Dr Fiona Mackie
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About me
Are you struggling with relationships with others, maybe you have difficulties with intimate relationships, with family, with friendships, with colleagues or with the world of people in general?
Are you fed up going round in circles trying to figure out how to cope and manage things better?
Does it leave you feeling anxious, low or downhearted?
Maybe you put it down to events that have occurred in your life or maybe you don't understand why you keep struggling.
Cognitive Analytic Therapy is designed to help you unearth how you have found yourself stuck and help you move forward to more fulfilling relationships and personal wellbeing.
I am Fiona, a dedicated CAT Therapist based in the Newmarket area, committed to providing a compassionate and non-judgmental space for mental wellbeing.
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is a form of time-limited therapy which is used to treat a wide range of mental health concerns. Typically lasting either 16 or 24 sessions.
I will offer you a written reformulation early on in the therapy journey, thinking of how life to date has shaped the challenges you face. I will also draw out onto paper significant patterns that you find yourself engaged in throughout the therapy process, so that you can clearly recognise them as they occur in your life in the here and now, to enable the process of change for the better. I will also write you a summary letter of your therapy towards the end of the journey.
CAT can be particularly effective for:
Low self-esteem and low mood
Depression and anxiety
Emotional neglect, abandonment and loss
Witnessing and experiencing traumatic events
Relationship issues
What Therapy with me is like...
In cognitive analytic therapy with me, we’ll explore your personal history including significant life events and your past and also current relationships, to understand how they have shaped you and how you relate to yourself, others and the world around you.
We’ll consider you as a whole person and work to maximise your supportive patterns and explore those patterns of functioning that challenge your wellbeing, aiming to increase your psychological flexibility and emotional awareness to enable positive growth and change.
Therapy is a respectful and thoughtful process, a collaboration between us. We’ll think and learn together on a journey in which curiosity and discovery will enable insight, encouraging new choices about your life, wellbeing, mental health, and relationships.
The therapy space is yours. I will work alongside you to enable us to find a flexible focus together that feels safe and containing with the hope that you'll leave therapy with a greater sense of emotional understanding, empathy, and compassion for yourself and your journey.
We will work in stages. We will reformulate your difficulties, enable you to recognise when old patterns are repeating and then start the process of looking at how to change them.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a retired general adult psychiatrist with over 20 years of NHS experience in mental health. I also had a brief stint working in a military psychiatric setting.
My training special interests focused on psychotherapy including complex trauma. Additionally, I’ve practised cognitive analytic therapy in an inner-city psychological therapies service for about 10 years and I am a fully qualified and insured Cognitive Analytic Therapy Practitioner, registered with ACAT.
Throughout my career I’ve worked with a diverse range of clients facing various complex challenges using a variety of therapeutic modalities.
My practice is rooted in the belief that insight and understanding are the foundations of growth. By creating a reflective, tranquil environment, I allow my clients the room to breathe, reflect, and discover the path toward their most resilient selves.
Training, qualifications and experience:
- I am a qualified Cognitive Analytic Therapist, for which I regularly access clinical supervision and engage in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities.
- I also hold a first class honours Intercalated BSc and primary medical qualification, MBBS.
- I obtained my MRCPsych (Psychiatry membership exam) and was on the Specialist Register for General Adult Psychiatry before retiring from medicine.
- In addition, I hold a teaching qualification (PGCE).
- I occasionally work as a freelance trainer with Learn with CATO (www.cato.training)
Member organisations
The Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT) is a registered charity. They welcome members of the public, health professionals, ACAT accredited professionals, and anyone interested in finding out more about CAT. They list CAT practitioners.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£75.00 per session
Additional information
My approach is to maintain fair pricing while prioritising the quality of therapy. I do this by deliberately keeping my client list small, ensuring I can give you my complete attention and focus.
- I offer a free 15 minute initial call
- Initial assessment (up to 90 minutes): £75
- Standard 50-minute session: £75 per session
