Meet the Team

Dr Asha Patel

CEO & Clinical Psychologist

On leap year day in 2016, I took a leap of faith and handed in my resignation to find Innovating Minds. My guilty pleasure is trashy TV, and I love to cross stitch.

Lorraine Petersen

Senior Mental Health Lead Trainer

Lorraine has 25 years’ experience in the mainstream school environment as a teacher and Head Teacher. From 2004 – 2013 Lorraine was CEO of nasen, a charitable organisation supporting all those who work with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. As a result, Lorraine has many years’ experience of working with pupils with an array of special and additional needs and the teachers, SENCOs and support staff that work with them.

Lisa Allen

Managing Director

Having spent the last 15 years working as a business consultant I am obsessed with helping people turning their visions into a reality.

I am thrilled to be a part of a purpose driven organisation that enables me to use my skill set to ensure that we make sustainable changes nationally, to improve access to mental health support for children and families.

Outside of work I can be found providing a taxi service to my three teenagers/preteens.

Deborah Merrick

Operations Manager

Having worked in a role supporting some of the most vulnerable children in the education sector, I am really excited to work with Innovating Minds. An organisation that is so passionate about improving children's mental health and to enable them to strive.

I have amazing family and friends, and love nothing more that spending quality time with them, walking, relaxing and enjoying their company.

Tanya Birch

Senior Mental Health/EduPod - Intervention Support Officer

My name is Tanya Birch and I am an Intervention Support Officer with a core focus on EduPod and the SMHL Training.

I am incredibly passionate and dedicated to implementing change across the education mental health sector. I feel honoured to have spent the last 8 years of my career working within education to encourage, implement and develop a whole school sustainable approach to mental health. My experience within education has been working with children with complex to severe social emotional and mental difficulties as well as children with coexisting special educational needs. I have been working with in trauma informed schools and developing their restorative practice and awareness of attachment theory and have seen a real flourish in the need for a whole school approach to mental health.

Tracey Harber

Office Manager

I have a son called Cayden, who is my everything. I am very sociable, and I am very lucky to have some amazing family and friends that I love to spend time with making memories. I am really looking forward to working at Innovating Minds and having a job that will be rewarding in helping other people.

Tanya Barsby

Social Impact Administrator

I'm a mom of 2 beautiful girls with a passion for helping people.
After completing my degree in Psychology and Counselling I worked in therapeutic residential childcare where I had the privilege of supporting young people heal from difficult beginnings. Whilst there I saw 1st hand the value of receiving the right help and support at the right time.

Since then I have focused my energy on being a mom and I've cherished every moment. I'm now excited to move on to the next chapter where I can balance both of my passions- my family and helping people. Innovating Minds is the place for me to do that.

Alicia Pickering

Customer Success Coordinator

After completing my degree in counselling & working with children, young people & families; improving mental health support has been a passion of mine. I have worked with military personnel, veterans & their families within a variety of settings including resettlement, NHS and the criminal justice system.

I am excited to be a part of Innovating Minds and being able to support the early intervention approach to improving access to mental health services.

Katie Cunneen

Research Assistant

Since graduating with a degree in psychology in 2019, I’ve worked in patient centred roles, witnessing the effects of early intervention on people’s lives. I’m currently undertaking a MRes Clinical Psychology degree so I can gain a greater depth of knowledge and experience around mental health, interventions and evidence-based practice.

I’m working at Innovating Minds to be a part of a team that genuinely cares and adopts a client-focused approach in everything they do. I believe in their values and wish to adopt them in any future endeavours I take part in.

When not studying or volunteering I’ll most likely be playing and learning new instruments to add to my repertoire.

Heather Ellender

Social Media Executive

My interests lie in helping, and empowering, individuals to achieve their potential in all aspects of their lives.

I worked as a Senior Assistant Psychologist for Innovating Minds for 2 years and have now moved on to a training post to qualify as a clinician with Birmingham University. I am delighted to still be working for Innovating Minds, part-time, as Social Media Executive. I love writing about the exciting growth and news of Innovating Minds on our online platforms, and sharing helpful resources to enable our service to support the emotional wellbeing of more children, young people and adults.

Jade Lake

Communications Coordinator

I studied Psychology and graduated from the University of Reading in 2013. Working within this industry has long been a passion of mine and I feel privileged to now work for Innovating Minds and advocating for better mental health.

In my own time, I love spending time with my family and I also love to travel and chase the sun. I’m always working my way through my never-ending bucket list!

Ruth Ovia

Intervention Support Officer

I’m a great believer that healthy relationships and learning environments can positively contribute to a healthy mind. Having worked in a range of schools, I completed my MA in education (Psychology) to further my passion to ensure that schools were a safe and healthy space for learners to thrive. I then worked in CAMHS and saw need for more Mental Health training in schools which led me to this role.

I am excited to be a part of Innovating Minds, a forward shining organisation that bridges the gap.

You’ll find me bringing creativity, colour and a smile to my beautiful little family, friends, those around me and to my exciting new journey at Innovating Minds.