Damien McLellan first trained in residential child care at the North London Polytechnic and later gained an M.Phil from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He was Director of Reinden Wood House Therapeutic Community in the UK (1969-81) and managed Prospect House Child Care Centre in Waterford City (1986-95). He also trained in consultancy and community mental health at the Tavistock Clinic, London and subsequently qualified as a psychotherapist in Ireland with an MSc from Dublin City University. In 2004 (with Peter Kieran), McLellan established the Masters in Therapeutic Child Care at Carlow College. As well as teaching at Carlow College, Damien works as a child care consultant and consultant psychotherapist to several residential Child Care centres and other organisations in Ireland.