Our Team

Dr Lisa O'Reilly

Founder & Director • Chartered Psychologist • Independent Social Worker • Play Therapist • Attachment Researcher

With over two decades of specialist experience in child protection, foster care, and therapeutic practice, Dr Lisa O'Reilly brings gold-standard expertise in play-based attachment interventions, therapeutic lifestory work, and psychoeducational training. A Chartered Psychologist and doctoral researcher, her work on the voice of the child informs every aspect of HAPii's relational, trauma-informed approach across Ireland.

Caroline Boyd

Independent Social Worker • Systemic Family Therapist in Training

A CORU-registered social worker with over 28 years of experience across child protection, fostering, adoption and residential care, Caroline brings particular expertise in play-based and creative Voice of the Child assessments. She is currently in her final year of systemic family psychotherapy training and is skilled in solution-focused court reports for public and private family law proceedings.

Dr Caroline Duignan

Independent Social Worker • Child & Youth Researcher • National Trainer

Dr Caroline Duignan holds a PhD in Child and Youth Research and over 28 years' experience in child protection, interagency collaboration, and national training development. She specialises in children's participation frameworks, complex case reviews, and bridging research with frontline therapeutic and protective practice across Ireland.

Paulina Lesser

Psychologist • Independent Social Worker • Family Support Practitioner

Paulina is a bilingual psychologist and independent social worker with an MSc in Mental Health from Trinity College Dublin and a background spanning counselling, Montessori education and frontline work in the international protection system. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, she brings specialist expertise in Voice of the Child work, Section 32 and Section 47 assessment support and culturally sensitive practice with Spanish-speaking children and families.

Charlotte Lyne

Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist • Play Therapist • Clinical Supervisor • Primary School Principal

Charlotte brings over 20 years of therapeutic depth to HAPii. An accredited Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Play Therapist and Clinical Supervisor, she specialises in trauma-informed, attachment-focused and neuroscience-informed practice. Founder of Over the Rainbow Children's Therapy Centre in Donegal, she supports children, adolescents and families — including those affected by complex trauma, ACEs and neurodiversity — across Ireland.

Dr Katie O'Donoghue

Chartered Psychologist • Art Psychotherapist • Author

Dr Katie O'Donoghue is a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol BPS) and accredited Art Psychotherapist with a PhD in Health Psychology from University College London. She brings extensive experience in child protection, safeguarding, risk assessment and trauma-informed practice, and is the published author of three children's wellbeing books with Gill Books.

Olive Onono

Social Worker • Child Protection & Welfare Specialist

A CORU-registered Social Worker with over 15 years of experience supporting vulnerable children, adults and families across child welfare, child protection, international protection and social inclusion settings. Olive brings expertise in risk and vulnerability assessment, crisis intervention, case management and cross-cultural practice, underpinned by an MSW from Trinity College Dublin and an LLM in International Human Rights Law.

Steven Peet

Independent Social Worker • Child & Family Social Worker • Foster Carer

With over 15 years in child and family social work and more than a decade as a foster carer, Steven brings a uniquely informed dual perspective to his independent practice. He specialises in child protection, Voice of the Child assessments and independent court reports, and is available across Munster and Leinster.

Mel Shanley

Independent Social Worker • Medical Social Worker • Trauma Specialist

A qualified social worker with experience across child protection, fostering, disability and medical social work, Mel brings advanced training in complex trauma, bereavement support and therapeutic interventions for children with additional needs — delivering holistic, rights-based advocacy and psychoeducational support across Ireland.

Helen Tully

Independent Social Worker

A CORU-registered Independent Social Worker with over 18 years of experience in child protection, fostering and family support in Ireland. Helen is a former Social Work Team Leader with Tusla, with extensive court experience, specialist assessment expertise and a deeply child-centred approach to every piece of work she undertakes.

Work with HAPii

Are you a therapist, social worker, psychologist, social care professional or any other child and family specialist? We'd love to hear from you. HAPii welcomes practitioners from across all therapeutic and clinical disciplines who share our values and commitment to children and families.