About
Dr Phil Butler
Phil is an experienced social worker, with 20 years’ experience in medical social work and brain injury rehabilitation.
For the past 13 years she has worked in the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) with adults with acquired brain injury, supporting them and their families, helping them to navigate the healthcare system and empowering them to cope and adapt to this traumatic event in their lives.
​
.jpg)
In more recent years, Phil has worked as a Safeguarding Officer in the NRH, supporting patients in cases of alleged abuse and delivering training to healthcare professionals in both child and adult safeguarding. She has also supervised social workers working in this field. She is a committee member of the International Network of Social Workers in Acquired Brain Injury (INSWABI) and a Research and Policy Director (Ireland) for PINK Concussions.
​
Phil has a Masters in Social Research and a Masters in Social Work, and has recently completed her PhD in Social Work entitled: 'Embracing the Misfit' - Supporting and Empowering Mothers with ABI. Using a Feminist Participatory Action Research approach, this research involved researching with mothers with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) to develop the Best Practice Considerations for the Health Service booklet, distributed to healthcare organisations in Ireland and abroad and available here.
​
While Phil enjoys working with and supporting patients in a rehabilitation setting, she also wants to use her skills and expertise to support both clients and professionals outside of the medical setting. She is passionate about empowering individuals with ABI and their families, and advocating for healthcare professionals to deliver a supportive and person-centred service to these clients.
Education & Experience
Masters in Social Work, Trinity College Dublin
Masters in Social Research, University College Dublin
PHD in Social Work, University College Dublin
20+ Years Experience in Healthcare
Publications
Butler, P (2018) Supporting Child Relatives of Adults with Acquired Brain Injury – a Resource for Rehabilitation Teams (available at www.nrh.ie)
Butler, P (2020) ‘Supporting Child Relatives of Adults with Acquired Brain Injury: A Resource for Rehabilitation Teams’, The Irish Social Worker, (Journal article)
Butler, P (2021) ‘Social Work and Brain Injury Rehabilitation’, The Irish Social Worker, 2021 (Journal article)
Donnelly, S., Butler, P., O’Loughlin, A., Russell, E., & Carroll, P. (2024). ‘Interdisciplinary team members’ experiences of family meetings in an Irish rehabilitation hospital: a social work action-research project’ European Social Work Research (Journal article)
Butler, P. et al. (2024) Social Work Competency Framework: Acquired Brain Injury (available at www.iasw.ie)
Butler, P. (2025) Best Practice Considerations for the Health Service: Working with Mothers with Acquired Brain Injury, including Stroke (available at www.cognitiveconnections.ie)