Dr Carol Weir BA (Hons), M.Sc , PhD, C.Psychol, AFBPsS
Carol Weir trained as a Clinical Psychologist at Queens University graduating in 1982.
After graduating as a clinical psychologist she worked in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC) as well as taking up a part-time post in the Ulster University Psychology Department as a Lecturer.
In 1985 she was appointed to the Northern Ireland Council on Alcohol (NICA) which required her to set up a treatment service in a Community based setting for adults and their families who had Addiction problems.
During this time she gained a place on the Salzberg Seminar held in Austria – an international programme convened by Harvard University. The particular programme addressed alcohol addiction. The award of Salzberg Fellow was conferred.
In 1988 she was appointed Director of the Northern Ireland Community Addiction Service (NICAS) formerly (NICA) and the name change reflected the wider remit of services for a range of addictions – Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling. She has worked as Director in NICAS up to 2007 when she retired from the Post. Over the years she developed a number of specialised services most notably a service for the Elderly and a service in partnership with the Probation Board for the courts known as RATSDAM. The latter provides a rapid assessment of clients for the courts before sentencing and subsequent treatment programmes as appropriate. She now acts as Consultant to the Organisation.
Carol Weir is a member of the Clinical Division of the British Psychological Society, she is an Associate Fellow of the society and is a Chartered Psychologist. As well as clinical training she has a PhD where the focus was on Addiction assessment and treatment.
More recently she undertook specialised training in Clinical Neuropsychology at Glasgow University Medical Faculty and was awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Neuropsychology (2008)
Her area of expertise is Addiction – alcohol – prescribed and illegal drugs and gambling. Also she undertakes Neuropsychological cases. She has been providing Medico-legal reports over the past 15 years and has appeared as a Professional Witness on many occasions.
She joined Malone Medical Chambers in 2007 where she sees medico-legal clients. Cases typically involve Addiction to Alcohol, Drugs, Gambling, Family Cases where alcohol/drug abuse is one of the issues in parents/carers. Also Neuropsychological cases where brain injury has occurred.