Meet the Team

  • Clinical Director

    Christina is a dedicated professional with a background in psychology and a passion for helping others achieve mental well-being. She combines her academic knowledge with practical experience to provide compassionate support tailored to individual needs. Known for her empathetic listening and analytical skills, Christina fosters a comfortable environment where clients can explore their thoughts and emotions openly. Her commitment to continuous learning ensures she stays informed about the latest developments in mental health, enabling her to offer effective and evidence-based guidance.Christina has a long career history in senior management and higher education. She completed her MA in psychotherapy at Liverpool John Moores University and is now passionate about working systemically with children in the care system.

    As a Responsible Individual, Christina possesses extensive experience in leadership and management within children’s homes, demonstrating a strong ability to create nurturing and structured environments that prioritise the wellbeing and development of children and young people. She has consistently implemented effective operational strategies, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards while fostering a culture of safety and support. Christina’s skills include staff supervision, conflict resolution, and the development of personalised care plans, enabling her to lead multidisciplinary teams with confidence and empathy. Her commitment to professional development and reflective practice has contributed significantly to improved outcomes for children under her care. With extensive experience of Ofsted registrations and inspection regulatory processes, she leads the therapeutic approach at Mind Forest working primarily to support staff in enhancing the child’s ability to trust, observing how this can directly influence their relationships and how the child sees themselves and the world around them.

    Christina and the team work to find therapeutic approaches that will engage the child and help them find a new way of being, one in which they can grow and thrive.

    Outside of work, Christina loves walking, painting (badly) and dancing.

    Qualifications:

    BA (Hons) English Literature 2:1 University of Liverpool

    Pg Cert Business Studies Hope University

    MA Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Practice – Merit Liverpool John Moores University.


  • Training Director

    Emma is a qualified teacher in adult education and is highly experienced in the provision of mandatory and statutory training to the health and social care workforce. She has a decade of experience from within the children's residential care sector and a number of years working in both the youth justice system and in young people's substance misuse services. Emma has demonstrated expertise in meeting and exceeding both CQC and Ofsted regulatory workforce training and development compliance.

    Emma is a dedicated and engaging instructor with proven expertise in designing, delivering and evaluating innovative training programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of the health and social care workforce. She has a strong background in employee orientation, induction and onboarding with skills in psychometrics, outcome assessment and ongoing team building and development. Committed to enhancing the capabilities of health and social care professionals to improve children's outcomes, employee well-being and organisational performance.

    Emma is certified by the British Institute of Learning Disabilities and endorsed by Skills for Care as an advanced Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) instructor, equipping care providers with the skills to de-escalate and proactively respond to challenging behaviour and reduce restrictive practice in health and social care environments. As a qualified first aid instructor, Emma is also skilled in the delivery of both adult and paediatric emergency and workplace first aid training and mental health first aid courses.

    She is proficient in conducting rigorous research to inform evidence-based practice and policy development. Emma is committed to a human rights based approach to best practices in child protection and welfare with a strong focus on regulatory compliance and safeguarding.

    In her spare time, Emma likes to read, draw and visit the cinema. She has a deep appreciation for nature and enjoys long walks in the countryside with her dog.

    Qualifications:

    Diploma in Teaching (Secondary Education)

    AET (Adult Education & Training)

    BSc Psychosocial Behaviour Analysis

    MRes Criminology (Young People)

    MSc Psychology (MBPsS) (Developmental Trauma & Attachment Theory)

    MSc Occupational Therapy (current)