Dr. Marguerite Woods
Stage 4 Programme Leader & Module Lecturer
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Studies (Teaching & Learning in Higher Education), Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) (B.Soc.Sc).

Dr. Woods has a wealth of teaching experience, lecturing in colleges such as IICP, Trinity College Dublin, National University of Ireland Maynooth and Dublin Business School.

Her research and teaching interests include:

  • Qualitative research focusing on the lived experience of those who use drugs or those in treatment.
  • Gender Issues – I have an interest in women and health issues generally but more specifically my focus has been on women and drug use, and women and HIV;
  • Alcohol and drug treatment and policy – I am specifically interested in focusing on how policy impacts on drug users;
  • Counselling Practice;
  • Practice based research – focusing on how learning translates into practice;
  • Drug using parents – their experience of parenting;
  • Women drug users’ experience of motherhood;
  • Qualitative and quantitative research methods;
  • Crime and social policy;
  • Housing issues; and
  • Educational Disadvantage.

Woods, M. (In Press). BRIO EVALUATION.  SAOL Probation Service.

Woods, M. & Butler, S. (2011). “‘A Victim of Its Own Success’? The Diploma in Addiction Studies at Trinity College Dublin”, Drugs: Education, Prevention, Policy, 18 (4), Pp. 243-250.

Woods, M. (2009). ‘Review of Revisioning Women and Drug Use: Gender, Power and The Body by Elizabeth Ettorre’, Drugs: Education, Prevention, Policy, 16 (1), Pp. 99-100.

Torode, R., Walsh, T., & Woods, M. (2001). Working with Refugees and Asylum-Seekers: A Social Work Resource Book, Department of Social Studies, Trinity College, 2001.

Woods, M. (2000). “The Value of The Strengths Perspective in Understanding and Responding to Alcohol and Drug Problems”, The Irish Social Worker, Summer 2000

Woods, M. (2000). “Women, Drug Use and Parenting in Dublin: The Views of Professional Workers in The Drug Treatment and Social Work Fields”, In Illicit Drugs: Patterns of Use – Patterns of Response – Proceedings of the 10th Annual ESSD Conference on Drug Use and Drug Policy in Europe, Eds A. Springer and A. Uhl, Innsbruck: Studienverlag, Pp. 275-289

Woods, M. (1997). “The Management of The Drug User on Probation in The Community” In the Management of The Drug Offender in Prison and On Probation, Dublin: IMPACT.

Woods, M. (1995). “Drug Using Parents and Their Children”, Ana Liffey Drug Project Annual Report 1994, Dublin: Ana Liffey Drug Project.

Woods, M. (1994). “Drug Using Parents and Their Children:  The Experience of a Voluntary/Non-Statutory Project”, The Irish Social Worker, Vol. 12. No. 2, P. 10.

Butler, S. And Woods, M. (1992). “Women Drugs and HIV In Ireland” In AIDS:  Women, Drugs and Social Care, Nicholas Dorn, Sheila Henderson, Nigel South (Eds.), Institute for The Study of Drug Dependence, Falmer Press, London.

Woods, M. (1992). “Women, Drugs and HIV – A Discussion”, Ana Liffey Drug Project Annual Report 1991, 1992, Pp. 13-21.

Woods, M. (1991). “Women and HIV In Ireland”, Comhlamh Women’s Issues Journal.

Woods, M. (1990). “Women and HIV – An Overview”, AIDS Inform

Woods, M. (1990). “Taking the Needle”, What’s the Story? Newsletter of The Drug Workers’ Forum, Vol.1. No. 1 Pp. 5-7.

Woods, M. (2018). Women, drug use and trauma: Adversity and survival. Bray Drug Awareness Forum Annual Conference, 21 November 2018, Glenview Hotel, Wicklow: Ireland.

Woods, M. (2018). Women and Addiction. Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development, 06 July 2018, RDS, Dublin: Ireland.

