Mental Health Training & Support
Shared Journeys, Stronger Together
Sometimes it’s hard to see our own potential. We can miss building on our strengths because we didn’t realise they were there.
Through our services we provide collaborative, reflective space in professional practice supervision and tools in our training to empower you to consider new options and implement change.
Deciding what success looks like for you is deeply personal. It isn’t something to be prescribed by another person, or societal expectation.
Our focus is on empowering you to define your own path, celebrate your achievements, and navigate your journey with confidence and clarity.
Mental Health Training
Equip yourself with vital skills to support mental wellbeing, both personally and professionally. Our Mental Health First Aid training, available across Victoria and online, empowers you to recognize and respond to mental health challenges in the workplace and community. Learn to foster a supportive environment, reduce stigma, and enhance professional communication and leadership.
Learn More About Mental Health First Aid
LLE Supervision
Mental health family/carer lived and living experience work provides real rewards, but it can be tough. Discipline specific supervision provides the space to reflect, consider and develop as a lived experience professional.
Learn More About Supervision for Mental Health Family/Carer LLE Workers
Recent Blog Posts
Secure! Aren’t I?
Explore the vulnerability we all face and question what truly matters in this reflective poem about life’s sun-drenched moments and harsh realities.
How are you today?
A reflective poem about the rhythm of daily life, exploring the balance between monotony and moments of hope. Discover inspiration amidst the mundane.
Unfurling
Dare to step into the unknown, beyond the comfort zone, where fear and beauty intertwine. Unfurl your inner world and discover visions previously unimagined
Proved by experience
Andrew brings years of experience, lived expertise, compassion, and humour to his training and presentations. He seamlessly weaves his in-depth knowledge of mental health systems—gained through supporting someone to navigate services—with his many years in clinical roles across the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
A strong advocate for change, Andrew is a deep thinker, a compassionate leader, and often disarmingly hilarious. He brings all these qualities together in presentations that empower you to recognise and respond to mental health challenges in your community. His work helps foster more compassionate, stigma-free responses to mental health in workplaces, services, communities, and personal and social connections.
Emer Diviney, Manager
APSU – Association of Participating Service Users
I’ve had the privilege of working with Andrew as a co-facilitator and organisational partner for many years. His insight and sensitivity make him an invaluable collaborator, and his attention to detail, coupled with his wisdom, sets him apart as a remarkable mentor. I always look forward to the fresh perspectives and meaningful ideas he brings to every session.
Jan Holt
Carer Lived Experience Educator/Consultant
Owner, The Talking Thumb Coaching
Over the course of around 6 months, my time with Andrew was my steady reference point. He created a safe, encouraging space where I could relax and reflect on important issues without judgement or direction. As a professional support he created an opportunity to see events from several angles without the organisational influence of an insider, and this ensured I acted with sound judgement in my own best interest. He was also able to sincerely empathise with the challenges faced by Lived Experience carer workers, like me, within the public health system, and he supported my efforts at keeping the carer focus visible in my public mental health setting despite strong adverse organisational pressure. I feel fortunate to have had Andrew journey with me during some very tough times indeed.
LLE Family/Carer worker
Public Mental Health
Andrew has a a great depth of knowledge, wisdom and intelligence in a professional capacity, but brings a very authentic ‘humanness‘ to his supervision sessions which very much aligned with me.
Who doesn’t want that?
Amanda
Family/Carer Consultant
As a presenter and trainer Andrew brings a wealth of experience and expertise across Family/Carer/Supporter spaces in Mental Health. Andrew brings a unique perspective and wealth of experience, having worked across clinical, senior management and family/carer lived experience leadership. He has presented at international, national and local conferences and events. This includes facilitation, presentations, panel representation and workshops. Andrew has an authentic and accessible approach to all aspects of his work. His preparation and engagement with his audience is to be recommended – with positive audience feedback and satisfaction highlighting his personal style and professional integrity as impactful to the learning experience. Andrew is highly regarded as a skilled presenter and trainer. He is always one of the first people considered in planning workforce events and training.
Jacqui
Family/Carer Lived Experience Workforce
As a supervisor, Andrew has created space, time and support for me to be able to share (even vent) and explore my work and develop in my family Carer LE expertise. I appreciate Andrew’s intellectual humility, kindness, knowledge and compassion. I look forward to our supervision sessions and always come away with a couple of gems of knowledge to take back to my working life. Discipline specific supervision with Andrew has been a valuable and vital part of my work and also included lots of laughs and time to bring all the aspects of my life, work and caring responsibilities to the safe space. I am grateful that I’ve found a supervision who is such a great fit for me, its been a very positive experience.
Family/Carer Lived Experience Coordinator
Public Mental Health, over 10 years experience
Andrew brings years of experience, lived expertise, compassion, and humour to his training and presentations. He seamlessly weaves his in-depth knowledge of mental health systems—gained through supporting someone to navigate services—with his many years in clinical roles across the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
A strong advocate for change, Andrew is a deep thinker, a compassionate leader, and often disarmingly hilarious. He brings all these qualities together in presentations that empower you to recognise and respond to mental health challenges in your community. His work helps foster more compassionate, stigma-free responses to mental health in workplaces, services, communities, and personal and social connections.
Emer Diviney, Manager
APSU – Association of Participating Service Users
I’ve had the privilege of working with Andrew as a co-facilitator and organisational partner for many years. His insight and sensitivity make him an invaluable collaborator, and his attention to detail, coupled with his wisdom, sets him apart as a remarkable mentor. I always look forward to the fresh perspectives and meaningful ideas he brings to every session.
Jan Holt
Carer Lived Experience Educator/Consultant
Owner, The Talking Thumb Coaching
Over the course of around 6 months, my time with Andrew was my steady reference point. He created a safe, encouraging space where I could relax and reflect on important issues without judgement or direction. As a professional support he created an opportunity to see events from several angles without the organisational influence of an insider, and this ensured I acted with sound judgement in my own best interest. He was also able to sincerely empathise with the challenges faced by Lived Experience carer workers, like me, within the public health system, and he supported my efforts at keeping the carer focus visible in my public mental health setting despite strong adverse organisational pressure. I feel fortunate to have had Andrew journey with me during some very tough times indeed.
LLE Family/Carer worker
Public Mental Health
Andrew has a a great depth of knowledge, wisdom and intelligence in a professional capacity, but brings a very authentic ‘humanness‘ to his supervision sessions which very much aligned with me.
Who doesn’t want that?
Amanda
Family/Carer Consultant
Let’s talk!
Hi, I’m Andrew, co-founder of MindSpark. I’ve worked in the mental health and wellbeing area over the last 33 years, and been privileged to walk alongside many people from a range of diverse backgrounds. I’ve worked in clinical, lived experience, senior management and Director roles. I’ve learnt a lot through the people I have met, my studies and my own lived experience journey, I’ve grown and changed as a result. I would love the opportunity to catch up with you and chat together about how I can assist you.