Derek Mc Donnell is a qualified Social Care Practitioner working in the Social Care Profession for the past 28 years, in variety of services in Ireland.
These services range from Residential Care, Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Community Social Work Services in Child Protection. Children in Care and currently in the Prevention Partnership Family Service in Dublin Mid -Leinster.
He is a focusing Trainer since 2000 and Certifying Coordinator 2014 with The International Focusing Institute.
He has extensive experience in running Focusing through Interactive Pausing Emotional Resiliency based Intervention for young people, Parents, Foster Carers and Professionals from Social Work, Social Care and Teachers within Community based settings.
He has publications in the following;
Social Care: The book “Learning from Practice”, Chapter 12 Precious Cargo – a Focusing Approach to Therapeutic Intervention.
Foster Irish Foster Care Association Journal Fostering Focusing: A way of taking care of our most ‘precious cargo’- our children.
http://www.ifca.ie/files/2814/5502/6950/Foster journal_Issue_1_2016.pdf
Article: Teaching the Pause for Resilience Initiatives – A journal of Focusing Initiatives International and the
British Focusing Association Journal
Development of Teaching Tools for Training with Nada Lou Certifying Coordinator:
Focusing through Interactive Pause Program DVD – live recording of this program in the classroom setting incorporating live footage from the pupils about the benefits of the program.
One –One Live interview-with the Teacher of the class were the FTIP was ran to explore the challenges and benefits of the process
Fostering Focusing DVD with Foster Carers – Live recording as teaching aid for trainers to enable them to articulate from their “Inside Place”.
Research of Fostering Focusing Training:
A Social Care Student in Third Level Institute of Technology in Co Carlow in Ireland completed her Dissertation on Foster Focusing: 80 hours training from September 2012- March 2013 .
This was completed in April 2017
Title of Dissertation: ‘The use of Focusing in Foster Care, the Foster Carers
His training programme has being accredited CPD training for Primary school teachers with the Department of Education and Science.
He works within the Family Law Courts with Focusing orientated reports based on the modality of Focusing.
He runs a small Private Focusing Practise adults, children and parents.
