Dr Ann Fitzgerald
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Welcome to my profile as a professional psychologist providing psychological therapy for adults and adolescents 16+. I take a relationship, emotional regulation and developmental approach working with all levels of consciousness as informed by the psychodynamic, attachment, neuroscientific, CBT and mentalization approaches to understanding ‘what makes a human being’.
Reasons for seeking psychological therapy may include struggles with anxiety, mood, relationship issues or breakdown, behavioural problems, adverse life experiences and trauma or generally finding it difficult to cope with the stress of daily life. It can also be prompted by loss, bereavement and the challenge posed by transitions and change which we face at different stages of our lives.
My work is essentially focused on the ‘here and now’ of life, where I help you to understand and better manage your current distress. However, psychological well-being and mental health needs to be understood within the context of your specific life story and experiences. Putting the psychotherapeutic lens on the present can help to better understand, reprocess and integrate past experiences into present life. Although the work is challenging and there is no such thing as a quick fix, the outcome can potentially be transformative, by developing the psychological awareness of self and others that could liberate you from unhelpful repetitive psychological patterns that can sometimes be transgenerational.
In addition I provide clinically informed sport and exercise psychological interventions for athletes, coaches, teams, parents, clubs and sporting organisations.
Sport and Exercise Psychological Interventions
- Reasons for seeking help could include difficulties with performance anxiety and stress, self-esteem, injury, transitions, teamwork, coaching relationships, team & group dynamics, motivation, concentration & focus, mental skills & leadership skills development.
- I take a positive client/athlete-based psychological approach focused on building rapport and a strong working alliance with the athlete to develop resources, capacities and strengths.
- A key psychological assumption is that you cannot separate the person, personality and psychological attributes of the athlete from the athlete’s sporting career, talents, skills and performance (there is no such thing as a mind-body split).
- The consultation process starts with an initial intake meeting/discussion, followed by a comprehensive needs assessment using evidence-based practice to develop a working psychological formulation.
- The planning, intervention and review phases involve applying the working psychological formulation to flexibly engage with the athlete during training and competition to gradually integrate psychological foundational skills, mental skills & techniques to enhance sustainable sporting well-being, performance and satisfaction.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a Registered Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council who are responsible for the statutory regulation of the profession. My registration number is PYL15408 which can be found on the public register at http://www.hcpc.org.uk/
I am also a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society. This professional organisation has a longstanding record of providing guidance and support on best practice, research updates, ethical guidelines, training opportunities etc. My registration number is 099029 and my details are available on the public register.
Qualifications
- MSc Psychology of Sport, University of Stirling, 2024
- Doctorate in Psychotherapeutic & Counselling Psychology, University of Surrey, 2009
- Counselling Skills Cert, National University of Ireland Maynooth, 2005
- BSc in Psychology, Oxford Brookes University, 2002
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I am not a fan of the tick box exercise of problems. I work with all areas of mental health, psychological well-being, emotional distress, behavioural and psychological difficulties. The initial conversation will help us to establish if I am the right psychologist for you to see. Psychological therapy is about building a robust psychotherapeutic relationship and working alliance to nurture emotional support and develop a sufficiently safe space to embark on the challenging process of psychological change often dealing with topics that can be difficult to speak about.
Therapies offered
Fees
£120.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
- Registered with all the following Healthcare Insurance Providers Bupa, Aviva, WPA, Cigna, Vitality, Allianz, Simply Health
- Psychological therapy 50 minute individual session Fee £120
- Sport Psychological Interventions priced on a case by case basis depending on athlete, coach, sporting body or organisation needs.
- Written reports available on request and charged separately.
- Package negotiable when working longer term or twice weekly basis.
- Cancellation timescale is 48 hours notice to avoid full session charge.
- Payment within 7 days of invoice.
I provide in-person consultations at Mulberry House in Edinburgh.
For sports psychology interventions I may suggest working at various sports facilities and training grounds. It may also involve attending competitions.
