Creative Learning

Carolyn is a qualified social worker, a serial social entrepreneur, and experienced in implementing creative solutions to challenging problems in social care. As the author of The Layperson’s Guide to Good Mental Health: Your A-Z for a Happier Life, Carolyn has developed a framework for good mental health which she calls the 5 Cs – Character, Composure, Connection, Creativity and Challenge. Using this framework she has delivered community workshops and courses over the past 10 years, to support people working positively towards good mental health, emotional resilience and wellbeing. After 25 years experience working as a social worker, trainer, researcher and manager in local authority and voluntary sector services, she set up an independent arts and wellbeing venue in Portsmouth in 2007. Despite the impact of the economic recession that year, Carolyn kept the venue going for three years before it had to close. From her experience of this enterprise, and the network developed, Carolyn went on to co-found the Good Mental Health Cooperative in 2013, sharing her passion for promoting good mental health and wellbeing and challenging stigma, through community based projects, events and courses. Earlier this year, Carolyn was recognised as an Inspirational Woman in Health by Pamodzi Awards in Portsmouth. Carolyn has worked with local authorities, universities, charities and community groups on a range of innovative projects in social care. She also currently facilitates action learning sets for social entrepreneurs through Action Hampshire, and is a practice assessor for students training to be social workers, and qualified social workers in their first year of practice with Hampshire Adult Care.

I have been an advocate for good mental health for decades, having worked within mental health NHS services for 15 years and social services before that, I have been working clinically as a mental health professional since 2013. In 2017 I was awarded a Psychological Therapist Trainee position, leaving the Trust as a Senior Psychological therapist some years later.

As someone who often felt like an outsider, I became fascinated with human behaviour when I was working as an actor. At this time I was a part time support worker and acting in corporate role play training days and teaching youth theatre. I was awarded registration with Equity Arts Federation (UK), however working without a regular pay day was not ideal for me and nursing was the natural choice.

For me, understanding people, life and wellness, is closely linked to creativity. Dance, music, drama has always played a significant role in my life and I now have the pleasure of bringing these areas together in a meaningful way. I have studied Middle Eastern dance and rhythm for a number of years and enjoy the sense of connection and meditation music can have. I specialise in bringing therapeutic theory and creative expression together in my workshops and in my corporate programmes.

for more about me visit www.creativementalhealth.org.uk

I am a fully qualified and insured Hypnotherapist , and Master NLP Practitioner. Registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register, (GHR) and the Complimentary and Natural Healthcare Council CNHC. I am located in Ryde and specialise in stress and anxiety related difficulties, including PTSD, pain management, IBS, weight management, phobias and many other ailments that hold people back from living a rich and happy life. FRYOG Yoga teacher and teach regular yoga classes in Newport and Binstead.