SETU welcomed the Psychological Society of Ireland’s (PSI) Early Graduate Group to its Carlow campus on Saturday, 5 September, for its Annual Conference 2026, marking the third time the national conference has been hosted at SETU’s Carlow campus.
Entitled 'Becoming a Psychologist: Identity, Wellbeing and Early Career Growth', this year’s conference brought together psychology students, graduates, psychologists-in-training, academics, and practitioners from across Ireland to explore the personal and professional journey of developing a career in psychology.
Becoming a psychologist
This year’s theme placed particular emphasis on an aspect of professional development that can often receive less attention: how we develop our own unique professional identity, maintain our wellbeing and find meaning within our work.
Dr Dean McDonnell of SETU, supporting the organisation of the conference, said that this was an important part of the conference theme.
“There is no single experience of becoming a psychologist. People arrive through different routes, at different stages of their lives, and with very different experiences behind them… becoming a psychologist is not something that suddenly happens when somebody receives a qualification, our professional identity continues to develop throughout a career, and it's something we need to openly discuss more.”
Dr Dean McDonnell Lecturer, SETU
Topics explored throughout the day included professional identity, imposter syndrome and comparison, early-career wellbeing and burnout, and the values and experiences that shape psychologists throughout their careers.
Routes, realities and reflections
Dr Sarah Cassidy, President of the Psychological Society of Ireland, delivered the conference keynote, which was followed by a panel discussion ‘Becoming a Psychologist: Routes, Realities and Reflections’, which brought together experienced psychologists, programme directors and psychologists currently undertaking professional training.
The panel included Dr Aidan Corr, Programme Director of the Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick; Dr Patrick Ryan, Programme Director of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Limerick; and Dr Suzanne McHugh, Senior Clinical Psychologist in a Young Adult Mental Health Service and Membership Secretary of the PSI Clinical Division.
They were joined by Amy Walsh, a second-year trainee on the Doctoral Clinical Psychology programme at the University of Limerick, and Ellen Moran, a second-year Trainee Clinical Psychologist at University College Cork. Bringing together individuals at different stages of the profession provided an opportunity to discuss not only the routes available into psychology, but also the realities of training, professional development and the gradual formation of professional identity.
Focusing on identity and wellbeing reflected some of the realities facing those beginning careers in psychology, Dr McDonnell mentioned that:
“There can be enormous pressure on students and early-career psychologists to compare themselves with others or to feel that everyone around them has their career figured out… identity involves more than technical or theoretical awareness; it is also about understanding the kind of psychologist you want to become, developing relationships with colleagues, recognising your own values and limits, and learning how to sustain yourself within work that can be incredibly rewarding but also demanding.
An established relationship between SETU and PSI
Hosting the PSI Early Graduate Group Annual Conference for a third time reflects an increasingly established relationship between SETU and the Psychological Society of Ireland’s early-career psychology community.
Dr Orlaith McCaul, Executive Director of the Psychological Society of Ireland, said the continued return of the conference to Carlow was particularly welcome.
“It is fantastic to see the PSI Early Graduate Group back in SETU for a third time. Universities and other HEIs play an important role not only in educating psychology students, but also in connecting them with the wider profession. Bringing a national PSI event to SETU allows our students to engage directly with psychologists, researchers and trainees from across Ireland while also giving us an opportunity to contribute to conversations about how the profession develops.”
Dr Orlaith McCaul Executive Director, Psychological Society of Ireland
The 2026 event concluded with an emphasis on connection, professional growth and the diverse contribution that the next generation of psychologists will make across healthcare, education, research, community services, organisations, and wider society.