Meet The Team
Leadership Team
Adele Pacini
Founder & CEO
I am a Clinical Psychologist and registered Mindfulness Teacher. I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and completed my PhD at the University of Cambridge. Needless to say, I have spent far too much time studying psychology! For many years, spending all this time studying felt very indulgent, but since founding The Mindful Life Group I am relieved to say that I do use most of the information and skills from my degrees. One area I have always been passionate about is the bridge between research and practice - there is some fantastic research carried out in our universities, and too often the findings are forgotten or lost in translation. At The Mindful Life Group, I am proud that we bridge that gap each time we are asked to develop a new programme, either by participants or our commissioners. Careful evaluation means that we know how and why a programme is working (or if parts of it need to be changed), and I value being able to stay in conversation with participants, using their feedback to shape and refine what we offer.
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Annabel Stickland
Director
I previously worked as a Chartered Accountant before realising my true interest lay in understanding people - how we think, feel, and behave. This led me to complete a psychology degree, graduating with a First Class Honours in 2020. During the pandemic, I began working with Adele, supporting psychological research and co-facilitating mindfulness courses for older adults during lockdown. Hearing how these courses helped participants cope and connect during such an uncertain time had a lasting impact on me. As the organisation grew, my role evolved into broader management and strategic responsibilities. I now work as a Director, overseeing volunteers and placement students, supporting course delivery, and helping shape the organisation’s development through close collaboration with our advisory panel. I value working within a team that consistently puts the people we support at the heart of everything we do.
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Gemma Hawkins
Director
I joined Adele and Annabel as a volunteer in the final year of my psychology degree as a mature student, and continued supporting the organisation after graduating with First Class Honours in 2022. Since then, my role has evolved into a Director position spanning programme delivery, evaluation, communications, design, and the systems that keep everything running smoothly. I’m especially drawn to the creative elements of my work and care deeply about how our programmes are experienced - attending to the details that make them clear, supportive, and accessible. As the organisation has grown, I’ve taken increasing responsibility for shaping how we operate behind the scenes: strengthening processes, supporting our team, and ensuring our programmes remain thoughtful, consistent, and sustainable. I value work that brings structure and creativity together, and I’m proud to contribute to a service grounded in both psychological integrity and genuine human connection.
Mindfulness Teachers and Therapists
Christoph Spiessens
BAMBA-Registered Mindfulness Teacher
Christoph completed an MA in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Approaches at Bangor University’s Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice. He is a BAMBA-registered Mindfulness Teacher (MBSR) and Founder of The Manchester Mindfulness Festival. He leads the LGBTQIA+ Mindfulness sessions for The Mindfulness Network and lives with his husband in Sale, Manchester. Christoph helps us to deliver our courses for older adult carers.
Jane Anderson
BAMBA-Registered Mindfulness Teacher
After several years working as a corporate change expert, supporting people to adapt to changing circumstances both professionally and personally, she now uses these skills to help people integrate mindfulness into their daily lives. Jane is particularly passionate about supporting people in mid-life and beyond. Jane helps us to deliver our mindfulness courses for older adult carers. You can find out more about Jane here: https://mybeingmatters.co.uk
Ruth McDonald
BAMBA-Registered Mindfulness Teacher
Ruth graduated with a Distinction in an MSc in Mindfulness-Based Approaches at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University. Ruth is passionate about the transformative potential of mindfulness and how it can support us in daily life. Ruth helps to deliver Mindfulness for Older Adult Caregivers. You can find out more about Ruth on her website: https://pathwaytocalm.com/ Ruth also recently wrote a blog post touching on what moments of calm can look like for caregivers: https://pathwaytocalm.com/calm-is-contagious-and-that-changes-everything-for-carers/
Clinical Psychologists in Training
Norgenta Lata
Genta is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist and doctorate student at the University of Hertfordshire with an interest in trauma. She is passionate about the impact of sleep on the brain and will be delivering our CBT for insomnia sessions.
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Jess Renew
Jess is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist and doctorate student at the University of East Anglia. She is interested in gaining experience supporting older adults and carers, and values using a positive framework for neuropsychology assessments.
Volunteers
Aimee Bailey
Aimee is a final year psychology student with interests in clinical and neuropsychology. She helps us with our qualitative data analysis and is passionate about working with older people.
Emily Rogers
Undergraduate Student at University of Exeter
After completing her placement year with us, Emily has chosen to stay in touch as a volunteer. She is passionate about supporting former carers and older adults in reconnecting with themselves and discovering a renewed sense of purpose through mindfulness. Emily hopes to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist, with a particular interest in promoting mental wellbeing in later life.
Claire Taylor
Undergraduate Student at University of Bath
Claire is passionate about supporting people at all stages of life, and is especially interested in working with older adults. Claire values mindfulness for its ability to help people manage stress, stay present, and build resilience. Alongside her studies, Claire has recently qualified as a Yoga Teacher after completing 250 hours of training. In future, she hopes to pursue a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and hopes to integrate this approach into her future practice.
Placement Students
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Izzy Cooper
Undergraduate Student at University of Surrey
Izzy is currently with us for her placement year. She has a strong interest in older adult mental health and wellbeing, which developed through her research assistant role contributing to dementia and cognitive health. Through this work, she has explored how meaningful, person-centred activities can enhance quality of life for older adults and people living with cognitive difficulties. She is particularly interested in mindfulness-based approaches and their potential to promote wellbeing and resilience in later life. In the future, she hopes to pursue a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and continue integrating person-centred approaches throughout her career.
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Eloise Carlton
Undergraduate Student at UEA
Eloise is a second year psychology student studying at the UEA. She is interested in working in the mental health area of psychology with a breadth of different age groups to develop her understanding of how the needs of each group differ. Eloise has found mindfulness practice particularly compelling due to it aiding people to take control of their mental health and equipping individuals with a life-long skillset. Eloise has developed her own mindfulness practices by engaging with yoga practices and frequently going to the gym. In the future, Eloise hopes to become a clinical psychologist, which will be aided by the experience she will gain whilst on placement with The Mindful Life Group.
Interns
Melissa Matos
Open University User Experience Design Intern
Melissa is a sociology graduate with academic and professional experience in UX research and design. She enjoys designing products that improve our daily lives and is hoping to further pursue a career in this field.
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Niamh Grant
Crankstart Intern - University of Oxford
Niamh is a fourth-year Experimental Psychology student at the University of Oxford. She is completing an integrated Master's research project investigating neuropsychiatric outcomes and disrupted sleep following acquired brain injury, exploring the relationship between sleep quality, mental health, and recovery as participants transition from hospital to home. Niamh assists us with the delivery of our courses and data analysis, and hopes to pursue a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Harriet Agbonmare
Crankstart Intern - University of Oxford
Harriet is a preclinical medical student studying at the University of Oxford. She has a particular interest in psychiatry, medical psychotherapy and neurology, and hopes to pursue one of these in speciality training in the future. She is currently assisting with a systematic review looking at digital interventions for hypertension. She hopes to take what she learns from the Mindful Life Group and its mindfulness therapists into her own future medical practice.