Inspiring Change and Transformation Together
Who am I?
I'm a HCPC Registered and BPS Chartered Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and my work is grounded in abolitionist, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive practice. This is shaped by both my lived and learned experience, and by a deep belief that things can be fundamentally different.
At the heart of what I do is an invitation: to sit with discomfort. To look honestly at the ways we are all, in different ways, implicated in systems of oppression and to make an active choice about what to do with that recognition. I'm not interested in guilt as an endpoint. I'm interested in what comes after: the decision to stop being complicit, and to start building and doing something different.
I take inspiration from Paulo Freire's concept of critical consciousness — the idea that genuine change requires us to develop the capacity for critical reflection on the world we live in, and to turn that reflection into political self-efficacy and action. I work with people and organisations to develop that capacity: to see systems clearly, to understand their own position within them, and to find the role they can play in moving toward something more just alongside and in community with others.
I believe in the power of collective imagination and radical hope. Not as abstract ideals, but as practical driving forces — the fuel that makes it possible to keep working toward a liberated future even when the present feels daunting. The alternatives we dream up together are not naive; they are necessary.
My decision to work independently was shaped by years of operating within the non-profit sector and finding it increasingly difficult to do radical work without being subjected to the covert sanitation the sector deploys, or without burning out under the colonial violence that is deeply embedded within it. I left not out of cynicism, but out of clarity. I don't believe that large organisations or the third sector will liberate us. I do believe that people/we can and I remain in genuine solidarity with the comrades doing this work from within those structures.
What I offer is not a programme or a product. It's a relationship that’s rigorous, honest, and rooted in the conviction that transformation is possible. Whether you're an organisation trying to move from stated commitments to accountable practice, or a leader trying to understand the role you can play, I'm here to think alongside you.
You can find my CV here
Explore what I offer
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I support organizations with comprehensive reviews of the EDI and anti-racism approaches, assessing current policies, practices, and organizational culture. Anti-racism audits will include a detailed audit report with actionable recommendations.
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I support organizations with group or individual reflective practice, taking an anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach. I also provide coaching for individuals looking to embed anti-racist practice into their leadership.
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I support organizations to turn their equity and anti-racism commitments into tangible action through strategy and implementation plan development.
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For organizations wanting to deepen their commitment to equity and anti-racism, I offer longer term learning partnerships. The purpose of a learning partnership is to provide organizations with sustained, high-quality external support to deepen their anti-racism practice and strengthen leadership thinking.
The learning partnership combines several functions that requires deep expertise, professional judgement, emotional intelligence, multi-disciplicary experience, and sits at the intersection of anti-racism leadership, organisational development, executive reflection/coaching, and clinical psychology. In addition to anti-racism expertise, I bring a professional background as a clinical psychologist, ensuring organizations receive guidance grounded in:
Psychological safety
Trauma-informed approaches
Ethics
Understanding of staff wellbeing and organisational dynamics
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I am available for speaking engagements including staff network sessions, keynote sessions, workshops, and more. Past engagements include:
Race on the Agenda’s Community Research Partnership Conference keynote titled ‘The System’s Broken, What Next?’
OUTpatients LGBTIQ+ Conference session titled ‘Beyond Reform: Abolitionist Approaches to Health Equity’
Cook County Juvenile Court didactic training session titled ‘Exploring Racism, Anti-Blackness, and Misogynoir in Forensic Practice’
Staff sessions for companies like Noom, Adaptive, Crisis, and Publicis
Don’t see what you’re looking for? I often create bespoke offers based on client needs.
“Ariel led a whole organisation audit around our approach to EDI and anti-racism which brought out tangible and meaningful recommendations for us to work toward. Ariel has continued to work with us following this and her approach has been honest, steadying and incredibly valuable, managing to strike a balance between holding us to account and empowering us to make the changes. Ariel is able to do this with clarity and care that never feels discouraging and instead opens up possibilities.”
— Director of Adult and Older Adult Services, Bradford District and Craven Mind“Ariel is brilliant strategist and leader who brings a depth of knowledge, incredible focus and the ability to remain level headed in challenging situations. She is not afraid to speak truth to power, and garners the respect of those who work with her. Her abolitionist approach to anti-racism allows organisations that she works with the opportunity to transform! She is a joy to work alongside, as her anti-racist values are woven in to everything that she does, including how she builds relationships of solidarity across the mental health sector.”
— CEO, JMB Consulting“I have had the privilege of working with Ariel to explore what Anti-racism means to my organisation and how we can move from being an EDI compliant organisation to one that is proactively developing its culture and supporting processes to be ani-racist. Through working with Ariel my social justice values and confidence to act have been awakened and I now see and understand that it’s my responsibility to be be part of the changes needed rather than a supportive but silent observer. Ariel’s ability to create a psychologically safe space to present and explore the audit enabled us to progress our thinking positively and pragmatically resulting in clear commitments and actions.”
— CEO, Bradford District and Craven Mind“From modelling and influencing with integrity, tenacity and sharing her genuine expertise to drive forward Macmillan’s ambition for inequity. Ariel has moved us forward in leaps and bounds; bringing together and developing a matrix team, co-designing a sector leading community grant programme and shaping an approach to cultural responsiveness for our work across the system. She has consistently inspired others and brought to life both the deep need for change, the systemic issues at play and yet builds confidence that practical steps can make a meaningful shift possible. Personally it’s been a joy working with Ariel, fiercely clever, driven, compassionate and deeply person centred. ”
— Director of Community and System Partnerships, Macmillan Cancer SupportFollow me on social
