Jacqueline Gallagher

HCPC & BACP Registered Art Psychotherapist with MSc Art Psychotherapy training and experience across primary school, community mental health, and residential recovery settings. Currently providing art psychotherapy to primary-aged children, including those presenting with anxiety, bereavement, trauma-related difficulties, emotional dysregulation, and neurodivergent needs. Works in a trauma-informed, developmentally attuned, and ethically grounded way, with strong safeguarding awareness, clinical documentation, and collaborative working with schools, families, and other professionals.

Brings additional strengths in governance, risk awareness, and professional accountability developed over two decades in Health, Safety, and Environmental management.

Art Psychotherapist - Holy Family National School - Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal

(2025-09)

• Deliver individual and group art therapy sessions for primary-aged children.
• Support children presenting with anxiety, bereavement, emotional regulation difficulties, and trauma histories.
• Plan and adapt sessions to each child's presentation, developmental stage, and therapeutic needs.
• Maintain a safe, creative, and contained therapeutic environment, with clear documentation and safeguarding awareness.

Art Psychotherapist - Scoil Naomh Chaitríona - Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal

(2026-01)

• Deliver individual art therapy sessions to primary school-aged children with early trauma experiences and neurodivergent presentations.
• Tailor interventions to individual communication styles, sensory needs, and developmental profiles.
• Support safe exploration of emotions and lived experience through creative expression within a child-centred therapeutic frame.

Art Psychotherapy Trainee - Ulster University

(2024-01 - 2025-06)

Completed 335+ direct client hours across school, community mental health, and residential recovery settings.

• Engaged in regular group supervision and ongoing personal therapy as part of professional training and reflective practice.
• Developed a trauma-informed, ethically grounded approach to creative psychotherapy practice.

Art Psychotherapy Trainee (Clinical Placement) - Holy Family National School - Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal

(2024-09 - 2025-06)

• Delivered individual and group art psychotherapy sessions for primary-aged children.
• Supported presentations including anxiety, bereavement, emotional regulation difficulties, and trauma histories.
• Liaised with teaching staff and families to support children's emotional development and resilience.

Art Psychotherapy Trainee (Clinical Placement) - Rowan Villa Community Mental Health Centre, Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital - Omagh, Northern Ireland

(2024-01 - 2025-03)

• Delivered individual art psychotherapy to adults in a community mental health setting.
• Supported clients presenting with depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviours, and social withdrawal.
• Used structured creative interventions to support containment, emotional expression, and self-reflection.

Art Psychotherapy Trainee (Clinical Placement) - ASHA Addiction Recovery Centre, Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital - Omagh, Northern Ireland

(2024-01 - 2025-03)

• Facilitated weekly group art therapy sessions for adults in residential addiction recovery.
• Designed trauma-informed sessions using art-making and symbolic exploration.
• Maintained a safe, respectful group environment with appropriate professional boundaries and documentation.

Health, Safety and Environmental Management - Various (Construction, Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy, Local Authority)

(2002 - 2024)

Held a range of management and advisory roles across construction, oil and gas, renewable energy, and local authority organisations. This experience is highly transferable to therapeutic service settings, particularly in relation to risk awareness, professional accountability, policy adherence, accurate record-keeping, interprofessional communication, and maintaining high standards of practice within governance-led frameworks.

MSc - Art Psychotherapy - Ulster University (2023 - 2025)

Certificate - Jungian Art Therapy - University of Limerick (2021 - 2022)

BSc - Occupational Safety & Health - Institute of Technology Sligo (2000 - 2002)

Certificate - Applied Microbiology / Analytical Chemistry - Institute of Technology Sligo (1998 - 2000)