Meet our academic 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.
Mel Burgess
Core Tutor
MSc, Dip. Couns., CTA (P), PTSTA (P)
Mel is a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist working in private practice in Kent. Mel has a wealth of experience working with clients who have experienced loss, grief, and bereavement. Originally trained as a Nurse Mel spent over 30 years working in the NHS, private healthcare, Mental Health Services and Hospice care as a Senior Director supporting dying patients, bereaved families and the professionals who care for them.
Justine James
Core Tutor
CTA (P), PTSTA (P), UKCP Registered Psychotherapist and Supervisor
Justine is a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist working in private practice based in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Justine worked for a number of years as a bereavement counsellor in a hospice setting supporting families of terminally ill patients, as well as those who had been bereaved, offering either one to one or group sessions.
Holly Patrick
Core Tutor
MSc. TA Psychotherapy, CTA(P), PTSTA(P), UKCP and BACP Registered Psychotherapist
Holly is a certified Transactional Analysis Psychotherapist, trained at the Metanoia Institute in London. She's passionate about counseling and psychotherapy training, serving as a board member for CTA and Diploma exams. She has experience with the NHS, specializing in childhood trauma, and has worked in mental health agencies, focusing on bereavement and loss. She's a member of UKCP, BACP, and IARTA. She has a private psychotherapy practice in West Wickham, Kent.
Pippa Fairhead
Core Tutor
CTA (P), PTSTA (P), Dip Sup, PGCert HE, FHEA, UKCP registered psychotherapist and supervisor
Before joining Connexus, Pippa taught both TA and Humanistic psychotherapy at a respected training Institute in London. She qualified with a postgraduate certificate in Higher Education teacher in 2022 and became a Fellow of Higher Education in 2023. She is passionate about teaching and facilitating learning in the field of psychotherapy.
Jonathan Lake
Core Tutor
MSc TA Psychotherapy, BSc Psychology, CTA (P), PTSTA (P), UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Supervising Transactional Analyst (STA).
Jonathan is widely respected as a trainer and tutor and is a highly experienced facilitator of supervision training. He works for several leading educational institutes and corporations, the latter focusing on workplace stress, trauma, and disaster recovery. He works as Facebook’s onsite psychotherapist and supervises at Freedom from Torture. n his private practice in East and North-West London he is particularly interested in couples work, bereavement, and developmental trauma.
Vanessa Williams
Core Tutor
BA, MBA, CTA (O), PTSTA (O)
Vanessa is an executive coach, facilitator and business consultant specialising in leadership, team and organisation development (OD). During her career, Vanessa has also held several HR roles, including HR Director and Board member. She trains and supervises fellow practitioners and is the Organisational Transactional Analysis route programme leader at the Connexus Institute. Vanessa holds a Master’s degree in Business (MBA), is a Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA) and a Provisional Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (PTSTA) in the Organisational field.
Linda Lab
Special Educational Needs Adviser
BA (Hons), Trinity Licentiate Dip ESOL, PGCE (Post Compulsory), CPT3A, PGCert (Dyslexia)
Linda specialises in working with disadvantaged, vulnerable and often marginalised learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and has an extensive teaching background. At Connexus, Linda brings her passion for lifelong learning with her experience and specialised knowledge to help create an inclusive, safe and stimulating environment where every individual’s desire to learn can be supported.
As an educator, Linda is passionate about promoting lifelong learning where as many barriers to learning as possible are identified and omitted, thereby enabling every learner regardless of circumstance or situation to achieve their full potential