Dr. Ann Pensom

Registered Psychologist
BSc(Hons) (Physiol), BSc(Hons) (Psych), GradDipAppPsych, DPsych (Counselling Psychology), MAPS FCCOUNP FCOP

Ann creates strong connections with clients and effective working environments. Her clients feel comfortable in the knowledge that they are ‘in safe hands’, which enables them to open up and share their thoughts and troubles. This then allows Ann to use a variety of practices and techniques to help her clients get to a place that is healthier and happier, and to depart her service to continue their journey on their own. Ann has helped hundreds of people in this way.

It is of particular interest to Ann to work with people who want to improve their relationships. This has seen her help many couples improve their communication, resolve long-standing disagreements, overcome struggles with sex and intimacy, or ‘simply’ reconnect after having drifted apart. Ann’s interest in relationship work extends beyond romantic relationships to include extended family relationships, relationships at work, friendships and so on. She has also worked with individuals and successfully helped them deal with depression, anxiety, loss and grief, anger, narcissism, indecision, and troubles related to work and career, to name a few. Finally, Ann has led many group programs that have helped people improve their self-awareness, particularly in the corporate sector.

Ann likes to partner with her clients and engage them in decisions around the areas of focus, the duration of the work, how progress will be reviewed, and what success looks like. In this way, Ann’s clients are active participants in the therapeutic process and ultimately, in their own healing.

Having worked as a psychologist for many years, Ann keeps up to date with the practice and application of current psychological techniques. She effectively translates what is known about human psychology into effective practice, tailoring it to the individual needs of her clients so that they understand it as it relates to them and can take it with them into the future.

Qualifications

Tertiary Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science (Hons.) — Statistics and Physiology; Monash University, Victoria, Australia
Bachelor of Science (Hons.) — Psychology; Open University, England
Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology — Swinburne University, Victoria, Australia
Professional Doctorate in Psychology (Counselling Psychology) — Swinburne University, Victoria, Australia.

Professional Training includes:

Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Levels 1-3 — The Gottman Institute (conducted by Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman)
Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Levels 1-3 — The Relational Life Institute (conducted by Terry Real)
Emotion Focussed Therapy (EFT) for Couples, Externship — The Australian Centre for Emotionally Focused Therapy (conducted by Dr. Jennifer Fitzgerald)
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Levels 1 & 2 — Therapist Training (conducted by Graham Taylor)
The Flash Technique, Level 1 & Advanced (conducted by Dr. Philip Manfield and Dr. Lewis Engel).

Awards

Winner of the APS College of Counselling Psychologists Doctoral Award in 2014 — acknowledging the overall best student completing an APAC-accredited doctoral program in Counselling Psychology at an Australian tertiary institution in that calendar year (Australia wide).

Registrations

Registered Counselling Psychologist and Registered Organisational Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Registered Supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia, with approval across all pathways to registration as a psychologist:

4+2 internship principal supervisor and secondary supervisor
5+1 internship principal supervisor and secondary supervisor
Higher degree placement supervisor: Areas of practice — Counselling Psychology and Organisational Psychology
Working in addition to placements supervisor
Registrar program principal supervisor: Areas of practice — Counselling Psychology and Organisational Psychology
Registrar program secondary supervisor.

EMDR Registrations: