Final confirmed details for the Psych Soc UL EGM 26/27!!

Drop down to the Fianna room, @7pm 30/09 in the Student Life building to meet the committee, run for committee roles, learn about the society and most importantly grab a slice of pizza (or two)...

Cant wait to see you all there, and if you have any questions about the night, the society, or anything in general our dm's are always open! Meeting is on campus, with an online option available on the night also!

AGM season is here!

Want a say in what UL Psych Soc does next semester? Got ideas, energy, or just fancy getting more involved?

This is your chance to vote, step forward for a role, and help shape the future of Psych Soc!

We’re recruiting for many roles and we’d love to see new faces putting themselves forward!

Wednesday 20th April @ 18:30

The New Dawn Room, UL Student Life Centre

Hybrid option available

Whether you want to run for a position or simply have your say, come along and be part of it!

#ulpsychsoc #psychology #ulstudentlife #ulwolves #AGM #comealong

Our next Lunch and Learn happens this Friday 17th of April 2026 with the wonderful Donna Fitzgerald.

Donna Fitzgerald (M.Ps.S.I) is a Work and Organisational Psychology scholar-practitioner and an Associate Certified Coach (ICF) based in Cork, Ireland. She currently works as a Programmes Supervisor and Key Worker at Rehab Care, supporting individuals with disabilities through person-centred approaches. Previously, Donna worked at Eli Lilly alongside a team of Chartered Work and Organisational Psychologists, where she specialised in employee onboarding and early career development. She is passionate about providing neuro-affirmative care and designing impactful learning interventions and has a strong interest in mental health advocacy. She was recently appointed to the board of the Hearing Voices Network Ireland. Donna completed her coaching education at the FLOW Coaching Institute, accredited by the International Coaching Federation, while undertaking her master’s at the University of Limerick. She also holds certifications in Counselling and Psychotherapy, and Training Delivery and Evaluation, supporting her holistic approach to people and organisational development. She is also an engaged member of the Women’s Network Committee within the Rehab Group, where she contributes to the development of a nationwide mentorship and coaching programme aimed at supporting women in the formative stages of their careers.

Take a Breather: Meditation Mondays

The Forest Room 2nd Floor - New Student Centre Time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Feeling a bit stressed, overwhelmed, or just need some time to reset? Come join us for a relaxed and supportive session to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

• A relaxing meditation to let go of stress and tension

• Leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more grounded No experience needed — just come as you are.

• Bring comfy clothes, maybe a blanket, and your lovely self ?

Hosted by: Kate Hanly

This will be a good event to take a moment to chill amidst all the college deadlines. Additionally, this series will provide a good opportunity for students to network!

Dr. Aoife Whiston is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Limerick, where she teaches, supervises PhD students, and researches psychological stress, depression, and related physiological responses. Her academic work often uses innovative methods such as network analysis and wearable technology to explore how stress and residual symptoms interact in mental health conditions like depression, and she has published multiple peer-reviewed articles in these areas. Dr. Whiston also contributes to applied research projects at UL, including studies on physical activity and stroke recovery, and is actively involved in interdisciplinary collaborations within the university’s Health Research Institute.

We’re excited to welcome Dr Whiston for our Lunch and Learn. We look forward to hearing about her career pathway, which we know will offer inspiration and a practical perspective for anyone interested in research, psychology, or health sciences.

Take a Breather: Meditation Mondays

The Fianna Room - New Student Centre Time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Feeling a bit stressed, overwhelmed, or just need some time to reset? Come join us for a relaxed and supportive session to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

• A relaxing meditation to let go of stress and tension

• Leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more grounded No experience needed — just come as you are.

• Bring comfy clothes, maybe a blanket, and your lovely self ?

Hosted by: Kate Hanly

This will be a good event to take a moment to chill amidst all the college deadlines. Additionally, this series will provide a good opportunity for students to network!

Take a Breather: Meditation Mondays

The Wolf Land Room - New Student Centre Time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Feeling a bit stressed, overwhelmed, or just need some time to reset? Come join us for a relaxed and supportive session to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

• A relaxing meditation to let go of stress and tension

• Leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more grounded No experience needed — just come as you are.

• Bring comfy clothes, maybe a blanket, and your lovely self ?

Hosted by: Kate Hanly

This will be a good event to take a moment to chill amidst all the college deadlines. Additionally, this series will provide a good opportunity for students to network!

Get ready to attend our very first in-person event of the semester!!!! Have your quiz team at the ready for Tuesday February 10th @ 7pm, where we will be exercising our brains with general knowledge, and getting to know each other better!! Entry is 5 euro per person, or 4 for 20, and we accept both cash and card. There will also be a raffle, with fabulous prizes to be won. We hope to see you in Scholars for a evening of merriment and fun:))

Take a Breather: Meditation Mondays

Fianna Room - New Student Centre Time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Feeling a bit stressed, overwhelmed, or just need some time to reset? Come join us for a relaxed and supportive session to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

• A relaxing meditation to let go of stress and tension

• Leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more grounded No experience needed — just come as you are.

