We are an assessment and intervention service based in Cabra, North-side Dublin. The CEO and lead psychologist of Sycamore Psychology is Dr. Sara Flynn CPsychol. Dr Sara is a chartered child and educational psychologist who has been working in both the private and pubic sector for over 15 years.
Through her work with children, their families and schools, Dr. Sara has observed the difficulties first hand that can cause disruption and upset to a young person’s life and her vision for Sycamore Psychology is to provide a highly professional yet friendly service which provides advice and guidance to parents and young people on how to understand the issues they are presenting with and what strategies can be employed to help get around the presenting issues. While Dr Flynn focuses on carrying out assessments for Neurodivergent autistic presentations, educational and cognitive assessments are skilfully called out by Dr Tracy O Halloran, Dr Éadaoin O’Donovan and Dr Marc Bennett, all of whom practice in both the public and the private sectors.
All About Me
Dr Sara Flynn
My name is Dr. Sara Flynn CPsychol. I have been practising as a chartered psychologist for over 15 years in both the private and public sectors. I hold three degrees in science and psychology, including a doctorate in educational and child psychology. I have a rich range of experience encompassing teaching and lecturing.I have worked as a classroom assistant in primary school as a maths teacher in secondary school and I have lectured in third level in psychology and additional needs. My role as a psychologist in a service for children with Autism influenced me greatly in terms of how I see young neurodivergent people’s strengths and needs and also those of their families and their schools. My interests lie in the areas of neurodiversity (autism), social & emotional learning and psychedelic assisted therapy.
Parenting is a tricky job at the best of times. I was a psychologist before I was a parent, and now I have merged my love and experience of psychology with that of being a parent which allows me to take theory and apply it in a realistic way, allowing for maximum impact within limited time.
Dr. Éadaoin O Donovan
Child and Educational Psychologist
Éadaoin is a dedicated Educational and Child Psychologist with a wealth of experience supporting children, young people, and families. She holds a Bachelor of Education in Education and Psychology from Mary Immaculate College and completed her Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology at University College Dublin.
Before embarking on her doctoral training, Éadaoin worked as a primary school teacher, both in mainstream classroom settings and as part of the Special Education Team, where she developed a strong foundation in supporting diverse learners. Her doctoral training has provided her with valuable experience across a range of settings, including Primary Care Psychology, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), and Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). Éadaoin currently works in the public sector, supporting children with a wide range of disabilities and complex needs.
Éadaoin‘s professional interests span a range of areas, including child development, neurodiversity, and the impact of early childhood adversity on brain development and social, emotional, and behavioural functioning. She completed her thesis on the impact of childhood adversity on academic attainment, with a focus on how early experiences can shape educational outcomes. She is particularly interested in attachment- and play-based approaches to support children’s well-being and development.
A strong advocate for a strengths-based approach, Éadaoin prioritises empowering parents to support their neurodivergent children in reaching their full potential. She has extensive experience in conducting psychoeducational assessments and diagnostic autism assessments, always tailoring her approach to the individual needs of each child.
Through her work, Éadaoin strives to empower children and families, promoting resilience, emotional well-being, and academic success, while creating supportive environments that nurture each child’s individual strengths and capabilities.
Dr. Tracy O Halloran
Child and Educational Psychologist Tracy studied in Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, and obtained a First Class Honours Bachelor of Education in Education and Psychology degree, followed by a First Class Honours Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies. Before commencing her studies on the Professional Doctorate, she taught in a mainstream primary school for three years, and during this time also worked as a tutor with the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Tracy completed her Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology in University College Dublin. As part of her Doctoral training, Tracy completed placements in the National Learning Network in a university setting, a HSE Child Disability Service, a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). She currently works full-time with children with disabilities. She has a strong interest in autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and the impact of trauma on child development, and she enjoys working from a child and family centred, strengths-based, neuro-affirmative approach.
When some members of a family have needs that are not typical, it can impact the whole family and therefore everyone’s needs in the family need to be considered. Parents often put themselves last when it comes to having needs met, but children model what we show them so helping parents to see that a key way to help their children is to help themselves first is a frequent mantra of mine.
I want to give parents the tools to help their children themselves and to develop their relationships with their children through communication. I have a passion writing therapeutic stories which focus on supporting parents and caregivers to communicate tricky topics to the children in their care.
Working with and supporting children to become all they can be guides me in my practice and I have found that the best way to do this is to give sound psychological knowledge and encouraging support to parents and teachers, the support network for these youngsters. Through consultation, active and empathetic listening I bring myself into the world of the child and help those around the child to understand their perspective. Seeing through the child’s eyes is the true way I can support them. I engage in assessment to support the interventions I then recommend based on the profiled needs of the child.
Biography
Felicity Lynn
Felicity Lynn is the alter-ego of Dr. Sara Flynn. She was created as a character who could interact with children, someone likeable and visually interesting sporting blue hair which is always a mess. Felicity Lynn reads Dr. Sara’s Stories (and other stories) and she bring them to life. She takes therapeutic and learning stories which can have a heavy theme and softens them with a sweet delivery.
Felicity Lynn is a vehicle for communication The name Felicity means the ability to find appropriate expression for one’s thoughts. Felicity Lynn’s hair is bright blue, chosen because of the connection to the energy based systems of chakras which have blue as the colour of the throat chakra, governing our communication.
Being a psychologist is serious business and Felicity Lynn allows Dr. Sara to express her fun and carefree side….and also to wear a wig
Amazing organizations and charities we have been fortunate enough to work with
Testimonials
What People Are Saying
“Sara has been kind, helpful, supportive and very positive since my son, who has Down Syndrome was very young. She has given expert, professional advice which has helped me enormously over the years. I highly recommend Sara and would like to thank her for everything she has done for me and my son. Thank you”
“I chose Sycamore Psychology because it was very hard to find a service that could help , from the moment I called Sycamore psychology I got nothing but great help and advice. When the day came to meet Sara from the psychology and got my diagnosis it was a great experience and I’m learning to live with being a neuro – diverse adult . They are still very responsive still to this day and gives help were I need it . I am very grateful and happy I chose Sycamore psychology and I can’t recommend them enough”
“I would highly recommend Dr Sara, I found her to be exceptionally professional, helpful and efficient. She was great with our child and explained everything and made sure we all had a clear understanding of the process. She was very easy to talk too and we all felt very comfortable and at ease in her company. All reports and feedback were very thorough and concise”
“In wanting to further understand and more accurately support our child’s challenges, it was important to us to find a psychologist who could assess him and provide clarity on his way of experiencing the world. Sara went above and beyond in meeting those needs. She facilitated a multi-disciplinary diagnostic assessment, ensuring the process was as unintrusive as possible for our child. Following the assessment, with sensitivity, compassion and reassurance, Sara shared her expertise by explaining the facts of her findings and expanding on her recommendations. She was extremely supportive throughout our engagement with her and we feel very fortunate to have engaged with her on our journey with our son”