Meet our management team
Introducing the Connexus core team members
Patrick Brook
Academic Director, TA Trainer, Consultant and Core Tutor
BA (Hons), DELTA, MA, Dip.Couns, Dip Sup, CTA(P), TSTA(P), UKCP Registered Psychotherapist and Supervisor.
e: patrick@connexusinstitute.com
Highly recognised in his field, Patrick has worked in education for over 25 years as a teacher, trainer, principal lecturer and director of a university department, leading it to an international number one ranking. He is an internationally approved trainer, a UKCP registered psychotherapist and supervisor, and an NCS Senior Accredited counsellor and supervisor. He combines his natural aptitude for teaching with a passion for psychotherapy to make the learning experience at Connexus relevant, engaging and fun.
Lisa Bedford-Cooper
Clinical Director, TA Trainer, Consultant and Core Tutor
MSc.TA Psychotherapy, Dip Psych, Dip Couns, CTA(P), TSTA(P), UKCP Reg Psychotherapist and Supervisor.
Lisa has been a director of International Training and Management Development for multi-national corporations and held clinical leadership of a respected international psychology company. She has also been a Consultant Trauma specialist for one of the UK’s leading emergency service providers. Lisa holds an MSc in Transactional Analysis, is an internationally approved trainer, and is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and clinical supervisor. She combines her extensive knowledge of training and management development with her passion for TA, to make the learning at Connexus stimulating, inclusive and always relevant.
John Maxwell
Operations Director, Trainer and Consultant
BA (Hons), PGCE, NPQH
John is a highly respected head teacher of many years standing, whose achievements include an “Outstanding” judgement during his first headship in North London. He also has proven leadership in improving failing schools, with one inspector noting that John’s leadership of one school meant that “It was probably the best journey out of Special Measures [he] had seen.” He has a passion for organisational change and improvement through the exploration and development of all aspects of an organisation’s provision, from leadership to motivation, performance to growth and communication to morale.
Georgie Hunt
Office and Support Manager
e: georgina@connexusinstitute.com
Georgina trained professionally in Dance and Musical Theatre in London where she went on to perform for a number of years. Alongside her performing career, she pursued a passion for teaching and education, working with children, teenagers and adults in performing arts. This was something which then lead Georgina to work in Pupil Referral Units in and around London where she began to see first-hand how psychotherapy training was imperative to helping so many. This sparked a great interest for Georgina and she came to work for Connexus Institute, supporting students and staff in their training.
Julie Shepherd
Placement Officer
e: julie@connexusinstitute.com
After a varied career which included roles in admin, education and working with adults with learning disabilities, and having started a family, Julie began her TA Psychotherapy training in 2010. Since then, she has worked with Macmillan Cancer Services in an NHS hospital and is currently in advanced training working towards her final psychotherapy qualification. She works in both private practice and a not-for-profit counselling organisation in East Sussex. She brings her wealth of experience across different sectors, as well as her counselling and psychotherapy knowledge, to support students in finding suitable placements to gain experience and clinical practice hours.