About Us
Actualise Academy was founded in 2018 by 3 Psychologists: Dr. Michael Keane, Dr. Rosemary Keane & Pádraig Walsh. This followed repeated requests from schools for practical, evidence-based psychology training from appropriately qualified clinicians.
In 2018 and were overwhelmed with the response. Our courses have influenced the lives of over 60,000 Irish students so far. Our satisfaction ratings are consistently above 97%. Each day in our practice we work with students experiencing behavioural difficulties, teachers facing burnout and stressed parents. Our courses are a distillation of that knowledge.
We share our members passion for quality mental health supports and will always offer the most effective and most applicable solutions for real impact in the classroom.
- Accessible Knowledge: Actualise Academy has unrivalled expertise in providing mental health supports, but we do it without being stuffy! Our tutors have all worked in schools and lectured in psychology at university level across Ireland. We provide our expertise to the Irish health service, schools in the Department of Education as well as regular contributions in national media.
- Practical: Our courses offer classroom resources and lesson plans that you can use. Our courses are easy to use on a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
- Affordable: Our courses remain affordable with regular member offers throughout the summer.
Come join our community of over 1,500 members today!
Pádraig Walsh BA, MSc, BCBA, A.F.Ps.S.I.
Pádraig Walsh is the Actualise Academy's Behaviour Specialist. He is intrigued by people and human behaviour and is passionate about improving outcomes for students and teachers through effective CPD training for teachers. His range of knowledge and experience is diverse, working with both children and adults across educational, clinical and residential settings. He is a regular contributor on RTÉ Radio 1, The Six O'Clock Show on Virgin Media 1 as well as featuring on the Irish Independent and other publications.
Pádraig qualified with a Masters in Applied Behaviour Analysis after completing his degree in Psychology (both at NUI Galway). Pádraig has presented his research extensively at conferences on the effectiveness of Positive Behaviour Support in Ireland, Australia, Singapore and the UK. He lectures on the MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis in NUI Galway, Trinity College, Dublin and on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the University of Limerick.
Pádraig is the founder of the podcast series All About Dis' exploring disability issues in Ireland today and The Behavioural Vaccine looking at practical behavioural science in the real world.
Having spent most of his early life playing GAA in his native Westmeath, Pádraig has more recently discovered his artistic side performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his Improv group Kirsty.
Michael Keane BA (Psych) PhD C. Psychol., Ps.S.I., AFBPsS BCN
Dr. Michael Keane is a Behavioural Neuroscientist who has founded and runs Ireland’s largest Neurofeedback Training and Psychology Clinic. He works with a number of charities too, including A Lust For Life. Dr. Keane has been featured in The Irish Times, The 42.ie (while working with Connacht Rugby team) as well as prvoding expert coaching with Bressie on his podcast 'Where is my Mind'.
He is particularly interested in how understanding the brain can help us to make sense of behaviour and mental health. He is a firm believer in empowering people with an understanding of how brains work, because with that knowledge we can help understand each other better and reduce stigma associated with mental health.
Michael has run two marathons in Ireland, and if his dodgy knees hold up, hopes to run the Two Oceans marathon in South Africa some day!
Rosemary Keane PhD, DPscyh Sc (Clin Psych), C.Psychol. PsSI
Dr. Rosemary Keane is a Charted Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Director at Actualise and Clinical Psychologist specialising in Autism in the HSE. Rose has a number of years of experience working with a broad range of different clinical groups across the lifespan.
She completed clinical training (Doctorate in Psychological Science) at University College Dublin (UCD). As part of this her doctoral thesis focused on emotional over- and under-control in adults with psychiatric difficulties and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) / Radically Open DBT informed group interventions. Rose also has a PhD in Psychology (National University of Ireland, Galway) focusing on acceptance in chronic pain from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework.
Rose is passionate about working together with individuals and families to understand the biopsychosocial factors affecting behaviour and functioning and compassionately applying evidence based and personalised interventions. She has a special interest in applications of functional QEEG assessment and neurofeedback training. Rose is also a member of Mental Health Advisory Board of the charity A Lust For Life.
