About Me

About me

Dr Carol O’Dwyer is a Clinical Psychologist who works with adults, teenagers, children and their families.

Carol O Dwyer Psychologist

Carol’s overarching interest is in promoting the strengths of all individuals. She works within a genuine, empathic and person-centred framework to support personal reflection and growth. She has trained and worked in Ireland, the UK and Australia, which has provided a broad range of experiences and expertise. 

Carol has over 7 years of experience as a clinical psychologist working in public, private and forensic mental health settings. She also has over 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults with autism and intellectual disability across a range of settings, including as a Senior Practice Advisor for the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria, Australia. 

Carol more recently completed her PhD in the area of sexual violence and women’s mental health at the University of Melbourne.

Carol believes in the importance of collaborating with multi-disciplinary professionals to conduct assessments and provide a holistic approach to your individual needs. 

She has a special interest in trauma experiences and completed training in a number of trauma-focused therapies including Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Carol works with a local Speech and Language Therapist to conduct ASD assessments and consultations. 

She is also passionate about supporting the continuous professional development of her peers and those developing their skills as psychologists through clinical supervision.

 

Publications

Carol is a Research Fellow whose areas of research includes gender-based violence, support service responses and positive behaviour support. You can find a number of her publications listed here.

O'Dwyer, C., McVilly, K. R., & Webber, L. (2017)

The impact of positive behavioural support training on staff and the people they support. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 7(2), 13-23

O’Dwyer, C., Tarzia, L., Fernbacher, S., & Hegarty, K. (2019)

Health professionals’ experiences of providing care for women survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units. BMC health services research, 19(1), 1-9.

O’Dwyer, C., Tarzia, L., Fernbacher, S., & Hegarty, K. (2021)

Health professionals’ experiences of providing trauma-informed care in acute psychiatric inpatient settings: A scoping review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(5), 1057-1067.

O’Dwyer, C., Tarzia, L., Fernbacher, S., & Hegarty, K. (2019)

Health professionals’ perceptions of how gender sensitive care is enacted across acute psychiatric inpatient units for women who are survivors of sexual violence. BMC health services research, 19(1), 1-10.