EPT Clinic, Ireland

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EPT Clinic, Ireland

Clinical Director Lorraine Madden is a Chartered Educational Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland.

Best-practice neurodevelopmental assessments & documentation to explain your child's unique profile, along with a clear support plan PLUS access to multidisciplinary care to better equip your child to successfully navigate the world. She is also a published research author, lecturer in University College Dublin, and mother of two young children. Lorraine specialises in the areas of child developme

nt, paediatrics, infant mental health and early intervention. Lorraine and the clinic’s highly qualified team of healthcare professionals believe in helping all children reach their full potential in life. Lorraine begun her career working as a home tutor with children who presented with Autism. She then worked as a primary school teacher, before returning to university to complete her studies in Educational Psychology. As a psychologist, she initially worked with the HSE in both Early Intervention and School Aged Services. After some time working with the HSE, Lorraine set up her own clinical practice, The EPT Clinic in January 2019. The practice now comprises of over 12 team members, specialiseing in excellence in peadiatric healthcare. Infant Mental Health:
In recent years, Lorraine has developed a special interest in supporting families with young babies and toddlers. This began during her time working in Early Intervention Psychology Services in the HSE Cork. She underwent extensive training, including Masterclass in Infant Mental Health training, training with the The Squiggle Foundation and the NSPCC. She also engaged in CPD in developmental trauma and interpersonal, neurobiological approaches to development and resiliency.

02/08/2025

It’s easy to feel pressure during the summer. And it can be full on juggling work, holidays, quality time with family.

Learning doesn’t stop when schools close!

It can be a time to see lots of developmental progress, or a time to pause and take a break.

Development doesn’t always follow a straight line.

Dr. Naomi Fisher calls the mismatch between expectations of children’s development and the reality of this development the “reality gap”.

Children’s development can sometimes look more like a squiggle than a straight line, and time to rest and reset can be an important part of this process.

Summer can be a chance to slow down, reconnect, and let brains and bodies rest.

So what I tell parents is, you just do you and your family! Do what works for you and your child.

That’s usually enough!

Your Child and Adolescent Educational Psychologist.

Lorraine Xx

31/07/2025

Service update! Xx

26/07/2025

Summer can brings sunshine (unpredictable in Ireland, but it does happen!!)🤣

But it can also bring sensory overload, social changes, and a loss of routine.

For some children, that means the behaviour that challenges ramps up... just as everyone else seems to be winding down.

It’s not about defiance.
It’s about safety, regulation, and adapting to change.

Your child isn’t trying to make things difficult.

They’re trying to feel okay in a world that feels different every day.

If you need help, comment MEMBERSHIP below. and I will send you a link to our Neurodiversity Parenting Membership for help.

Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,

Lorraine Xx

25/07/2025

Summer routines can feel intense…

Too rigid, and everyone resists.
Too loose, and everyone unravels.

If you’ve been wondering why things feel so off...it’s not just your child.

It’s the whole family nervous system.

Try zooming out:
💭 What helps all of us feel more settled?
💭 Do we need more rhythm, more flexibility, or just more clarity?

There’s no perfect routine.

But there is a rhythm that works for your unique household.

✨ Inside this week’s EPT Membership session, we’re exploring how to co-create flexible rhythms that help everyone regulate, especially when siblings have different needs.

Comment MEMBERSHIP below to get the access link.

Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,

Lorraine Xx

22/07/2025

I have to admit... I have come home from many of our family holidays up to this point in my life completely exhausted!

It is such a huge undertaking bringing children to a different location, setting them up in new beds, giving them different food, hoping they will be excited about a new schedule...

On top of this, everyone is in a smaller space with less alone time. Ahhhh!!!

But... this year was different for me and our family. We finally found a rhythm that I could really relax into (and for those of you who know me, relaxing isn't exactly my strength!!) 🤣

About half way through the holiday my husband said to me, "Lor, I haven't seen you this chilled since we have had children, it's really great". And it made me wonder, what made the difference this year?

Soooo, I got out a notebook and scribbled a few bits down, which I put in the post above hoping that it might help some other busy moms too.

Thinking of you all this summer,

Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,

Lorraine ###

21/07/2025

I often see children arriving in clinic in July feeling done.
Exhausted. Wired. Holding it together with every bit of effort they’ve got.

Neurodivergent children especially may end the school year in nervous system overdrive.

That’s why summer isn’t just a break... it’s a recalibration.

☀️ Slower mornings
🧘 Fewer demands
🛋 Space to rest, play, and just be

🔑 One tip: Build in micro-moments of safety each day: a cuddle on the couch, quiet screen time, a favourite snack in a shaded spot.
These little rituals tell the nervous system: you’re safe now.

This isn’t unproductive. It’s essential.

✨
Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,
Lorraine Xx

20/07/2025

A parent said to me recently,

“By the end of the day, I feel like I can’t even sit down.”

That’s not weakness. That’s a nervous system stuck on high alert — holding the needs, emotions, and logistics of the whole family.

When we support families, we begin here:

How is your nervous system doing?
Because your child’s needs matter, but so does your capacity to meet them.

From a neurodevelopmental lens, we know: regulation comes before reflection.

Before you try to push through, pause.

🌀 TIP: Check in:

✨ Is your jaw tight?
✨ Shoulders hunched?
✨ Breathing shallow?

Your body is speaking. It’s okay to listen.

We’re here to support the nervous systems of both children and parents — because both matter.

✨
Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,
Lorraine Xx

18/07/2025

So many parents come to us exhausted...feeling like they’ve tried everything to “fix” school problems, the meltdowns, the shutdowns, the big feelings.

The difficulty is that schools are struggling too...

Without the right information, the correct support, schools struggle to understand what children are communicating... how they are coping, surviving.

What we all need is support, evidence-based and lived experience informed documentation, and a plan... so that it’s easier for everyone to feel safe, seen, and understood.

Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,

Lorraine Xx

14/07/2025

These questions help me and my kids feel connected. I use them all the time!

Fostering understanding and connection with your child starts with asking the right questions.

We often underestimate the value of simple conversations.

Sometimes just breaking out of the typical routine a little to ask some unusual questions can really help your child feel seen, especially if their experience of life is unusual.

By asking these, you’re creating space for your child’s voice 💛✨

Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,

Lorraine Xx

11/07/2025

Self compassion is so important.

Be kind to yourself today.

Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,

Lorraine Xx

Address

Dublin Road
Kilkenny
R95YA07

Website

https://www.eptclinic.ie/online-neurodiversity-support-for-parents

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