Our Trainers
We are proud to partner with Mentally Well Workplaces in Australia and HumanEx in New Zealand, where they serve as licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructors for delivering the CoU Research & Training Program.
Barbara Simon
Principal Master Mental Health Instructor
I trained as a volunteer for the phone crisis support with Lifeline when I came across the MHFA course for the first time. And I found the content so helpful that I decided I wanted to become an instructor as well to spread the word about how to help bringing mental illness out of its stigma. I have been training online and face to face for 2 years now and love it.
Peter Annis-Brown
Principal Master Mental Health Instructor
In 2013 I lost an employee to suicide and had no idea how to deal with it myself and how to support his new wife, family and staff. This lived experience has driven me to educate myself about mental health and the link between physical well-being and our mind . I also wanted to be able to reach out to friends, family and colleagues with confidence and competence offering help if they experience mental health and well-being issues. This education included becoming a mental health first aid instructor in 2017 and so far, I have delivered over 30 courses to individuals within the community and businesses nationwide.
Cath Ashton
Principal Master Mental Health Instructor
Cath has worked in the setting of mental health since 2001 and is proud to be a Principal Master Instructor for Mental Health First Aid working with MHFA since 2015. Since 2021Cath has been a facilitator in WA to Deakin University’s Counting on U program along with Mentally Well Workplaces for MHFA for the Financial Sector. Since 2015 Cath has been a facilitator for the WA Association of Mental Health (WAAMH).
Her work in suicide prevention, workforce health and health promotion has engaged her with metro, regional and remote communities throughout Australia and the UK.
Robyn Rottinger
Principal Master Mental Health Instructor
I’ve been working in the Mental Health for the past 10 years, and first was trained in MHFA whilst as a Counsellor for Lifeline. Then I was offered a role as Educator with a Recovery College and the opportunity to become an Instructor for MHFA appeared. That was just three years ago now, and haven’t stopped training. Now I am a Principal Master with MHFA, which speaks to the demand for courses, experience and number completed.
Linny Hursthouse
Principal Master Mental Health Instructor
I have been a Mental Health First Aid instructor over for over eight years. I was and continued to be inspired to deliver first class content that provides individuals, and organisations the knowledge, awareness and skills to provide early intervention to support people when they develop mental health problems or are experiencing a crisis. At a cultural level the bigger goal is to reduce stigma and promote conversational skills that support a psychologically safe work environment, to reduce risks and increase safety.
Tania Gutierrez
Principal Master Mental Health Instructor
Sharon Wilks
Principal Master Mental Health Instructor
I’ve been teaching MHFA since February 2019. I could see the demand for this valuable course in the corporate space, where are organisations are recognizing the imperative to look after their teams.
Lindsey
Director
Over the past fifteen years, my passion has been working with organisations to support them achieve their goals and aspirations, specifically focusing on their people to create happy and healthy workplaces. From developing strategic business plans, coaching and planning, delivering leadership and development modules to achieve desired objectives and create a company culture they are proud of.
I have worked across multiple industries from FMCG, public and private health and professional services across the globe including the UK, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand.
Kate
Director
Kate has over 20 years’ experience working in complex service delivery and solution design organisations across both commercial and not for profit enterprises. She has a strong focus on strategic development and business transformation and is passionate about purposeful and measurable change.
She has worked in a range of diverse sectors and including international logistics, travel and tourism, event management, FMCG and professional services both here in New Zealand and Australia.
She has a sound understanding of Board Governance obligations and fiduciary responsibility, and has direct Boardroom experience as both a Chief Executive and Director.
Lyndsay
HR Business Partner / Instructor
I have 20 years’ experience working in HR both in the UK and New Zealand and across a broad range of large and small businesses within the private and public sectors and a passion for organisational culture, wellbeing, and leadership.
My focus is on coaching and enabling businesses to engage and empower their people to thrive and grow, delivering both a great employee experience as well as increased bottom line results, and I have a strong background in facilitation and delivery of workshops and programmes designed to provide the knowledge, understanding and practical skills to support this.
I am a certified Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa Instructor and a qualified Certified Practitioner in Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), both of which support and enable people and businesses to thrive in today’s complex and uncertain world.
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Dan
Facilitator / Instructor
I have been working in the MHFA space for the last 7 years. Starting as a mental health first aider, before upskilling to become an instructor.
My main goal is to have at least one mental health first aider in every family across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Using my lived experience with depression and anxiety, I found myself working for the Counties Manukau DHB, facilitating MHFA workshops and helping to share knowledge and increase awareness about mental health and mental health first aid. I have also spent time working for Lifeline as their National Trainer.