Dr Cal Mc Donagh (He/Him)

Training & Accreditation

Cal is a Clinical Psychologist (and Chartered Psychologist of the Psychological Society of Ireland).  He earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology from University College Dublin and currently works as a Clinical Psychologist in HSE mental health services and private practice.  Cal works within the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Code of Ethics.

 

Approach

“Everyone has a unique story with their own strengths, challenges and level of access to resources.  Psychological therapy should therefore look a little bit different for everyone.  I aim to provide a bespoke and person-centred service which is respectful of your needs and preferences.”

Cal is trained to use a range of evidence-based psychological therapies, including Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, as well as trauma-informed approaches (e.g. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and EMDR).  He is also experienced at conducting comprehensive psychological assessments, including assessment of psychological distress, coping styles, attachment style and personality.

Psychological assessment usually involves supportive discussion about the challenges you are facing, your life story, and your hopes for the future, using this information to develop a psychological formulation and make recommendations about your psychological needs.

Psychological formulation involves working together to find a shared way of understanding the difficulties you are facing in the context of your story and the important events in your life.  Seeking to understand how these difficulties developed and what seems to keep them going can often help us to find a way forward.

Experience & Areas of Interest

Cal is experienced at providing psychological therapeutic support to people with a range of challenges and individual differences, including:

• coping with emotions such as intense sadness or depression, anxiety and anger
• overcoming difficulties with confidence, identity and self-esteem
• managing distressing experiences such as panic attacks, dissociation or intrusive thoughts
• addressing relationship difficulties, developing self-respect and assertive communication skills
• overcoming or making sense of experiences of trauma (including developmental trauma), discrimination (including systemic discrimination), and other forms of adversity
• living with grief and navigating other difficult life transitions
• neurodiversity (including autism) and other forms of diversity
• dealing with stress, improving quality of life and finding personal meaning