About Us
Mental illness has been the reality of my life for over a decade having first struggled with bulimia as a young teen, to then experiencing depression and finally, receiving a personality disorder diagnosis in my early 20's.
I have had first hand experience of suicidal thoughts, self-harm and alcohol misuse and I've dealt with both the stigma and discrimination that comes with these.
I understand the degradation that accompanies the removal of your freedom of choice when you no longer have the mental capacity to make decisions for yourself and, I know the pain of supporting a loved one with mental illness all too well.
In stark contrast, I have also experienced the overwhelming power of support, understanding and compassion that has been fundamental to my recovery.
I have lived in and observed a society that is taking baby steps to challenge and change the negativity that surrounds mental ill-health and I aspire to be part of the huge steps forward we will continue to take.
Professionally, I have worked in community mental health settings in the form of supported accommodation as well as an inpatient psychiatric hospital.
For the last 5 years I have worked for the South East Coast Ambulance Service and I also work as a Crisis Volunteer for Shout - the crisis text line service.
I am a fully insured instructor approved by Mental Health First Aid England, I have a Certificate of Higher Education in Life Sciences, a Level 3 Diploma in Health & Social Care and a Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems.
I have worked with the South East Coast Ambulance Service to help produce a mental health awareness video as well as the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to aid the production of an online training video on how best to support people experiencing a mental health crisis.
I have such a wealth of knowledge, experience and skills acquired from a vast amount of personal and professional exposure to mental illness and so grew Changing Minds Training. I am enormously passionate about making mental health an every day conversation and I'm advocating for a world where nobody is ashamed or embarrassed about having a mental illness.
My mission is to empower each and every person with the skills, knowledge and compassion required to support the mental health of themselves and others and I provide a growing number of training courses which aim to achieve just this.
To contact, please email olivia@changingmindstraining.com
Phoebe has lived experience of mental ill-health and advocates for effective therapy and support as factors she found hugely beneficial in her recovery. Phoebe is an experienced general manager but has sadly come from an organisation where she was not valued or supported; sparking an interest in team welfare and people managements. Phoebe went on to create a safe workspace where everyone feels like a valued member of the team. Phoebe has experienced first-hand how appreciating and supporting your team members creates a fruitful working environment where people can thrive and produce amazing results.
Phoebe highlights that we spend so much time in the workplace - sometimes more than home - therefore, making work fun and fulfilling allows us to get the very best from people. Phoebe states that if employers and team members gain the skills and knowledge from our courses they would reduce staff turnover, improve productivity and create a more comfortable working environment.
To contact, please email phoebe@changingmindstraining.com
Tracy is an incredibly experienced RGN (Registered General Nurse) of over 25 years with experience of working within GP practices, hospital environments, specialist respiratory care as well as the emergency ambulance service.
Tracy is also the mother of two children who experienced poor mental health and felt she did not have the appropriate support at the time of their illnesses or, indeed, the resources to provide them. These experiences have fuelled Tracy's passion in early intervention in children and young people.
Tracy's enthusiasm is now in giving children and young people the confidence to speak out and the tools to equip them to deal with problems they may encounter.
Mission
To empower each and every person with the skills, knowledge and compassion required to support the mental health of themselves and others.
Values
Compassion
Experiencing and managing challenges as one
Empowerment
Inspiring and enabling others to make a positive difference
Practicality
Not only great in theory, but fantastic in practice!
Vision
A world where mental health is an everyday conversation, and nobody is ashamed or embarrassed about having a mental illness.
Testimonials
I first met Olivia last year when attending a MHFA course in Surrey, I found her enthusiasm for the often difficult topics and knowledge of the subjects very helpful in helping me through to complete course.
Olivia's experience and background shines through with real life examples and her encouragement of the group to have open discussions as part of the course made the course interesting and relevant to the group.
As Mental Health First Aid was also new to my company I arranged for Olivia to come in and bespoke a course for our managers awareness and understanding of the subject and their role which she delivered twice for us.
We wouldn't hesitate to use Olivia again in the future, Mental Health First Aid should be very important to everyone.