Mental Health First Aiders
Sometimes, you might not feel comfortable going to the people in your organisation with your personal struggles or mental health challenges – particularly if work is a contributing factor.
That’s why we’ve set up a cross-industry network of Mental Health First Aiders – people who have gone through the training, are happy to support and work in the industry so understand the unique challenges of comms.
In need of a chat and not sure who to turn to? Send a message to hello@stateofus.co.uk and we’ll put you in touch with a Mental Health First Aiders.
Please note: if you, or someone you know, is in crisis and in need of help, please reach out to a qualified professional or organisation. You can call Samaritans on 116 123 and find a variety of charities and helpful resources here.
Are you a trained Mental Health First Aider and would like support others in comms? Let us know by emailing hello@stateofus.co.uk.
Vicki DeBlasi
Founder, Innovate Comms
A passionate mental health advocate commited to destigmatising mental health conditions. Vicki lives with an eating disorder and anxiety and speaks openly about her own experiences. She completed her Mental Health First Aid Training in 2019.
Katie de Cozar
Head of Communications, Checkout.com
Katie wants to see mental health on a level playing field as physical health in the workplace, and is committing to building cultures which enable people to be their best possible selves. She completed her mental health first aid training in 2019.
Mary Paslawski
Client Services & Development Director, Innovate Comms
Having experienced burnout and anxiety, Mary is passionate about driving working practices and agency/client relationships that are supportive of each others' challenges and mental health. She completed her mental health first aid training in 2019.
Medha Pal
Account Manager, CCgroup
Taking care of your mental health and well being is just as important as looking after your physical health. Medha is keen to see workplaces have more open dialogue on the topic of mental health and encourage employees to bring their true selves to work. She completed her mental health first aid training in 2021.
Shanil Nayee
Account Director
As a trained mental health first aider (MHFA), Shanil is a dedicated wellbeing advocate who fosters a culture of openness and transparency at work, while providing wellbeing support to those in need. Shanil has taken an active role in developing mental health strategies at the agencies he’s worked in.
Alan Miller
Content Manager, CCgroup
No one is immune to mental health issues, and Alan believes sharing everyday struggles is key to an inclusive environment where people can be comfortable and as open as they need to be. With his own diagnosis of depression and anxiety now a quarter of a century old, Alan undertook mental health first aid training in 2020.
Kate Hunter
Director, Missive
With nearly 20 year of agency experience, Kate has seen the effect of the ups and downs of agency life on mental health across all ages and backgrounds. She is passionate about the value of compassionate leadership and creating environments where individuals feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work in order to perform at their best. Kate qualified as a MHFA England first aider in 2021.
Sophia Tupper
Associate Director, Hard Numbers
Sophia is involved in building creative strategic counsel for b2b tech clients and leading on client relations across the agency.
With over 12 years of agency experience, having previously worked on clients such as Intel, Huawei, Amazon Web Services and Tata Communications, Sophia brings a strong understanding of the media landscape in North America, the UK and EMEA. She has experienced a variety of complicated briefs providing valued strategic client support.
Liam Thomson
Founder, Studio 145
Liam is a qualified Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) and has experience of the challenges of both agency life and freelance. He has lived experience to draw upon and is a dedicated active listener. He understands that our mental and physical health are interwoven, and everyone’s cup can fill up and overflow in different ways at different times. He’s passionate about advocating for positive progress in mental health and in offering support whenever it is needed.
Jules Lavin
Director, Missive
As someone who has experienced poor mental health due to the pressures that come with working in PR, Jules is passionate about helping others navigate similar challenges. Whether by offering a compassionate ear, or loudly championing the equal importance of mental and physical health, Jules wants to make a difference. She is a qualified mental health first aider (certified in 2024) and as part of Missive’s Senior Leadership Team champions the agency’s fundraising efforts for suicide prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
Laura Gillespie
ABM Planning & Campaigns Manager at Seeblue Marketing
Laura is passionate about raising awareness and promoting support for mental health, driven by a desire to use her own experiences and learnings to help make positive change for others. Laura actively supports fundraising efforts for local mental health charities. She became a mental health first aider in 2019, and loves to help create open, accepting and inclusive working environments, so every person has the chance to be heard.
Charlie Martin
Communications Consultant, Hard Numbers
Once a pub manager but now very much a PR, Charlie holds the position of Communications Consultant at Hard Numbers, working across a range of sectors from cybersecurity, e-commerce as well as marketing and ad tech. He started his career in PR at food, drink and hospitality specialists Fleet Street cutting his teeth working on the press offices for global drinks brands and UK’s top hospitality operators.
Amy Stone
Senior Communications Consultant, Hard Numbers
Amy is a Senior Communications Consultant at Hard Numbers and has undertaken the MHFA training along with several colleagues at the company, wanting to be able to offer better mental health and wellbeing support to her colleagues.
Working with charities, big name brands, banks and more, Amy specialises in broadcast PR before moving into the tech space. Since joining Hard Numbers, she continues to bring her love of broadcast to the agency, whilst also being responsible for line managing some of the team and overseeing a handful of teams, both of which will benefit from her Mental Health First Aid training.
Susie James
Senior Communications Consultant, Hard Numbers
Susie is part of the Hard Numbers senior management team, leading a portfolio of clients that includes cyber-security, fintech, automotive and CX businesses.
Having previously worked on clients including Sky, Cisco and Vodafone, Susie brings a wealth of knowledge of technology that makes her adaptable to any client's needs. Susie's skills lie in developing creative ideas, running press offices that secure top tier coverage, and advising on strategy and planning for clients of all sizes.
Hannah Devoy
Director
As someone living with anxiety and depression, Hannah understands how difficult it can be to strike the right balance between work and personal life. She is committed to helping others find that balance and to improving the PR industry as a whole by opening up conversation and finding better ways of working.
Claire Simpson
Senior Communications Consultant, Hard Numbers
Claire is a dedicated, data-driven public relations professional who is committed to delivering tangible return on investment for her clients. She currently oversees a portfolio of tech and fintech accounts, and is part of the agency’s management team responsible for all client servicing. Passionate about continuous learning, Claire recently became one of the UK’s youngest ever chartered PR professionals and was named one of AMEC’s 25 Rising Stars in Measurement & Evaluation 2021.
Phil Szomszor
Co-Founder, Brightside Digital Engagement
Before Brightside, Phil spent 19 years working agency-side, with leadership roles at Harvard, Firefly and Citigate Dewe Roberston. Phil is no longer part of a big agency, seeing challenges day-to-day, but he still wants to help - and believes the distance and independence gives its own advantages. Phil qualified as a MHFA England first aider in 2019.
Vicki Marinker
Founding Partner & Corporate Communications Recruiter, Comms Leaders
Vicki has been involved in the PR industry for nearly 30 years, starting her career in PR before moving into recruitment and career coaching.
She understands how closely linked our mental health is with our careers and workplace culture. She's passionate about helping comms people get unstuck, get out of difficult situations and improve their mental wellbeing.
Need support?
Here you’ll find a list of charities available to provide mental health support.
