Who We Are

Clinical Director, Dr. Rachel Gately

Rachel is a chartered psychologist from Galway who established Solas Psychology in 2020 after discovering a need for the provision of high quality psychological services in the West of Ireland. She offers a range of psychological services and enjoys working with children and families to affect positive change where possible.

Rachel has over 12 years' experience working with children, young people and families. She is registered as a psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and also maintains her registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK. She is a committee member of the PSI Special Interest Group, Psychologists in Private Practice.

She completed her doctoral training in Educational and Child Psychology at the University of Birmingham between 2010 and 2014 and has experience of guest lecturing to students on this course. She completed her thesis on children in the care system and as a result, has developed a specialist interest in this area. Since qualifying, Rachel has worked as a Local Authority educational psychologist, as a child and family therapist in the charity sector and as clinical lead for a diagnostic autism team. She has also worked as part of a multidisciplinary NHS team concerned with the diagnosis of autism in young children up to the age of 4.

She is trained in a diverse range of therapeutic approaches including Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Theraplay, and Video Interaction Guidance. In addition to her interest in the field of developmental trauma, she has specialist interests in autism, family law work, and particularly in parental alienation and early development.

Network Ireland Awards

Rachel was named as a finalist in the upcoming Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year 2022 Awards in the Solo Businesswoman category in Galway.

Dr. Alison Bonham, Clinical Psychologist

Alison is a clinical psychologist with over 15 years’ experience in the clinical and educational
field, working with children and adolescents. A registered psychologist with the Psychological Society of
Ireland, Alison has worked in both the U.K. and Ireland.

Having developed an interest in developmental disability and neurodevelopmental disorders through her
work as an assistant psychologist with teenagers and adolescents at Broadmoor Mental Health Hospital
in Berkshire, U.K. and St Andrews Mental Health Hospital in Northampton, U.K., Alison subsequently
worked as a behaviour therapist with the Daughters of Charity, Limerick, before gaining her doctorate
qualification from the University of Limerick in 2009.

Since qualifying, she has taken on the role of clinical psychologist in multidisciplinary teams within the
HSE, including the Brothers of Charity, Co. Clare, and Enable Ireland, Co Limerick, and has held the role
of tutor at Dublin City University, guest Lecturer, and part-time Lecturer and theses supervisor at Mary
Immaculate College, Limerick.

Alison comes to her role as associate clinical psychologist at Solas Psychology with her acquired experience in the
field of child development, disability, mental health, and autism assessment & intervention from her most
recent role as the lead senior clinical psychologist in a private ASD diagnostic
multidisciplinary team in Cork.

Alison’s specific interests are in developmental disability, autism and ASD-related pathological demand
avoidance, co-morbid anxiety, and negative cognitive regulatory processes.

She is committed to a neurodiversity affirmative approach to autism assessment and intervention, and
a family-centred, needs-based approach to support children and their families to achieve optimum
quality of life.

Rachel O' Mahony, Occupational Therapist

Rachel graduated with BSc. Honours Degree in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy from University College Cork. She currently manages an occupational therapy service in Cork where she supports children and adolescents with autism, dyspraxia/DCD, and ADHD.

Rachel maintains a specialist interest in the area of autism and trained as an autism diagnostic specialist. Since training, she has gained clinical experience as part of a multidisciplinary team supporting children andadolescents and their families through the autism assessment process both in Ireland and in the UK. Rachel understands that the assessment process can be a daunting one and her main goal is to ensure that families feel supported and listened to throughout the process.

Rachel is CORU registered and is also a registered member of the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland, the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK. She maintains a keen interest in professional development and engages in regular training and workshops to enhance her practice.

Jessica McGrath, Speech and Language Therapist

Jessica graduated with a Master's of Science in Speech and Language Therapy fromthe University of Limerick in 2017. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology. Jessica is a registered member of CORU and is a member of the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT), Therapist Neurodiversity Collective, and the Independent Speech Therapists of Ireland (ISTI).

During her master's degree, she gained experience in several settings including Adult Disability Services, Paediatric Primary Care, Early Intervention Teams, Physical and Sensory School Age Team, and Developmental Coordination Disorder School Age Team.

After completing her master's, she worked in a private multidisciplinary practice where she gained invaluable experience working with a varied caseload which included autistic children, children with an intellectual disability, phonological delay/disorder, articulation disorder, stuttering, selective mutism, developmental language disorder, and developmental coordination disorder. She also worked with adults with acute brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, stuttering, stroke (Aphasia), and voice disorder.

Jessica developed a keen interest in early intervention and has attended several workshops and seminars in Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), attention autism, DIR Floortime, core vocabulary, delivering Telehealth, and parent coaching.

Jessica worked in a special school for children with severe to profound intellectual disabilities providing direct and indirect intervention to support the children’s communication skills both in the classroom and at home. She provided training and support to educational staff to implement strategies that encouraged the children to reach their communication potential and access the curriculum while also building relationships with their peers. Jessica supported children who required AAC devices and helped to set up and implement the use of the AAC system in daily routines.

Most recently, she worked in the primary care setting providing services to preschool and school-aged children who presented as late talkers, who had speech difficulties, or issues understanding or using language. She also supported children who presented with a stutter. She provided home and school programmes and worked closely with the families and teachers of the children she supported.

Jessica has also worked with clinical psychologists in carrying out autism assessments and providing comprehensive reports and recommendations for appropriate services and supports to help the individual in school, home and in the community.

Jessica has completed training in Lámh, Floortime DIR, Attention Autism, Lidcombe Training for Fluency, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised (ADI-R).

You can read more about Jessica's work on her website https://www.jessicamcgrathspeechtherapy.ie/

Dr. Malie Coyne, Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Malie Coyne is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist (B.A., M.Sc., D. Psych.Sc., C.Psychol.,
Ps.S.I.) with more than 20 years’ experience conducting assessments and therapeutic
interventions with children and families in the HSE and in the private sector. Malie is
registered with chartered status with the Psychological Society of Ireland.

Malie has a special interest and expertise in the area of neurodiversity. She is trained as
an autism diagnostic specialist, and has gained clinical experience in both HSE and
private multidisciplinary teams in supporting children and families through the
assessment process. Malie comes to her role as associate chartered clinical psychologist
at Solas Psychology with her extensive experience of working in various HSE settings
(i.e. primary care, disability and CAMHS), which has given her a deep understanding of
client needs and systems. In addition to her clinical experience, as a parent to her own
daughters, Malie supports the values of compassionate ‘good enough’ parenting. She is
committed to a neurodiversity affirmative approach and considers her role in
supporting families during this process as a real privilege, to enable children and
adolescents to thrive.

Malie released her best-selling book “Love in, Love out: A compassionate approach to
parenting your anxious child” with Harper Collins Ireland in July 2020. Malie is
psychological lead and co-author on the A Lust for Life Primary Schools Programme,
which is reaching one third of primary schools in Ireland, and she is currently working
on the Secondary Schools Programme. Malie is a psychology lecturer for the Doctor of
Psychological Science at University of Galway. Through her advocacy work, public
speaking and media contributions, Malie shines a light on mental health issues and
promotes meaningful wellbeing throughout the lifespan (www.drmaliecoyne.ie).

About Us