PEER ADVICE SERVICES UK - Key Persons
Adam currently works in the data & technology sector and in addition to his day job, also leads the Mental Health Employee Resource group for the business. Through his previous military career in the Royal Air Force he has been exposed to the life changing effects of a spinal cord injury suffered by friends and former colleagues. This personal connection gives him dedication to the charity's work and mission; he is proud to be a trustee of Peer Advice Services UK.
Job Titles:
- Psychologist and Practitioner
Derith Rhisiart, B.A., BSc Hons Psych, MSc Psychology, FdC, Dip Indian Champissage; MBACP, BPsS. Derith has worked in mental health for nearly 10 years. She is a qualified therapist with her own private practice specialising in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Motivational Interviewing (MI); where she supports clients suffering from anxiety and depression or any mental health issue. She is also a qualified Advocate (IMHA/RPR) with experience of working in a brain injury unit and is a Specialist Mentor supporting students with mental health issues.
Her areas of interest are dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and also any other learning difficulty. She supports a holistic approach as she is also a qualified Indian Head (Champissage) practitioner and is in the process of qualifying as a massage therapist. Her ethos is to support an individual to reach their potential and to support them on their journey. She is a fluent Welsh speaker and has experience of working in the media for 20 years and is also a qualified fundraiser.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Educational Psychologist and Psychotherapist
Diann is a wife and mum of 3. Diann has worked in education since 2005, first as a Primary Teacher, then an Assistant Psychologist and finally as an Educational Psychologist - an area that she has now worked in for over 10 years. Diann still works part time for a Local Authority but has been keen to expand her skills to help individuals and families with specific issues.
Diann is passionate about empowering and enabling people to make changes in their lives that will make a significant difference to them. Diann has extensive training as a Brain working Recursive Practitioner (BWRT) and a Solution-focused Brief Therapist (SFBT). This means that she can help individuals from all age groups with various conditions.
Job Titles:
- Director of Mental Health Services
Dr Gareth Thomas CPsycho - Solution-Focused Consultant Psychologist - who is a Doctor of Philosophy and has been recognised for his work by the Spinal Injuries Association by receiving national awards for his research. He has been featured in articles from Blesma: The magazine for limbless veterans, Enable Magazine, Possability Magazine, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, Wales Online, and Heart radio. More recently Gareth has been an expert advisor for the BBC both on radio and TV 2023.
Gareth is a veteran, was injured during his army service and became paralysed 27 years ago. Gareth has worked with veterans suffering from PTSD and people with disabilities. He developed the very first peer support group for people with spinal cord injury in the UK.
Gareth has worked in the charity sector for the last 4 years and before that he was working in academia. He has worked within the prison service helping offenders with their mental health. He has worked with veterans and people with disabilities helping them to improve their well-being through teaching them to cope better by improving their overall quality of life.
However, Gareth's work has led him to be more diverse. He now works with people from all walks of life. The therapies that he offers are listed below:
Gemma's interest in mental health began over 15 years ago, when she started to study Psychology. Since then, she has worked within the private sector, civil service, local government, and charities gaining invaluable experience.
Gemma has worked in human resources for a large organisation supporting staff on an individual basis and through group work who are based in high pressure and stressful roles due to their environments. Plus, Gemma has become a member of a wellbeing and diversity group and trained as a mental health first aider to support colleagues. She has worked as a support worker with adult offenders, many of which had significant health and social needs supporting with re-settlement after leaving prison. Plus, as an advocate with Youth offenders supporting vulnerable young people often with complex behavioural issues.
In addition, her work has extended to supporting individuals who have physical and mental disabilities through the process of claiming benefits. Gemma's experience includes working as a support worker for a mental health charity and later a counsellor working with a diverse range of individuals.
Jay served in the Royal Marines and upon leaving retrained as a physiotherapist. He has worked across the NHS and in recent years moved to working with the MOD rehabilitating injured service personnel. Jay has amassed a wealth of clinical experience ranging from specialist courses on spinal cord injury to an MSC. He has rehabilitated spinal cord injured patients and also witnessed the benefits of peer advice and support. Jay did not hesitate in taking the opportunity to be a trustee of Peer Advice Services UK and looks forward to supporting the charity in it's mission.
Jim Served in the Army with the 1st Battalion Queens Lancashire Regiment where he served for 4 years before leaving and commencing a career with Royal Mail. In 2018 he was injured in a motorbike RTC on the Isle of Man visiting the TT races. Despite this life changing event he has rebuilt his life including returning to work. Jim received peer advice and support which he describes as "lifesaving". Jim is excited to take up post as Chairman of the Trustees and is proud to be giving back by supporting Peer Advice Services UK.
Lee is a Spinal Cord Injury Peer Advisor for the Complex Trauma Team at DMRC. Lee served in the Royal Air Force Police and was injured in a road traffic collision on duty in 2005. He sustained a spinal cord injury which left him paralysed from the waist down.
Rob had a truck accident in 1987 where he sustained a spinal cord injury that left him paraplegic. He went to the Midland Centre for Spinal Cord Injury Oswestry and has led an independent life after injury. Rob has witnessed and also personally received peer advice and support. He welcomed the opportunity to become a trustee of Peer Advice Services UK and to help others who sustain an SCI get the same support that he had.
Tina Thomas has a background in Psychology, amongst other subjects. She is skilled in Project Management and has been self-employed for many years. Over the last 3 years, she has been taking the lead role in projects and guiding the way forward gaining invaluable experience. She has been gaining experience in writing funding bids and successfully acquired lottery funding. She hopes to help take PAS UK and ADAPT Gateway Mental Health move to the next level.
As a partner and wife of the founding member of ADAPT Gateway Mental Health, she is experienced in disability and would like to assist and provide support to the partners/friends and carers of disabled people through our peer support program.