Welcome to The Compass Clinic
At The Compass Clinic, we specialise in high-quality, evidence-based psychological assessments for children and adults. Whether you’re seeking clarity around neurodiversity such as ADHD and autism, exploring learning needs, or simply trying to better understand yourself or your child, we’re here to help guide the way.
Founded by Chartered Clinical Psychologist Dr. Vicky Matthews, The Compass Clinic offers a compassionate, neuroaffirmative approach. We recognise that every mind works differently, and our assessments are designed to validate and support each person’s unique profile – highlighting both strengths and challenges.
Based in Cork, we offer in-person appointments as well as nationwide online services (service dependent). Our team is committed to providing clear answers, helpful strategies, and thoughtful recommendations that make a real difference in everyday life.
What we offer
The Compass Clinic offers neuroaffirmative cognitive and neurodiversity assessments for children and adults. If you’ve wondered if ADHD or autism explains your lifelong experiences, or the difficulties you notice your child experiencing, a neuroaffirmative assessment could offer clarity and a path forward. This approach recognises neurodiversity as a difference in brain wiring, not a disorder.
It emphasises understanding your unique strengths and challenges while creating a personalised plan to help you thrive. A neuroaffirmative assessment creates a validating, empowering experience and offers strategies and support tailored to your neurodivergent needs, ultimately helping you live a more fulfilling and successful life.
What we don't offer
We do not offer diagnoses that we cannot stand over. Diagnosing any form of neurodivergence can be a complex process. If our diagnostic conclusions differ from your anticipated outcomes, we are always willing to discuss this fully with you and to include your perspectives in our report.
Our main goal is to give you or your child a thorough and relevant assessment, leading to clear outcomes and helpful recommendations. Our diagnostic decisions come from current guidelines, criteria, and our professional knowledge and experience. We take this seriously and only make a diagnosis when we have sufficient evidence to support it.
Who we are
The Compass Clinic started in 2023, initially called West Cork Psychology and based in Kinsale, Co. Cork. It was founded by Dr. Vicky Matthews, a doctoral-level trained Clinical Psychologist and Chartered Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland.
Quickly, demand grew and enquiries were coming from all over Ireland. In order to better meet the needs of service users, our team continues to grow and we are constantly striving to increase the range of services we offer. Additionally, we relocated to Blackrock, Cork, to be more accessible to a wider proportion of the population.
