Our Trainers and speakers

Ian has held various roles in public health including Healthy Schools, You’re Welcome, substance misuse services and HeadStart.

He teaches on young people’s health, including devising CPD programmes on mental health, substance use and relationship and sexuality education, as well as currently teaching for the Open University.

Ian delivers training mainly in the South East of England and London, on the following topics:

• Developing whole school approaches to mental health
• Depression
• Self-harm
• Substance use
• Building resilience

Gemma is an experienced primary school teacher, having taught for six years in the UK and Melbourne, Australia. She has worked in a range of settings including SEND, Steiner and mainstream, and is a qualified PSHE specialist teacher currently developing a PSHE curriculum for schools.

Gemma’s educational background is in Human Communication and child development with a focus on parental effects on children's emotional wellbeing.

Following teaching, Gemma joined the NSPCC where she works as an Area Coordinator for the schools service, managing a team of volunteers. Together they deliver key safeguarding messages to children in primary schools across Somerset. She also runs parent online safety workshops with the NSPCC.

Gemma delivers training for Charlie Waller in schools, including sessions on supporting anxious learners and helping to support a healthy approach to using social media and the internet.

After qualifying as a psychiatric nurse in 1996, Claire worked in a variety of mental health services settings, both in-patient and community. In 2005, she joined the University of Northampton as a senior lecturer, where she teaches on numerous undergraduate and post graduate courses as well as the mental health nursing degree.

Claire is currently undertaking a PhD exploring the emotional wellbeing of primary school children.

Claire delivers training mainly in and around the Northamptonshire area.

Gemma has over 20 years’ experience working in the field of mental health.

She worked at the University of Huddersfield for 5½ years as a Mental Health Advisor supporting students with mental health difficulties and set up a number of peer support groups including an Eating Disorder Support Group. Gemma continues to deliver training at the University including the MHFA Adult course, Eating Disorder Awareness training and bespoke training sessions, including workplace sessions.

Prior to working in education she worked in the NHS within specialist eating disorder services as a Clinical Team Manager. She is an associate clinical trainer for Beat, the National Eating Disorder Charity.

Gemma is involved in both our Schools and Families Programme and our Workplace Programme.

In schools, she delivers training for staff, pupils, parents and carers on topics including:

• Mental health and awareness
• Emotional wellbeing
• Eating disorders
• Self-harm
• Whole School Approach to Mental Health

In the workplace, she delivers a range of sessions including:

• Staff wellbeing
• Line managers’ training
• Mental health awareness training.

Gemma is an instructor in Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Lite).

Zoe has worked for ten years in the training, community and health sectors. During this time, she has managed mental health projects for clinical commissioning groups, local authorities and as part of the public health agenda in the north-west of England.

She qualified as a Mental Health First Aid (MFHA) trainer in 2009 and in 2013 became a Workplace Associate with MHFA. In 2017 she became a trainer on the National Schools Government Programme.

For Charlie Waller, Zoe delivers training in both our Schools and Families and our Workplace programmes. Zoe works in many different settings using evidence-based practice to encourage innovative ideas for the health and wellbeing of employees and organisations. She is passionate about breaking down barriers and ensuring wellbeing for all.

Dick has been a housemaster, English teacher, rugby coach and headmaster, and has a passionate interest in the emotional wellbeing of young people.

He delivers talks across the UK on the following topics:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Disordered eating
• Self-harm
• Stress
• Adolescent development

Dick is an instructor in Youth Mental Health First Aid

Jo is a Doctoral Researcher in the Centre for Autism at the University of Reading. Her PhD focuses on the wellbeing of autistic students in mainstream primary schools, and she is committed to enhancing public understanding and acceptance of autism and neurodiversity.

In addition to her research, Jo is a specialist autism practitioner offering support to parents, carers and professionals. She runs courses and workshops on a wide range of topics related to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities including:

• General autism awareness and acceptance
• Autism and mental health
• Positive behavioural strategies
• Providing social support
• Meeting the needs of neurodiverse learners in the classroom

Jo is working with Charlie Waller to develop a new training programme for schools how best to support the needs of vulnerable learners during unstructured times of the school day.

