Zara Mansoor

Zara is a Clinical Psychologist from Te Whanganui-a-Tara. She primarily works with young people and their whānau and is currently involved in research through the University of Otago on improving outcomes for young people in mental health services. Zara’s preferred ways to balance out desk and clinic time are taking her dogs for rambles, dancing, and jumping in the sea (even in freezing Wellington)!

Ciaran O’Brien

Ciaran is involved as a lived experience research assistant, born and raised in Whanganui-a-Tara. He has a background in the study of the law, having attained a first -class LLB from the University of Otago, which he completed during his ongoing recovery journey. He is a keen advocate for incorporating lived experience perspectives into relevant mahi and enjoys giving back to the services and communities that have supported and assisted him in getting to where he is today. In his spare time Ciaran enjoys playing and watching various sports (predominantly cricket) and playing games (predominantly chess) with his close circle of friends.

Alex El Amanni

Alex is a lived experience researcher on the Moving with Psychosis project, and is currently occupied as a PhD student in Auckland. His professional background is in addiction practice, and he has worked across various roles such as counselling, education, and governance. Alex is an adult living with psychosis who first experienced it during his youth, and he is passionate about positively influencing the recovery path of young people living with psychosis in Aotearoa. In the summer, Alex enjoys camping at his favourite places along the coast of the North Island, and he spends the winter in his garage restoring his favourite makes of 90s Japanese cars.

Amber Crossland

Amber has a multidisciplinary background in industrial design, service design, and psychology. She’s passionate about the intersection of design, psychology, and social welfare, where human-centred and evidence-based approaches merge to create holistic services that uplift people and their communities. She is the Team Lead for curating and designing the Spaces and Places exhibition, a community-facing project that reflects the stories of rangatahi and their relationships with their environments. Away from the desk, she spends her time in the ocean or amongst the hills, surfing, climbing and biking. Her slower paced activities take the form of illustration, painting and other creative projects. Amber also enjoys participating in initiatives that use food as a tool for building community, fostering connection and supporting those in need.

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Josie Verhaaren

Josie Verhaaren is a student researcher and medical student at the University of Otago, Wellington. She’s passionate about holistic approaches to wellbeing that are grounded in providing equitable and mana enhancing care. For her BMedSc(Hons) she lead the Spaces and Places research project, which explores the role of spatial environments in rangatahi experiences of psychosis and healing. Josie grew up in Ohakune under the beautiful Ruapehu maunga and has a deep appreciation for the mountains and bush. From this also came a love of skiing, snowboarding, and hiking. In Te-Whanganui-a-Tara you can find her cooking vegan kai and tending to the māra at her flat, going camping with her partner in their van, and practising yoga on the odd day.

Rachel Thwaite

Rachel has a multidisciplinary background in Interior and Product Design, participatory arts & Co-design, Clinical Manual Therapy, and Project Management. Her involvement in this project included project and event management, as well as design support for the Spaces and Places exhibition. She believes in participatory creative approaches to health and well-being, guided by co-design principles and the biopsychosocial model, both of which place the participant at the centre, valuing their lived experience and active role in shaping outcomes. Rachel loves the mountains and the ocean, and can often be found trail running, hiking, or diving. Social connection is important to her, and she values time with loved ones.

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Caroline Garbutt

Caroline is an Occupational Therapist from Te Whanganui-a-Tara currently working within the Early Intervention Service.  She has been working with young people experiencing their first episode of psychosis for over 19 years both within the UK and Wellington.  She is passionate about working with this group of rangatahi and their whānau, being part of their recovery journey and supporting them to work towards their goals.  Caroline is also a member of the executive committee for the New Zealand Early Intervention in Psychosis Society which strives to support improved outcomes for all rangatahi experiencing first episode psychosis within Aotearoa.  Caroline enjoys spending time with her own busy whānau, hiking the hills of Te Whanganui-a-Tara  and ocean swimming in Island Bay.