Dr Asha Patel
Trauma-Informed Practice Expert

Trauma Informed Practice Leadership for Local Authorities and Children’s Services

Dr Patel works with local authorities, children’s social care, Family Hubs, education and health systems to embed practical, trauma informed programmes that move beyond awareness to create access to early help by sustained behaviour and culture change within services.

 

20 Years

Experience

 175+

Local Authority

 100%

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Dr Asha Patel, Trauma-Informed Practice Expert. Trauma Informed Practice Expert | Clinical Psychologist | Founder & CEO, Innovating Minds

Expertise

Trauma-Informed Practice Expert Trauma Informed Practice Expert

Leading trauma-informed practice with compassion, clarity impact.

Clinical PsychologistClinical Psychologist

Integrating clinical science with human insight to drive change!

Founder and CEO, Innovating MindsFounder & CEO, Innovating Minds

Building systems that help organisations heal, grow and thrive.

Who is Dr Asha Patel?

Dr Asha Patel is a leading UK trauma informed practice expert, Clinical Psychologist and the founder of Innovating Minds, multi award winning and specialising in early intervention trauma and mental health support.

Professional Biography

Dr Asha Patel is a registered Clinical Psychologist with experience across CAMHs, inpatient and forensic mental health services. Her early clinical work in medium secure forensic settings revealed a consistent pattern: adults with complex mental health needs whose difficulties could be traced back to unidentified and unsupported childhood trauma.

These experiences shaped her system level focus. In 2016, she founded Innovating Minds to address the gap between clinical psychology and frontline practice, supporting services to intervene earlier, safely, and at scale, without increasing workforce burden.

Today, Dr Patel leads a dedicated team to deliver trauma informed models for local authorities, enabling practitioners to support children and families using existing resources, trusted relationships and clinically backed programmes.

Trauma-Informed Practice Expertise

Dr Patel is recognised for her work in trauma informed systems and leadership, helping organisations embed trauma informed care in ways that are:

  • Clinically led and evidence backed

  • Sustainable within stretched workforces

  • Defensible for commissioning, regulators and governance

  • Aligned with statutory early help and safeguarding priorities

Her work focuses on:

  • Children’s social care and early help

  • Family Hubs and community based intervention

  • Workforce capability and vicarious trauma

  • Body based, relational trauma informed interventions

  • Moving from training to embedded practice change

Her Mission

A future where children’s lives are no longer shaped by the trauma they have experienced
but by the adults who knew how to help them heal.

Dr Patel’s mission is to ensure that trusted adults across systems, social care practitioners, educators, early help teams and community staff, are equipped with the skills, confidence and clinical understanding to respond to trauma at the earliest point of need.

Supporting Local Authorities

Dr Asha Patel works directly with local authority leaders, commissioners and senior Public Health Practitioners to design and implement trauma informed approaches that work within real world system constraints.

Her work supports:

  • Early intervention and prevention strategies
  • Workforce sustainability and staff wellbeing
  • Consistent trauma informed responses across services
  • Measurement of impact without excessive data burden
Innovating Minds has worked with local authority systems including Family Hubs in Kent and multi borough initiatives across Greater Manchester, supporting early trauma informed intervention and violence reduction.
Camden London Borough of Harrow sefton NS Leicester City Council

 

Why Local Authorities Work With Dr Asha Patel

Local authorities choose to work with Dr Patel because she:

  • Understands frontline pressures and statutory responsibilities

  • Designs trauma informed models that embed into practice

  • Protects clinical integrity while enabling scale

  • Focuses on system change, not short term initiatives

Her work consistently helps systems reduce pressure downstream by building trauma informed capability at the earliest point of need.

Read Our Impact Reports
Get In Touch
Why Local Authorities Work With Dr Asha Patel

Always Present to Help Make a Difference in The Lives of Children, Young People, And Front Line Practitioners

Engaged and Committed. Where and when its matters!

 

Dr Asha Patel, Trauma-Informed Practice Expert & Clinical Psychologist

 

Conference

Local Goverment Association: Kent Family Hubs

Kent County Council: Trauma Informed Leadership Conference

Public Policy Exchange: Supporting Care leavers using a trauma-informed approach

 

Podcasts

SEND cast

Safe & Together

Mastering change

CPOMs

 

Webinars

CPOMs

For Baby's Sake

Jim Nixon: Director of Community Safety

What our webinars

Featured on

BBC Radio

CYP Now Magazine

Read our blogs

Healing Together Early Years Programme

A recognised trauma-informed practice expert

From conferences to parliament, Dr Asha Patel is relentless in sharing her expertise

Dr Asha Patel speaking @ the Oxford 2026 COnference
Dr Asha Patel @ Local Government Association
Dr Asha Patel @ BBC Radio
@parliament
Dr Asha Patel @ Public Policy Exchange
Dr Asha Patel @ safe and together
Dr Asha Patel @ For Baby's Sake
@SEND Cast studio
Dr Asha Patel @ Kent Council
Dr Asha Patel @ cpoms podcast
Dr Asha Patel @ CYNP
Dr Asha Patel @ the BBC
Dr Asha Patel @ bolton DA conference
Dr Asha Patel @ conference
Dr Asha Patel @ sendCast
@ Bolton Domestic abuse conference
What they have to say about Dr Asha Patel
“Dr Asha Patel brings exceptional depth of knowledge, insight and experience to speaking engagements, making her a valued and regular keynote and seminar speaker at Tes SEND Shows. She translates research into clear, engaging insights that resonate with audiences and deliver credible, practical learning. Her work introduces fresh perspectives, builds educator confidence, and drives meaningful improvements in pedagogy and practice across education, health and social care, ultimately benefiting children and young people, as well as their families, carers and wider communities.”
Beverley Walters
Programme Director, Tes SEND ShowMA Exhibitions
“Your presentation was delivered with exceptional professionalism and a strong trauma‑informed approach, seamlessly combining clarity, depth, and highly practical guidance. Attendees consistently described the session as engaging and inspiring and there was clear and enthusiastic interest in hearing you speak again. Many attendees highlighted your contribution as a standout, recognising the significant value of learning directly from a respected expert in the field.”
Presented at Bolton Domestic Abuse conference
Community Safety Team at Bolton Council
“Thank you so much for speaking at the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance North West Regional Group – the content & delivery was outstanding. The insights and approaches to trauma-informed and trauma-responsive practice were thought provoking on many levels”
Jonathan Nelson
DAHA Regional Lead, Standing Together
“The Keynote speaker that was representing Parent Carers and Families was just so inspirational, open, honest and could cover any subject and was not afraid to answer any questions. Would love to have a full session with her on asking questions on a wide range of support so that we as an organisation can support families much better and embed coproduction”
TES SEND Show - Asha keynote speaker
From a delegate
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Interested in learning more about Dr Asha Patel?

Dr Patel is always available to discuss partnership, speaking opportunities or simply to have a conversation with you to listen to your needs or concerns.

If you are looking for our media kit, let us know and we will send it to you via email.

Wishing you a very good day.