Rachel is the founder of Freedom From Harm and has previously worked as the Director of Self Harm UK.

She delivers training mainly in the East of England on the following topics:

• Self-harm
• Eating disorders
• Self-esteem
• Anxiety

Rachel also speaks at national conferences on topics relating to children and young people's mental health.

Lisa has had a long career in a variety of mental health settings within the NHS. She originally trained as a mental health nurse and subsequently worked in in-patient and community settings with adults, children, young people and their families.

Lisa delivers training mainly in the Thames Valley and covers most aspects of children and young people’s mental health including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating disorders
• Self-harm
• OCD
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Lisa also leads the PPePCare training project in Berkshire, which delivers training to frontline professionals, and provides training at Oxford University and The University of Surrey on their Doctoral courses in Clinical Psychology.

Lisa’s training is mainly aimed at professionals but she also delivers training to parents and to children and young people.

Fiona has been passionate about autism since spending her gap year working in a school for children with autism in her home county of Dorset. Following her PhD at the University of Reading, which looked at the way children with autism interact with their siblings, Fiona moved to the University of Glasgow to train as a clinical psychologist. She spent a number of years in the West of Scotland working in child psychology services with children with a range of developmental and mental health difficulties, and on the clinical psychology training team at the University of Glasgow.

Since returning to Reading in 2002, Fiona has worked clinically in both CAMHS and the University’s Centre for Autism. She teaches in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences at the University of Reading, with a focus on autism and other neurodevelopmental difficulties.

Fiona delivers training in autism and mental health to schools, parents and other professionals.

Andrew is a Registered Social Worker and BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist, as well as a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

He has worked as a practitioner in a range of settings, including secondary care mental health, child protection, schools, higher education, the third sector and independent practice as a counsellor/psychotherapist and social worker for over 30 years.

His research primarily focused on working with clients at risk of suicide and those who self-injure, and he has written extensively in this area, including single-author books as well as numerous book chapters, research and practitioner articles. Additionally, he is the author of a key introductory textbook in counselling and psychotherapy, as well as co-editor of a number of other books and book series. He was one of the Lead Authors for the MindEd project with the Department of Health

He has delivered training to thousands of helping professionals over the years around working with suicide risk and self-injury, self-care, mental health and working with male clients, both in the UK and internationally, and has an excellent reputation for experiential and inclusive training. He also delivers keynote addresses at conferences to a range of professionals. He was Editor in Chief of Counselling and Pychotherapy Research journal for six years.

As well as his role as Director of Charlie Waller’s Colleges and Universities Programme, he is a Senior Lecturer in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Psychological Trauma at the University of Chester, as well as being Chair of BACP.

Barbara has worked in education for over 30 years, initially as a teacher in secondary schools, then as a counsellor, lecturer and trainer in universities and colleges.

She delivers training in Yorkshire and the north east of England on the following topics:

• Building resilience
• Maintaining good emotional and mental health
• Developing confidence
• Recognising when mental wellbeing may be at risk
• How to respond if concerns arise

Jackie has been a counsellor for 26 years in both university and community health settings. She currently counsels staff and students at Lancaster University and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy(BACP) - Universities and Colleges advisory committee.

Jackie delivers training in the north west of England on the following topics:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Suicidal thoughts
• Self-harm
• Practical approaches for helping young people with depression

Jackie is also a Mental Health First Aid instructor.

After qualifying as a social worker in 1998, Lindsay worked in community mental health teams, assertive outreach and a service for early intervention in psychosis, amongst other community services. She practised as an approved social worker and approved mental health professional, undertaking work on behalf of the local authority.

In 2009, Lindsay moved to a higher education setting and has worked as a senior mental health advisor, directly supporting students with significant mental health problems and promoting student wellbeing. She has been involved in service development throughout her career and has developed mental health training for university staff and students.