• Bring comfy clothes, maybe a blanket, and your lovely self ?

Hosted by: Kate Hanly

This will be a good event to take a moment to chill amidst all the college deadlines. Additionally, this series will provide a good opportunity for students to network!

Lunch & Learn: What's Next? Life after your psychology degree.

Our next speaker, Michelle Cregg, is an HCPC-registered Consultant Forensic Psychologist and an accredited Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) Practitioner specialising in the assessment, formulation and treatment of individuals with complex psychosis, complex emotional needs and personality disorder. She currently works within a specialist Complex Psychosis Team in the NHS in England, where her practice integrates relational, developmental, and systems-level approaches to support individuals with high levels of clinical risk, psychosocial needs, and long-term functional impairment.
Michelle’s clinical and research interests centre on relational continuity and its role in promoting meaningful and sustained recovery for individuals with entrenched difficulties, including personality disorder and trauma-related presentations. She has a particular academic focus on how therapeutic relationships foster engagement, stabilise risk, and enhance long-term outcomes for people with complex and co-occurring needs. Her ongoing professional work also reflects a strong commitment to reducing health inequalities in psychological services, with specific emphasis on age and gender disparities in access, experience and treatment outcomes.
Alongside her clinical roles, Michelle is an experienced Expert Witness who provides specialist assessments for Parole Boards, Immigration Tribunals and statutory agencies. She is highly skilled in risk assessment, including structured professional judgement methods for violence and self-harm, and is frequently consulted by multi-agency panels on managing risk in culturally diverse and high-stakes contexts. Her experience spans forensic, prison, community and local authority settings, giving her a broad applied understanding of how clinical, legal and social systems intersect in the management of complex risk.
Originally from Roscommon, Michelle completed her BA in Psychology at NUI Maynooth, followed by an MSc in Forensic Psychology at London Metropolitan University. She subsequently completed the British Psychological Society Qualification in Forensic Psychology, achieving Chartership in 2012, and later undertook specialist training as a Cognitive Analytic Therapy Practitioner.
Michelle brings a distinctive combination of clinical expertise, academic curiosity and policy-relevant insight, making her well positioned to contribute to health and social-care and justice sectors. Her background equips her to support in the areas of:
• advanced risk assessment and management;
• service development for people with complex psychosis and personality disorder;
• expert evidence to inform high-stakes decision-making;
• development and evaluation of trauma-informed and relationally informed practice;
• teaching, supervision and research collaboration.
Her work is shaped by a commitment to high-quality, recovery-oriented care and a strong belief in the value of evidence-based, relationally driven psychological practice.

We can’t wait to learn, connect, and grow together. Let’s make this an amazing start to something special!

Our speakers will share their educational journeys, the decisions that shaped their careers, and what their day-to-day work actually looks like now. Whether you’re curious, confused, excited, or all of the above, this series is here to give you real insight, real guidance, and a whole lot of inspiration.

Each session, we’ll be joined by both past UL psychology students and other fantastic guests who all started exactly where you are now: with a passion for psychology. They’ve since gone on to take very different, and equally inspiring, career paths.

This series is all about exploring life after your psychology degree, featuring real stories, unexpected turns, challenges, and the opportunities that open up once you step beyond the classroom.

We’re absolutely delighted to kick off our first-ever Virtual Lunch & Learn Series with the University of Limerick Psychological Society! 

Our next Lunch and Learn is a special one. When we asked students to give us one word about our next speaker, students said " legend", " present" "Sandra is what's the best thing about the course", and finally, how would you phrase someone that takes time to get to know everybody individually and remember them years later?

We are so delighted and proud to have the wonderful Sandra O 'Brien as our next Lunch and Learn speaker

Sandra O’Brien is a Senior Technical Officer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Limerick.  She completed her BA degree in Psychology from 2000-2003, followed by an MSc in Neuropharmacology from 2003-2005, both at the University of Galway (UoG). She took two years away from academia to work in a record shop before returning for two years, working as a Research and Teaching Assistant in Pharmacology at UoG, a Lecturer in Pharmacology in both TUS Athlone and UoG and a Technical Officer at UoG. She completed her PhD in Pharmacology, also at UoG, between 2009 and 2012. Spotting a pattern in her academic affiliations, she began her current role at UL in 2012. In her role as part of the Psychtech team, she is one of the contact points for technical expertise in the areas of Psychology research and teaching for 400 Undergraduates, 100 Masters students, 40 PhD students, 50 Clinical Psychology Trainees and 50 Staff.

Lunch & Learn: What's Next? Life after your psychology degree.

We’re absolutely delighted to kick off our first-ever Virtual Lunch & Learn Series with the University of Limerick Psychological Society! 

