When pressure piles up, clarity slips. I help high performers make sense of their experience, manage overwhelm, and lead from a place of purpose - not panic.

Integrative Level 7

Coach/Mentor, Facilitator and Speaker

Integrative Level 7

Coach/Mentor, Facilitator and Speaker

The voice of compassion and challenge - My niche is understanding and contextualising the human experience and focussing on development as well as performance. With over two decades working in various roles and sectors, the outcome was always the same. Improve and perform by doing delivering the standard I said I could. This approach saw me achieve three 100% mystery shopper awards, a leader award outstanding service working with young people (Jack Petchey Award) as well as various employee of the month/year accolades.

My aim is to ensure individuals and sectors are thriving, both personally and professionally, something that once aligned life changed.

The voice of compassion & challenge 

My niche is understanding and contextualising the human experience and focussing on development as well as performance. With over 2 decades working in various roles and sectors, the outcome was always the same. Improve and perform by doing delivering the standard I said I could. This approach saw me achieve 3 100% mystery shopper awards, a leader award outstanding service working with young people (Jack Petchey Award) as well as various employee of the month/year accolades.

My aim is to ensure individuals and sectors are thriving, both personally and professionally, something that once aligned life changed.

Breaking Barriers

I'm a lover of life and all it gives. Yes, I said that, but let me tell you it wasn't always this way.

Snippet into my life

My adverse experiences started at an early age, with my biological mother suffering with poor-ill mental health, abusing drugs and alcohol as a result of all of her children being taken into care while I was classified as a child at risk. I moved to Jamaica at an early age, where I was sexually abused. I learnt the action of silence and shame from an early age because no one spoke about anything. With an arm of adversities work became a safe haven, looking back that is maybe why I thrived. It was somewhat consistent, safe, where I was able to somewhat excel.

Life has a funny way of working out

Personally, I struggled to connect with friends and family due to a lack of belonging, fear of judgment and trapped behind shame, embarrassment and guilt but thrived in creating solutions, delivering high standards and connected with the individuals I served. It was here I was able to give others the same grace I needed. I didn’t need to know anyone life story, I gave respect and dignity as well as the service they deserved.

 I ensured that I was a true seller, champion of development and nurturer of the person across all my sectors. Then at 32, I met someone who would change my life for the better without him even realising it.

More About Gemma

Now, I stand as an applied lived experience expert because my change came when I took theory and turned it into practice in understanding adversity, the shame that sometimes comes with adverse experiences, and in time working through those experiences that held significant impact on my life. 


In all sectors, my work ethic spoke for itself, my pride came from delivering high standards as well as challenging ego led practice. This was not always easy, it was often implied that tattoos, aspects of Caribbean culture were unprofessional and there were limited opportunities for me to develop in the areas I worked in. It was even implied that leaving education would change my lifestyle - little did they know that is what I wanted.

MORE ABOUT GEMMA

My mission is to inspire and empower others to connect to their experiences, embed a journey of applied learning and mindful habits to improve life, both personally and professionally.

Within my 20 years of work I built teams, improved pastoral/welfare outcomes in education and social care fields. Led in mentoring/coaching, creating manuals/resources and trained NQT teachers in behaviour management and de-escalation. High Performance is usually the expectation, with little or no support, attention or accountability. 

Now, I stand as an applied lived experience expert because my change came when I took theory and turned it into practice in understanding adversity, the shame that sometimes comes with adverse experiences, and in time working through those experiences that held significant impact on my life. 

In all sectors, my work ethic spoke for itself, my pride came from delivering high standards as well as challenging ego led practice. This was not always easy, it was often implied that tattoos, aspects of Caribbean culture were unprofessional and there were limited opportunities for me to develop in the areas I worked in. It was even implied that leaving education would change my lifestyle - little did they know that is what I wanted.

Within my 20 years of work I built teams, improved pastoral/welfare outcomes in education and social care fields. Led in mentoring/coaching, creating manuals/resources and trained NQT teachers in behaviour management and de-escalation.

High Performance is usually the expectation, with little or no support, attention or accountability. 

MORE ABOUT GEMMA

Current projects

Research Contributor

5 years research on biological factors that impact mental health in women and girls. Close to my heart, King's College London has a variety of projects that support mental health and wellbeing. This project is in its initial stages, however I am committed and excited to see what we will find.

Freelance Facilitator

I work with a variety of organisations facilitating, training or co-facilitating projects. This has found me working on an improvement programme for the NHS, Training in retail, co-training on safeguarding Adultification Bias, as well as facilitating learning days for the MPS and other police forces.

Integrative Level 7 Coach/Mentor

Working with athletes or individuals who are self-motivated to reach new heights in mental agility. Taking high performance and fusing it with mindful habits to improve both personally and professionally.

Work Spotlight

Mentoring Webinar - Mentoring – Guiding greatness and culture - College of Policing - 2025

Research contributor - King College, London - Bridging Divides Project - Mental Health Research 2024 - Present

Freelance facilitator and community member - MPS - 2021 - Present

Freelance trainer and coach - Retail - 2021 - Present

Freelance facilitator - South Wales, COLP, West Midlands

Facilitator - NHS Improvement Programme 2023

Speech - Passing Out Parade - MPS - 2023

Interview - Hidden Pain - 2022

Presentation London FA - Mental health and moving beyond COVID-19 - 2021

Podcast - KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON -Covid-19 and Mental Health - What about the teachers? - 2021

Presentation - Peacefully moving beyond trauma - Streatham peace festival - 2021

If you have any questions, contact us at themindfulpractitioner@outlook.com or visit one of our social accounts and connect.

Personal Development

Philosophy

Mental Agility

Personal development comes from a personal responsibility and commitment. I describe mental agility as the ability to adjust through life regardless of the circumstances. The way to achieve mental agility is through digging deeper at your guiding philosophy. Many of us are living from philosophies that were passed to us both personally and professionally, and too often those same philosophies are unhelpful to the very objective we are trying to achieve.

If you read this, and it hits home, you have two choices to keep doing the same things and expect different results or make a change to connect to yourself and try another path one of pride, passion and connectivity.