Profile Summary
Paulina Lesser is a bilingual psychologist and family support practitioner with a background spanning mental health, counselling, Montessori education and frontline work with children and families in vulnerable and legally complex circumstances. She is fully bilingual in English and Spanish and brings extensive cross-cultural experience, having lived and worked in Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Paulina holds an MSc in Mental Health from Trinity College Dublin, a BA (Hons) in Psychology and a Higher Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from Dublin Business School, and a BA in Education from St Nicholas Montessori College, Dún Laoghaire. She is a Graduate Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland and is Garda vetted.
Her practice is child-centred, attachment-informed and culturally sensitive. She is equally at ease working with young children, teenagers, adults and caregivers, and brings a warm, grounded presence that children and families settle into quickly.
Current Profile Areas
Qualifications
- MScMental Health, Trinity College Dublin.
- HDipCounselling and Psychotherapy, Dublin Business School.
- BA (Hons)Psychology, Dublin Business School.
- BA EducationSt Nicholas Montessori College, Dún Laoghaire.
Career History
- 2024-presentDepartment of Justice Panel Member — reviewing information and individual circumstances, applying objective judgement within a legal framework.
- 2023-2024Vulnerability Assessments, International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS).
- 2019-presentSpanish Interpreter, International Protection Office — interpreting for interviews and tribunal appearances alongside immigration lawyers and barristers.
- 2019-2021Volunteer Counsellor and Psychotherapist — providing person-centred counselling and psychotherapy to Spanish-speaking refugees and asylum seekers.
Assessment and Family Practice
Paulina offers a comprehensive range of assessment and family support services at HAPii, combining her psychological training, cultural expertise and frontline experience in international protection to provide child-centred, evidence-informed and court-ready practice.
- Section 32 Assessment Support — District Court child welfare work. Bilingual interviews with children and parents, gathering the child's views, observation notes and written contributions to assessment reports.
- Section 47 Assessment Support — Circuit Court welfare work, with particular value where a parent or child is Spanish-speaking or the family has an international protection or migrant history.
- Voice of the Child Sessions — Play-informed, developmentally appropriate sessions in Spanish or English to help a child express views, worries and wishes for use in assessments and court reports.
- Access and Contact Session Support — Bilingual facilitation and structured observation notes during contact, feeding into access assessments and recommendations on the quality of the parent–child relationship.
- Vulnerability and Needs Conversations — Structured, IPAS-informed conversations with parents or young people to map vulnerability, immediate needs and risk indicators.
- Country of Origin and Contextual Research — Focused written briefings on country conditions, culture, protection issues or family circumstances, for inclusion in assessment files or court reports.
- Professional Report and Documentation — Clear, structured writing that separates evidence from interpretation — session notes, contribution chapters and file summaries.
Bilingual and Cross-Cultural Practice
Paulina's fully bilingual English and Spanish practice is a distinctive and valuable asset within HAPii's work. Her direct experience in the international protection system — as interpreter, vulnerability assessor and Department of Justice panel member — gives her an unparalleled understanding of the legal, cultural and human dimensions of displacement and the challenges faced by migrant and international protection families.
From 2019 to 2021, she provided person-centred counselling and psychotherapy to Spanish-speaking refugees and asylum seekers, working with empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. This experience, combined with her lived cross-cultural background, enables her to support Spanish-speaking children and families in ways that are genuinely sensitive to their language, culture and circumstances.
- International Protection and Migrant Family Package — culturally informed support for families in or leaving the international protection system.
- Spanish–English Family Support — bilingual parent and carer sessions focused on settling, communication, routines and the child's emotional world.
- Foster Carer and Parent Psychoeducation — practical, attachment-informed guidance for carers and parents on regulation, connection and understanding children's behaviour.
- Interpreting and Cultural Consultancy — Spanish interpreting and cultural context for interviews, contact sessions and meetings with legal professionals.
Education Background and Direct Work with Children
Paulina holds a BA in Education from St Nicholas Montessori College, Dún Laoghaire, grounded in close observation of the young child and child-led, developmentally responsive practice. She has classroom experience supporting children at Rathgar National School and is equally comfortable working with primary-age children, adolescents, adults and caregivers.
Her Montessori background directly informs her direct work with children at HAPii — play-informed, education-based engagement that supports children in expressing their views, wishes and worries in age-appropriate ways. This is direct work within HAPii's play-based framework, delivered with warmth, skill and careful attention to the child's developmental needs.
Registration and Clearance
- Graduate Member, Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).
- Garda vetted.
Contact Paulina
For enquiries connected to Paulina's work with HAPii, email Paulina directly.
Email Paulina