Who We Are

Partisan is a small, Black-led Community Interest Company, born out of a pull from the community for accessible and culturally sensitive mental health and wellbeing support, and a push from traditional mental health systems which were not meeting the needs of our most marginalised and racialised communities.

Partisan is a diverse, culturally sensitive, forward-thinking team of experienced Psychotherapists and Clinical Psychologists. We are best known for our work on the borders of mental health systems; alongside children, young people, families, and communities.

We take a non-pathologizing view of mental health, we don’t believe that problems and therefore solutions exist within individuals. Instead we believe change is needed at all levels of the complex system in which people find themselves.

We are upstanders and accomplices who disrupt systems and join communities in the fight for equity, social and racial justice. We look to amplify the voices of others, rather than our own, empowering communities to take the lead.

Meet the Team

Founder and CEO.
Jay started his career as a Youth Worker 16 years ago, before training as a Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychodynamic Psychotherapist and EMDR Therapist. Jay is forward thinking and innovative in his field, with leadership and strategic experience, as well as clinical expertise working alongside marginalised and racialised communities outside of clinics. He is most interested in partnering, collaborating and innovating with people and organisations who hold similar values, want to see real change, and are also pushing towards a more equitable future world.

Clinical Lead.
Hannah is a Clinical Psychologist with a passion for adapting the way mental health services are delivered to make them easier to reach. She is experienced in working with young people at risk of being affected by violence and has worked in community settings, NHS and local authority. She believes in sharing psychology with teams on the ground who have relationships with young people.

Clinical Community Psychologist.
Maria is an experienced Clinical Psychologist that has worked in various settings supporting adolescents, adults, and families. She is committed to working creatively alongside marginalised communities and remains conscious of social, cultural, and political issues as they relate to wellbeing, mental health, power and social position; all of which underpin her work in complex systems. Passionate about co-production, she has experience in service development and has worked collaboratively with young people to provide quality client-led services.

Clinical Community Psychologist.
Ron is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked extensively with both adults and young people. He is passionate about challenging inequalities in society that impact people's wellbeing and amplifying the voices of marginalised communities. Ron has an interest in developing creative, trauma-informed interventions that are accessible and meaningful for individuals and communities.

Community Counsellor and Integrative Psychotherapist in training
Joden is a qualified Counsellor, who is currently training as an Integrative Psychotherapist. He incorporates embodiment and creativity drawn from his Performing Arts background in to his work. He has supported adults and young people with complex needs in various mental health and community settings, both in the UK and internationally. Joden is passionate about working with African and Afro-Caribbean diasporic young people to decolonise help systems and provide quality and holistic client-led services. Joden’s interdisciplinary approach to help address certain enduring issues that beset the Black community include psychotherapy, social policy, and international development.

Trainee Clinical Psychologist.
Asma’u is a trainee clinical psychologist who has worked in numerous mental health settings within the NHS, as well as various wellbeing and community organisations, both in the UK and internationally. She believes that mental health must be understood within its wider social and political context. She has a particular interest in global mental health and how knowledge that is often excluded from mainstream psychological theory and practice can be used to address inequalities and improve services and support for all.

Project Manager and Social Designer
Gemma is a project manager and designer who is committed to participatory practice and co-design with communities and young people. She has previously worked across film,design production,cycling,food justice,creative education,service design and mental health. At Partisan she brings these diverse experiences to support the team in their work and is working towards creating supportive, caring project processes that help our ideas thrive.
Gemma loves to chat about design justice,body liberation,food sovereignty, textile arts, growing plants and lifting heavy things.

Executive Assistant
Ibby is an experienced Executive Assistant, with professional experiences working in the financial and corporate events industries, and community organisations. Prior to starting at Partisan Ibby worked with a Community Interest Company that specialised in Black learning and mental health; supporting a small team that focused on promoting a positive dialogue of social identity and culture through history.