Susan Quain. BSc. Psychology, B.Ed. Primary Education.
Susan started her career as a Primary School Teacher and spent over 10 years working in a large urban special school, where she simultaneously completed her BSc in Psychology part-time through the Open University. In 2021, Susan took up a position as an Assistant Psychologist on a HSE Primary Care Psychology Team, where she regularly facilitated groups for children experiencing mental health difficulties and for parents, carers and school staff supporting them.
Susan currently works as an Assistant Psychologists on a specialist service within TUSLA that provide therapeutic interventions for young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour and their families. She is currently completing a Research Masters related to the effective delivery of RSE to prevent incidents of inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviour by young people with intellectual disabilities. She also tutors psychology part-time in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
Órla Dooley B.Sc
Órla works with Actualise Academy as the Head of Customer Relations and Academic Tutor. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology in Maynooth University where she studied the perceptions of supports for students with disabilities as part of her thesis. She is passionate about mental health and the interaction between mental and physical health as a result of her interest in sports and outdoor activities. She also works as an Assistant Psychologist with ChangeAble Behaviour Solutions.
Gemma Gately is a qualified Primary School Teacher in a DEIS Band 1 Gaelscoil in Dublin City. She has experience teaching in rural, urban, DEIS, Gaelscoil and Gaeltacht schools.
She completed her undergraduate degree (Bachelor of International Studies) at National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) studying Gaeilge (Irish) and French through Irish. As part of her degree, she spent a year living in France on an Erasmus year.
She then completed her Professional Master of Education in Marino Institute of Education (MIE), Trinity College Dublin. Her Master's Thesis focused on factors that influence parents decision to send their child to a Gaelscoil.
Gemma is passionate about working together with other teachers and mental health in individuals, in particular, Primary School teachers. She enjoys the practice of yoga and mindfulness and loves to travel.
Kaylee Cortese
Kaylee works with the Actualise Academy as an Academic Tutor. Kaylee is from the United States where she received her undergraduate degree in Special Education and Psychology. Kaylee is currently completing her Masters at Trinity College Dublin to graduate as a BCBA.
Kaylee currently works at a specialized school for those with autism. In her free time she loves to travel and learn new languages! With Sign Language and Korean under her belt, she is trying her hand at Italian next.
Dr. Brian King BM BS MICGP BSc HDE PG Dip Clin Ed
Dr Brian King is a Dublin based GP. He is a GP partner along with his wife, in a busy teaching practice affiliated with both undergraduate and postgraduate education. He is also a qualified teacher and taught for a number of years before becoming a doctor.
He has a keen interest in all levels of medical education and has a diploma in clinical education as well as an honours degree in biochemistry.
In his spare time he has an interest in pre hospital emergency care and sports medicine. He is a chronic mayo GAA fan despite being a Galway native.
Dr. Colm Keane MD FCAI
Dr. Colm Keane is a Consultant in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine in St. James’s Hospital, Dublin. Clinically, his interests are in cardiovascular physiology and imaging, particularly ultrasound of the heart and lungs. His MD thesis focused on using stem cells to treat infection. He has a keen interest in medical education, simulation and mentoring programmes. Outside of this, Colm is the medical advisor to Special Olympics Ireland, working closely with the organisation during the pandemic.When not at work, Colm enjoys all things nature with a particular interest in sea swimming all year round in Clew Bay.
Colm provides input and supervision on many of our Actualise Academy courses, particularly those which cater for the Medical profession.
Dixie S. D. (Super Dog)
Dixie joined the Actualise team in April 2016 in the capacity of Therapy Dog. She was adopted from the DSPCA and is a mix of Jack Russell and Chihuahua. She has a sweet nature and gentle temperament, though can be a little timid at first. She loves to meet new people – especially when they come for initial consultations at the Actualise Clinic, but only if they want to.