This series is all about exploring life after your psychology degree, featuring real stories, unexpected turns, challenges, and the opportunities that open up once you step beyond the classroom.

Each session, we’ll be joined by both past UL psychology students and other fantastic guests who all started exactly where you are now: with a passion for psychology. They’ve since gone on to take very different, and equally inspiring, career paths.

Our speakers will share their educational journeys, the decisions that shaped their careers, and what their day-to-day work actually looks like now. Whether you’re curious, confused, excited, or all of the above, this series is here to give you real insight, real guidance, and a whole lot of inspiration.

We can’t wait to learn, connect, and grow together. Let’s make this an amazing start to something special!

Lunch and Learn: What's Next? Life after your psychology degree

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Muireann O’Dea, a proud past student of the University of Limerick (UL), to our upcoming Lunch & Learn session. Dr. O’Dea has built a distinguished academic and professional career since her time at UL, contributing meaningfully to the field of psychology through her research, and professional engagement. Dr. Muireann O’Dea is a postdoctoral researcher in social psychology at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany. Broadly, her research focuses on how positive emotions foster well-being and provide resilience to negative emotional experiences such as social exclusion and boredom. Her current postdoctoral research focuses on social exclusion, and developing interventions for well-being promotion following exclusion using intensive longitudinal methods.She earned her PhD in Psychology from the University of Limerick, Ireland, where she was awarded an Irish Research doctoral scholarship.

In this session, Dr. O’Dea will share her career journey, from her foundations at UL to the key milestones, challenges, and opportunities that shaped her path. She will offer insights into the skills and experiences that supported her progression, and provide a behind-the-scenes look at what her professional life looks like today.

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from Dr. O’Dea’s expertise, hear her perspectives on career development, and gain inspiration for your own professional journey.

Lunch & Learn: What's Next? Life after your psychology degree.

We’re absolutely delighted to kick off our first-ever Virtual Lunch & Learn Series with the University of Limerick Psychological Society! 

This series is all about exploring life after your psychology degree, featuring real stories, unexpected turns, challenges, and the opportunities that open up once you step beyond the classroom.

Each session, we’ll be joined by both past UL psychology students and other fantastic guests who all started exactly where you are now: with a passion for psychology. They’ve since gone on to take very different, and equally inspiring, career paths.

Our speakers will share their educational journeys, the decisions that shaped their careers, and what their day-to-day work actually looks like now. Whether you’re curious, confused, excited, or all of the above, this series is here to give you real insight, real guidance, and a whole lot of inspiration.

We can’t wait to learn, connect, and grow together. Let’s make this an amazing start to something special!

We are delighted to welcome Zara Harnett to our first Lunch and Learn of our 2025-2026 series.

Zara graduated from a BA in Psychology and Sociology in 2022 and the MSc in Psychological Science (Clinical Stream) in 2023 at the University of Limerick. During her time at UL, she partook in several voluntary research internships throughout her studies and worked on two different projects as a Research Assistant following the completion of her MSc. Her time at UL ignited a love for research within her.Zara began working as a Research Officer with the National Suicide Research Foundation in June 2024. Her role involves undertaking research on HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention funded projects relating to Service Evaluation. Zara also works as a voluntary Research Assistant for the Pregnancy Loss Research Group and published her first paper in 2025. Before beginning her role with the NSRF, she worked on a pilot programme involving the introduction of Assistant Psychologists into secondary schools across Limerick and Clare.In 2024, Zara was elected as a committee member onto the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Early Graduate Group and became co-chair of the group in 2025.

This will be the first AGM of Psychology Society UL.

We will make this a hybrid event, whereby users that want to join remotely will be given a hyperlink to do so.

This AGM will have the goal of:

1. Using the AGM as an event to get to welcome everyone to Psychology Society UL
2. To elect more members for our core committee, as well as elect our subcommittee
3. To brainstorm ideas for formal and informal society events.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Take a Breather: Mindfulness & Meditation Workshop ? When: Next Thursday 30th October

Where: The Forest room, Student Life Time: 6.30pm - 8.00pm

Feeling a bit stressed, overwhelmed, or just need some time to reset? Come join us for a relaxed and supportive session to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

? ? What’s happening:

• ? Part 1: Tips & Tools for Managing Stress • Mindfulness and breathing techniques you can use anytime • Ways to calm your mind and ease anxiety • Simple practices to help you stay balanced — especially when life (or college) gets hectic

• ?? Part 2: Guided Meditation • A relaxing meditation to let go of stress and tension • Leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more grounded No experience needed — just come as you are.

Bring comfy clothes, maybe a blanket, and your lovely self ?

Hosted by: Kate and Signe Everyone’s welcome! ?

This will be a good event to take a moment to chill amidst all the college deadlines.

Additionally, with this being our first event it may be a good opportunity for students to network.

We look forward to welcoming you to Psychology Society UL!