaluable part of the Waves Wellbeing team, serving as the administration manager with a strong commitment to providing swift responses to families. His dedication ensures that they always receive the information and guidance they need. If John does not know the answer to a question, he promptly connects with the clinicians to provide families with a helpful response. His behind-the-scenes efforts are crucial to the smooth operation and upkeep of the clinic.