Personal Details
I was born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary in 1943. I emigrated to London in 1960 and after being miserable in many ‘jobs’ I was accepted on the new and progressive Home Office Child Care course in order to work with children and young people in residential care. After a placement in a Wandsworth children’s reception centre I realised I had found my vocation and as I enjoy telling social care students, I haven’t ‘worked’ since.
Professional Qualifications
North Western Polytechnic (London) and the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (London): Certificate in the Residential Care of Children and Young People (Full Time) 1966;
University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work: Senior Certificate in the Residential Care of Children and Young People (1975/6)
Tavistock Clinic, London: Advanced Training in Consultation and Community Mental Health (1978/80)
Institute of Integrative and Psychotherapy Studies (Dublin): Diploma in Counselling (1999-2001); Diploma in Psychotherapy (2001/2002).
Academic Qualifications
University of Newcastle upon Tyne: Diploma in Advanced Educational Studies (1976)
University of Newcastle upon Tyne: Master of Philosophy (1998)
Dublin City University: Master of Science in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (2007)
Professional Accreditations
Accredited Membership of the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (MIAHIP)
Accredited Membership of the European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy (MECIP)
Professional Practice
Founder and Director of Reinden Wood House Therapeutic Community, Kent, 1967/1982)
(Returned to Ireland, full-time father, part-time baker for two years)
Supervisor, VEC Drop in Centre for Young People, Waterford City 1984/1986
Director of Prospect House Child Care Centre, Waterford City, 1986/1995
Child Care Consultant and Consultant Psychotherapist to St Bernard’s Child Care Centre, Fethard, 1995/2014)
Child Care Consultant and Consultant Psychotherapist to HSE and TUSLA and various centres (1995 to now).
Teaching Experience
Waterford Institute of Technology: Lecturer in Social Studies, 1985/1995
National University of Ireland (Maynooth): Course Tutor, Introduction to Counselling Skills Courses at various venues, 1997 to 2013.
Carlow College (St Patricks): Lecturer in Applied Social Studies (1995 to now); Co-founder and Course Leader, MA in Therapeutic Child Care Course, 2006 to now. Course now presented as the MA (Leadership in Therapeutic Child & Social Care; Course Designer and Course Leader, Certificate in Therapeutic Foster Care, Callan, 2014 to now.
Recent Publications
McLellan, D. (2008) M.Phil. Thesis “Effecting Change within Residential Child Care” on www.pettrust.org.uk website
McLellan, D. (2010) Why a Therapeutic Approach to Residential Child Care? International Journal of Child & Family Welfare 13(3/4) cited in Christopher Reeves (ed) 2012 Broken Bounds, London: Karnac and The International Child & Youth Care Network (CYC-Net).
McLellan, D. (2016) Reclaiming an Irish Way of St James History Ireland Vol 24 No 3
McLellan, D. (2016) Reclaiming the forgotten church of St Thomas Becket in Waterford City History Ireland Vol 24 No 6