Blue Sky Educational Psychology Community Interest Company is a Social Enterprise offering educational psychology services throughout Northern Ireland. 

We are proud to have a social purpose – to serve the community of children and young people with additional educational needs and that community is at the heart of everything we do.

   

Our vision is ‘Wellbeing, Achievement, Compassion and Creativity for all’.  The principal aim of Blue Sky CIC is to improve the educational outcomes and emotional wellbeing of children and young people through the application of psychology.  A focus on compassion runs through all of our work with parents, children, young people and school staff.  We are big believers in creative, ‘blue sky’ thinking.  Children have a wonderful capacity for creativity.

Our aim in Blue Sky is to use creative thinking to develop solutions for children and young people with additional needs.  If there were no limits, where can creative thinking take you? The sky’s the limit.

Assessment

We complete rigorous and comprehensive assessments of children’s and adolescents’ cognitive and social-emotional functioning. Assessments are carried out at the practice in Broughshane, however they can also be conducted in the client’s home setting and/or school. We can complete assessments where there are queries with regard to general learning difficulties, dyslexia and/or dyscalculia. We can provide an opinion regarding the presence of ADHD and/or Autism, but not a diagnosis.

Standard assessment fee: £600

Our Team

Ciara Totten

Dr Stacey Mellon

Dr Ciara Totten

Ciara is the Principal Educational Psychologist and Managing Director in Blue Sky.  She has over twenty years’ experience working with children and young people with additional needs.  Before commencing doctoral study, Ciara worked as a teacher for approximately eight years, both as a primary school teacher in England and in a special school in Northern Ireland for children with moderate learning difficulties (MLD).

Ciara has a special interest in therapeutic approaches and has completed training as a Therapeutic Play practitioner.

Ciara is passionate about supporting school systems and individuals to improve social and emotional well-being.

Ciara uses a consultative approach across all levels of her work with parents and in schools to promote systemic change and improve outcomes for all.

Ciara is passionate about keeping the child at the centre of applied psychology. She is an advocate of Person-Centred (PC) approaches and is undergoing training in using PC approaches such as PATH, MAP and Circles of Adults.

Dr Stacey Mellon commenced her role as Senior Educational Psychologist at Blue Sky Educational Psychology CIC in September 2022. She has over 15 years of experience working in various roles within the education sector.

Stacey completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology (BSc) and Master’s degree (MSc) in Autism Spectrum Disorders at Queen’s University, Belfast.  Stacey continued to pursue opportunities within education and completed a PGCE to become a Social Sciences (Psychology) Teacher at GCSE and A-level at Keele University. Stacey completed her Doctorate in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology at Queen’s University, Belfast (2012-2015).

Stacey worked as an Educational Psychologist for the Education Authority in Northern Ireland from 2015 until August 2022. This role allowed Stacey to develop experience using assessment and the application of psychological theory and evidence to support children and young people in schools. Prior to working as an Educational Psychologist, Stacey worked as an Intervention Officer and a Post Primary Advisory Teacher for the Autism Advisory and Intervention Service, Western Education and Library Board. During this time Stacey advised and supported children and young people with ASD, alongside school staff and parents. This was in the form of advice, training, and intervention work. During her earlier years within the education sector, Stacey worked as a Special Educational Needs classroom assistant, supporting pupils with a range of needs.

Stacey is a Drawing and Talking Practitioner having undergone the Foundation to Drawing and Talking and Advanced Knowledge training courses. Drawing and Talking Therapy is an attachment-based therapeutic intervention. It can be delivered on an individual basis with children and adults. Stacey has also undergone training to deliver this intervention in the form of Sand Play, small group, and whole class contexts.  Stacey also continues to develop her interests in the areas of Dyslexia, ASD, Emotional Based School Avoidance, use of Solution Focused approaches in supporting children and young people, school staff and families, and evidence based emotional well-being interventions.

Get in Touch

Raceview Mill

11 Mill Road

Broughshane

BT42 4FA

Email

ciara@blueskyedpsych.co.uk

SMellon@blueskyedpsych.co.uk

Phone

Ciara 07985428197

Stacey 07778009541