Meet the Team

Dr CIARA BYRNE

Ph.D.: Clinical Director & Co-Founder. Group Leader

DR. CIARA BYRNE
Ph.D., Chartered Clinical Psychologist | Clinical Director & Co-Founder

Dr. Ciara Byrne is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with 17 years’ experience working with individuals and families. As Clinical Director of Sage Fertility, she is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based psychological care throughout the reproductive and perinatal journey.

Ciara has particular expertise in reproductive and perinatal psychology, trauma, and child and family psychology. Her work includes supporting people through infertility and assisted reproduction, medically complex pregnancy, pregnancy and infant loss, traumatic birth, early parenthood, and the challenges of caring for a baby with complex medical needs. She has a particular interest in supporting parents following difficult or traumatic experiences and in strengthening parent–infant relationships.

Ciara also has a longstanding interest in donor conception and surrogacy. She developed Sharing Our Family Story, a research-informed programme supporting parents in talking with their children about donor conception and navigating the questions that arise as children grow. She is actively involved in research and programme development in this area.

Ciara completed her graduate training at Columbia University and the University of Vermont, following her undergraduate degree in Psychology at University College Dublin. She has extensive training in evidence-based approaches including trauma-focused therapies, ACT, CBT, mindfulness-based interventions and EMDR.

She feels deeply privileged to support individuals and families through some of the most important, challenging and unexpected periods of their lives.

DR LAURA MCKEE

Ph.D.: Research Director & Co-Founder. Group Leader

In her role as Research Director of Sage Fertility, Laura utilizes a critical research lens to examine every aspect of the workshop experience. She stays abreast of the ever evolving landscape of the scholarly literature around psychosocial and complementary medicine approaches to improving fertility and will oversee a pilot investigation of the efficacy of RE-MAP for improving pregnancy outcomes and overall well-being.

Laura McKee majored in English Literature at Duke University and then attended Teachers College, Columbia University, where she received her MA in Developmental Psychopathology. Soon after, she attended the University of Vermont where she earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, focusing on the prevention of depression in the family context. Over the last decade, Laura has worked clinically with children and families in a variety of contexts including trauma centers, hospitals, and community and private clinics, and has served on the faculties of Clark University and The University of Georgia. She is currently a member of the faculty in the Psychology Department at Georgia State University where she mentors students, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, and conducts and publishes research on mindfulness, gratitude, and depression.  She has published over 40 articles and book chapters, and her research has been funded by several private foundations including the John Templeton Foundation and Character Lab, Inc.

Laura’s road to fertility was a long one, which saw her exploring workshops, various groups focused on skills, support and education, as well as nutrition, yoga, acupuncture and endless research articles. While some were useful, many were not. It was this that prompted Laura to combine all her knowledge and experiences, with her expertise as a clinical psychologist, and create a unique approach… One that incorporates all of the ingredients that are scientifically proven to improve conception and well being. Laura is now mother to a baby boy.

“My journey to pregnancy comprised everything from IVF to acupuncture and shamanism, and included three different fertility clinics. Looking back I realise how much I discovered – about myself, and my partner. I began to live the practice of taking in each moment as it unfolded. Projecting into the future left me anxious and lost. But dedicating myself to each breath saved me. Finding the balance between a laser-focus determination to create a family and a gentle acceptance of our limitations, between striving and letting go – was key.”
– Dr Laura McKee

Celine Mullins

Ph.D.: Specialist in Neuroscience of Cognitive and Behavior Change.

Dr. Mullin’s work focuses on helping people maximize the potential of their brain to grow. She uses cutting edge research about the neuroscience of habit change and learning so that transformations are happening at the level of brain processing and are long lasting. Her passion is helping clients identify the disempowering stories they are telling themselves, so that they can develop self-talk practices about growth and new possibilities. She also teaches clients to translate skills from workshop environments into life, ensuring these new ways of thinking and reacting have real world impact.

Celine obtained her B.A. (Hon) in Psychology at University College Dublin and her Ph.D. in Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. Dr. Mullin is founder and CEO of a successful training company, that ‘puts a gigantic spin on more traditional approaches to learning, which she believes often fall short of making real and lasting change happen….by using what we know about the brain and behaviour from psychology and neuroscience’. Dr. Mullins has published on the subject on the neuroscience of habit change, and her most recent book is entitled ‘Our Learning Brain: Engaging Your Brain for Learning & Habit Change’.

She also has a Certificate in Training and Development, Diploma in Statistics, Diploma in Personal and Executive Coaching, is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Website: adaptastraining.com/team/dr-celine-mullins-ceo-founder

Roisin McGettigan

Health Psychology Consultant, and Olympian athlete.

As an Olympian athlete and recipient of numerous medals, including at the European Championships, Roisin has developed and harnessed a powerful skill set that ignites motivation, galvanizes grit, and propels her toward the finish line. Drawing from her own successes, she has made it her life’s work to teach others potent strategies for taking small steps to reach big, complicated goals (like having a baby!). Her process emphasizes the importance of daily, weekly, and monthly goals as well as the alignment of goals with a larger sense of personal values and life meaning. Roisin’s expertise helps clients achieve their dreams by navigating the setbacks and detours that are a part of any journey..

Roisin grew up running the beaches and trails of co, Wicklow, Ireland. She left home for a chance to compete in track and cross-country at Providence College, where seh was a four- time All-American. In 2008 Ro represented Ireland in the 3k steeplechase at the Olympics. She was awarded the bronze medal in the 1500 meters at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championship and still holds the Irish record for the indoor mile. While she’s retired from running competitively, Ro remains invested in the sport as a certified and sport psychology consultant.

Website: www.believeiam.com