ACORNS alumni and Tipperary native Annette Parker supports new mothers with their mental health.
Annette Parker, a native of Fethard, Co Tipperary, who lives in Ladytown, Naas, Co Kildare, set up her business AP Psychotherapy in September 2024 having previously worked as a mental health nurse, a public health nurse and in business development, sales and marketing with pharmaceutical company Janssen-Cilag.
Annette’s work in nursing as well as her experience as a mother of two led her to see the need for AP Psychotherapy, which specialises in cognitive behavioural psychotherapy, to support post-natal mothers and women during pregnancy who are facing mental health challenges.
“I will always be grateful for the way the ACORNS participants supported each other on their entrepreneurial journeys”
In addition to her extensive nursing experience, Annette holds two master’s degrees – a Master of Science in Perinatal Maternal Mental Health and another in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBT) – which she undertook as part of an overall plan to launch the business. While working in Janssen-Cilag, she also completed a Business and Marketing degree which has helped her with business development.
She is a graduate of the celebrated ACORNS women entrepreneurship programme which recently opened applications for 11th Cycle as previous participants reported 54% revenue growth. The next programme has a deadline of midnight on 22 September. The programme is available to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2022. Up to 50 places are available for ACORNS 11, which will run from October 2025 to April 2026.
Mental wellbeing for mothers
AP Psychotherapy has practices in Rathfarnham in Dublin, in Naas and at Annette’s home in Ladytown.
Annette’s goal with each of her clients is to make herself redundant by teaching them the skills they require to manage their own care.
“I was inspired to set up the business because while working as a public health nurse I saw that medical treatment was focused on the physical care of pregnant women while largely ignoring their mental wellbeing.”
Annette found that the ACORNS programme was a phenomenal help to her and that her Lead Entrepreneur, Geraldine Jones, could not have been more supportive or a better role model.
“I will always be grateful for the way the ACORNS participants supported each other on their entrepreneurial journeys.”
Annette’s long-term plan for the business is to develop a suite of services for post-natal mothers and pregnant women in one premises to cater for all their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing needs.
From little ACORNS to thriving businesses
Women in rural Ireland with new businesses or at least with well-developed ideas are being invited to join next phase of the programme, ACORNS 11.
The ACORNS programme is designed to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through a peer learning approach. Thanks to the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs, there is no charge for those selected to participate.
Interested applicants for ACORNS must first register their interest here and will then receive an application by email. There is no charge for participation, thanks to continued government support and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs.
Results from ACORNS 10 demonstrate the programme’s impact on rural female entrepreneurship. All 52 participants who completed the cycle reported feeling closer to achieving their business ambitions, with 90% saying their participation brought about practical change within their business. Four businesses started trading for the first time during the cycle.
The financial results were particularly impressive, with the combined annual turnover of ACORNS 10 participants growing from €2.8m to €4.3m, representing a 54% increase. Participants employed a total of 104 staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 15 positions, and 18 participants had gained export experience.
ACORNS operates on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. The programme features monthly roundtable sessions facilitated by Lead Entrepreneurs who have first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing businesses in rural Ireland.
The programme has also been recognised as a ‘good practice’ on the EU’s INTERREG Learning Platform, adding to its recent accolades.
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