Woods, M. (2017). BRIO – An Evaluation. Annual Conference of Probation Service, 27 November 2017, Haymarket, Dublin: Ireland

Woods, M. (2016). “Keeping Mum”: The mothering and custody loss experience of women who use illicit drugs. Keynote presentation at Motherlines Conference, 08 July 2017, NUIG, Galway: Ireland.

Woods, M. (2016). Putting women in the picture: Women and alcohol use revisited. Panel presentation at Dublin 12 Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force: Drug Prevention Policy. November 2016, Dublin: Ireland.

Woods, M. (2016). Towards a trauma-informed, gender responsive and pluralistic approach to women, drug use and parenting. Poster Presentation at the 32nd Annual Conference of the Society for Exploration of Integrative Psychotherapy: 16-18 June 2016, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Woods, M. (2016). Taking care of unfinished business/nobody’s business: Emergent findings from an exploratory study of the lived experiences of women addiction counsellors with a history of addiction. Poster Presentation at the 32nd Annual Conference of the Society for Exploration of Integrative Psychotherapy: 16-18 June 2016, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Woods, M. (2016). Throwing the woman out with the bathwater?  Towards a trauma-informed, gender responsive and empathic approach to women and drug use. Presentation at the SAOL Conference: 9th March 2016, Dublin: Ireland.

Woods, M. (2015). Women, drug use and motherhood revisited. Conference on Women and Addiction. 13 November 2015, Dublin Business School: Ireland.

Woods, M. (2013). ‘Don’t You Know That It’s Different For Girls?’ Women, Drug Use And Children, Presentation To The ‘Different For Women: Women And Addiction’ Conference Run By The SAOL Project, 6th March 2013.

Woods, M. (2011). ‘Taking A Hit’: The Domestic Violence Experiences Of Women Drug Users And Their Children’, Presentation To The ‘Hitting Home’: The Impact Of Domestic On Children Conference, Bray Women’s Refuge, November, 2011.

Woods, M. (2010). ‘Drug-Using Parents and Their Children: Issues and Dilemmas’, Presentation/Half Day Seminar to Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) Seminar, June 2010.

Woods, M. (2009). ‘The Impact of Drug Use on Children, Parents & Families: Messages from Research to Practice’, Presentation to Tallaght Drugs Task Force Working Conference: Drug and Alcohol Use and Child Protection and Welfare, October 2009.

Woods, M. (2009). ‘Drug Use, Parenting & Family Support: Messages from Research to Practice’, Presentation to Child Welfare and Substance Misuse Conference, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Drug Task Force, June 2009.

Woods, M. (2008). ‘Keeping Mum’: Some Qualitative Findings from A Study of Women Drug Users’ Experience of Preserving Motherhood in Dublin – Implications for Policy & Practice’, Presentation to Family Matters Seminar, Ballymun Drug Task Force, October 2008.

Woods, M. (2007). ‘Ana Liffey – Carving Out a Niche in The Middle Years’, Presentation to the 25th Anniversary of Ana Liffey Drug Project Conference in Trinity College Dublin, March 2007.

Woods, M. (2006). ‘Prostitution and Service Provision in Ireland – The Views of Service Providers and Service Users’, Presentation to The Women in Irish Culture and History Conference, UCD, October 2006.

Woods, M. (2004). ‘Challenging Social Exclusion Among Drug Users: The Dublin Experience’, Presentation to The T3E/Glasgow Summer University, Tron Theatre, Glasgow, June 2004.

Woods, M. (2001). ‘Drug Policy in Ireland – War or Peace Process?’, Presentation to The European Social Science Drug Research (ESSD) 12th Annual Conference, Venice, October 2001.

Woods, M. (2000). ‘No Place to Hide: Women Drug Users and Homelessness in Dublin’, Presentation to The European Social Science Drug Research (ESSD) 11th Annual Conference, Trinity College Dublin, September 2000.

Woods, M. (1999). ‘Women, Drug Use and Parenting in Dublin: Emergent Findings’, Presentation to The European Social Science Drug Research (ESSD) 10th Annual Conference, Vienna, September 1999.