Maryanne is a doctor, psychiatrist and GP educator. She graduated in 1987 from Newcastle University. She specialised in psychiatry, but with many of her medical friends being GPs, she was encouraged to pursue her love of general practice.

Firmly from the "generalist" genre, in 1996 Maryanne gained a lectureship in primary care at Newcastle Medical School. She was then asked to enter general practice and to start work on general practice mental health, one of her main interests.

22 years later, Maryanne has trained GPs in England, Scotland, and Wales, ranging from inner cities to remote, rural practices.

Sheila is a dual qualified nurse (mental and general) with many years’ clinical experience in primary care and mental health settings. She also works as an independent healthcare consultant and as a post-doctoral researcher for the University of Hull.

Sheila has worked for a foundation trust as a senior research fellow and as an education fellow in an academic health science network. She writes educational articles for nursing journals and has co-authored three books and a number of book chapters. In 2018 she won an Award of Merit from the Royal College of Nursing for her work on the physical health of people with mental illness.

Sheila provides direct face-to-face training and trains healthcare professionals identified by their organisation to be trainers. She has also written eLearning modules which can be completed independently or as part of the programme.

Nicholas provides training for GPs and other professionals working in primary care on mental health in a General Practice setting. This includes sessions on:

• practical Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for general practice
• young people’s mental health
• medical error in mental health
• perinatal depression
• risk management
• medically unexplained symptoms

He provides training for GP trainers and GP CPD events in collaboration with Health Education England Thames Valley.

As well as being a Charlie Waller GP educator, Nick is a practising GP in Berkshire. He has worked locally in reorganising the way care is provided for young people who self-harm. He continues to volunteer with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, having designed and implemented a teaching programme, together with local partners in Uganda.

Abigail joined us in 2020 from Acas, the independent national advisory body for employers and employees, where she was Head of Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing.

She has worked in the field of Mental Health and Wellbeing for more than 25 years, has an MA in Psychotherapy, an MSc in Psychology, and extensive research experience in occupational psychology.

She joined Acas in 2015 as Senior Adviser on Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing and was appointed to lead this area in 2017. Her work included leading on strategic wellbeing projects with executive boards, advising government on key policy issues and delivering keynote presentations and thought leadership on systemic issues relating to mental health and wellbeing at work.

Until recently she sat as the workplace expert for the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on mental wellbeing and is an active member of several mental health at work advisory groups.

Penny has more than 25 years’ experience as a counsellor and trainer, starting with Relate in 1992. She became a sessional counsellor at the University of Huddersfield in 1995 and then moved to a full-time counselling post at the University of Leeds in 2003, where she became Senior Counsellor in 2006.

Between 1995 and 2003, Penny also worked in private practice and as a counsellor and consultant in two local industries, offering one-to-one support, staff training and policy development. Her Master’s research ‘Is counselling good for business?’ examined the impact of counselling on productivity at Zeneca Huddersfield works.

While at the University of Leeds, Penny developed and managed an extensive group work and psychoeducational training programme for students, as well as delivering staff training on mental health awareness. She worked at the University of Bradford from 2014 to 2018, joining as Head of Counselling and then taking on disability as an additional area of responsibility in 2016.

Penny has also worked in NHS settings as a counsellor in GP surgeries and as a staff counsellor, as well as being a practitioner and clinical lead with Take Time, a counselling and psychotherapy service for junior doctors in Yorkshire and Humber NHS trusts.

Debbie has worked for 30 years in boarding education with a special interest in pastoral care needs. As the wife of a housemaster and headmaster of leading boarding schools in the UK, she has been very involved in pastoral care.

Having trained as a special educational needs teacher she moved onto careers education following the completion of a postgraduate diploma in Careers Guidance in 2011. She combined this with teaching Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) with a specific interest in mental health.

Seven years ago she qualified to deliver the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) “.b” and “Paws b” courses and since then has delivered the “.b” course to 14 and 15 year olds at the boarding school where she has taught and lived for the last twenty years.

Debbie is a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor.