Dr. Celine Maria Mullins, CEO and Founder of ‘Adaptas’ is a Psychologist Expert, Coach and Training Consultant working across Multinationals, SMEs and Governmental and Educational agencies with over 15 years of experience. She believes that the traditional approach to learning is less capable of making real and lasting changes. Hence, she puts her energies towards spinning the traditional approaches to learning.
Celina mostly had a safe childhood but also opened up about developing her interest in psychology because she had experiences of growing up with and understanding the behavior of a challenging mother. She further said that “Like most women, I had many challenges with Men and their behaviors as well from teenage onwards and I am learning to get comfortable with discussing this openly.”
Talking about her life before the venture she’s currently established herself in, she says that, “Before setting up my business I completed a BA and PhD in Psychology where I received a fellowship to complete my PhD. I also travelled around the world and spent one year working in Australia. After that trip and my PhD, I worked simultaneously as an actress and a research psychologist.”
Currently, Mullins teaches the Cognitive Behavioral Coaching Module at the University College Cork, where she’s been working since 2015, and regularly facilitates learning amongst various coaching communities. She also speaks at conferences, webinars and podcasts.
Mullins has had the brilliant opportunity to obtain her BA (Hons) in Psychology from the University College, Dublin and complete her PhD from the Trinity College, Dublin. Her academic excellence doesn’t end here. She also has a Certificate in Training and Development, a Diploma in Statistics, a Diploma in Personal and Executive Coaching, a Masters in Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and a Certificate in The Neuroscience of Change. She is currently studying Transpersonal Leadership Coaching.
As Mullins recalls the idea that flipped her life, she says that “15 years ago, I attended a dinner at a friend’s house. A conversation there gave me the idea to set up my business which combined my passion for performance with psychology. That was when I felt that my business was born!”
She further adds that, “Through ‘Adaptas’ we help people develop their self-awareness to be more effective in their job roles. On a more specific note, it is all about helping people to connect with their own values, to have them live the best at work as well as at home. A lot of my learning over the years has culminated in the books I have written and the Skills for Growth Programme. The 10-week virtual programme (90 minutes on Zoom Weekly) was formulated to help people create change in their lives. The items covered are for the desperate needs of those who are looking to create positive change in their own lives. There’s also a lot of up-to-date information from the intersection between neuroscience coaching, tools and exercises that anyone who is coaching or mentoring or working in learning or wellbeing can utilize with their clients and colleagues. This programme can also be run in the house and organizations during working hours.”
Mullins has always strived to work hard for what she believed in. She has put in constant efforts to understand the business and to visualise and reflect masculinity at every glance which was very much needed for her to succeed. She is routinely led by her gut instincts as her realisations made sense that not all people could be taken on their word. Mullins in her own words, firmly believes that, “If something doesn’t feel right, I don’t do it anymore. When I started out in business, I used to say YES to everything. This was a mistake.”
Years of dedication and serious work ethics resulted in a large group of happy customers across the sphere for her. What came up as distinguished features were delivering high-tech workshops, programmes, 1-2-1 coaching, and creating training videos for clients. These have impacted several minds and lives of multitudes. Moreover, ‘Adaptas’ produces training tools using Virtual Reality. One of these tools, ‘Immersive Sales Star’ won the award for ‘Excellence in Digital Learning’ with FBD Insurance from the Irish Institute of Training & Development Awards (IITD) in March 2019.
In November 2021, another of these virtual reality tools ‘The Dala Project; Virtual Reality for School Anxiety’ with the Galway Roscommon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) won the Healthcare Collaboration Award with the Health Technology Innovation Awards.
Mullins has authored books on the topics relating to ‘Neuroscience and the Brain Behaviour’. Her books also include “Our Learning Brain” and “Developing Learning Habits”. These books support readers to understand and overcome blocks to learning and habit change and provide practical advice, tools, and techniques that can be put into practice immediately.
She narrates, “I like having ownership of what happens. I don’t have a boss I have to report to. I have learned over the years to schedule the work to suit my lifestyle better, as I used to work 14 hours per day!”
Mullins leaves us inspired with a few words of motivation, “Success in business comes if you stick at it. There will be many ups and downs. If you believe in something and you do not give up it will work out for you. Of course, if not giving up means there is a negative impact on your health and wellbeing, then find another way and other people to support you to make your dream happen. Us women all need to support each other more. If we do, we can change the world!”
