is a systemic psychotherapist, in the Clanwilliam Institute, Dublin where she has a clinical practice and is involved in both teaching and clinical supervision of students on the postgraduate training programmes in systemic family therapy. She has been involved with disability organizations for many years. In her research thesis she is broadly interested in exploring the social construction of disability.

The current working title of the thesis is: -The social construction of disability - An exploration of the impact of therapists constructs of disability on their therapy conversations, with clients, who live with a label of disability.

The broad area of interest for this dissertation relates to the area of the social construction of disability. It is hoped to address how the ways in which we as a society, and in particular as a community of therapists construe disability and how those constructions impact on the ways we engage in therapy conversations with people who are labelled disabled. Particular attention will focus on the space between disabled and non disabled and the possibilities of simultaneously existing in both domains. It will also address how by categorising people in certain ways we cuts off possibilities in both the acknowledging of and creation of different lived experiences. The main focus of the dissertation will be on how therapist's constructs of disability, which are socially determined, impact on the types of conversations they have with clients who are labelled as disabled. Consideration will be given to the binary distinctions of ability/ dis-abilty, silence and voice. A qualitative approach to data collection will be used and interview candidates will be family therapists and their clients. The inquiry invites both the therapist and clients to consider how their meaning making in relation to the construct disability shapes the therapy conversations and what discourses are brought forth and silenced in the process.