What We Do
We support young people, parents, schools and educators by providing a range of specialised courses and programmes on mental health education, resilience and wellbeing for:
Young People & Children, through delivering:
- The 10-session iheart Curriculum, a preventative educational programme delivered in schools, universities and other youth settings
- Subsidised one-to-one sessions for follow-up learning and to address individual issues
Teachers & School Staff, through delivering:
- Our 8-session Wellbeing & Resilience Foundation Course for Teachers/Staff
- Our 10-session advanced certification course to teach the iheart Curriculum to students
Schools & Senior Leaders, through offering:
- A bespoke Whole School Wellbeing Strategy for individual trusts/schools, including one-to-one coaching for senior leaders and leadership team orientation in the iheart approach
- Resources, materials and initiatives to embed resilience and wellbeing across whole school environments
Facilitators & Youth Workers, through providing:
- Our 4-module training course to gain certification in delivery of the iheart Curriculum for Young People
- Ongoing learning and progression within the iheart Academy by developing knowledge and skills to share our paradigm-shifting approach in mental health and resilience education
Parents & Families, through offering:
- One-to-one sessions for parents/carers
- Online parenting workshops, webinars and conferences
Our Approach
Our approach is unique as we focus on:
- Prevention – we look to prevent fires, rather than put out fires
- Health – we believe in mental wellness, not mental illness
- Education – we emphasise educating people about their innate wellbeing, going beyond awareness
Every iheart programme is underpinned by an overarching question of enquiry: Do you think someone, or something, is putting a feeling in you? The answer to this question acts as a compass, informing us if we are on or off track and reconnects us with our innate wellbeing and resilience.

Based on this enquiry, we explore:
- What is innate to our psychological system.
- Why we think, feel and behave the way we do.
- Why and how our wellbeing gets covered up and uncovered again.
- How our inbuilt compass helps to return us to our wellbeing.
What are the iheart Principles?
The iheart Principles describe how the human psychological system is an intelligent system based on a clear logic that explains the source of all feeling states, emotions and felt experiences. This system has wellbeing built into it and is always working in a logical way, which enables us to self-correct and reconnect with our wellbeing.

Why does this matter?
These Principles teach us that mental health and wellbeing – which includes deeper unconditional feelings of hope, peace of mind, kindness, gratitude, security, motivation, wisdom and resilience – is innate and available to all people – crucially informing us that:
- Wellbeing is our natural state and it can never be damaged, lost or broken.
- No one and no- thing can put a feeling in us.
- No one and no- thing can give us wellbeing or take our wellbeing away.
- When we think that someone or something can put a feeling in us, we are out of alignment with our wellbeing.
The Difference iheart Makes
Based on the iheart Impact & Outcomes Framework, we expect to see improvements in:
- Resilience & Wellbeing
- Mental Health
- Motivation
- Behaviour
- Relationships
Our Team
Trustees

Dana Arenson
Chair of Trustees
Having graduated with a law degree from the University of Cape Town and become a mother to four wonderful children, Dana went on to immerse herself in learning about the revolutionary understanding of how the mind works which is the basis for the iheart approach. Inspired by the immense transformational potential of this work, Dana set about co-creating, with Terry Rubenstein, the iheart curriculum for young people. And if you like the name iheart – Innate Health Education and Resilience Training – you can credit Dana; it was her idea!
Professor Anthony Kessel
A public health physician, medical ethicist and GP, Anthony has led the international health work of the country’s national public health agency as Director of Global Public Health at Public Health England for the past 8 years. As well as being the Honorary Professor of the International Programme for Ethics, Public Health and Human Rights at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Professor Kessel has a research portfolio of over 100 publications in areas of public health and medical humanities. Anthony has also authored a children’s book and writes a personal column exploring his global health leadership work through a lens of psychological wellbeing.

Ila Garner-Patel
After 15 years in GSK and other major pharma companies, developing and implementing commercial strategies on a local, regional and global scale, Ila co-founded Brand(x), a London based consultancy and communications agency. Having led the business to significant growth until its sale in 2018, Ila has since founded two further consulting companies supporting the pharmaceutical industry and currently works as an executive coach mentoring senior leaders, while also serving as a non-exec chairman. Ila’s commercial and organisational expertise and experience plays a key role in guiding iheart’s strategic direction and implementation of our vision.

Julian Bull
Chief Commercial Officer at Endava, Julian was one of a very small team of people who over the course of twenty years, helped steer Endava into becoming a global public technology company employing 6500 people. With the experience of a career that has taken on a series of senior sales, marketing and business development roles focusing on IT across a number of industry sectors, Julian brings invaluable expertise to helping iheart navigate its own growth and technological development. Alongside his wife Jacqui – a certified iheart facilitator – Julian has been inspired to help share the iheart message which has deeply touched his own family.

Leonie Osborne
An Education, Research and Development Consultant, Leonie is a retired – but not tired Headteacher. Her lifetime of experience of teaching and leadership in primary and early years included, as National Leader of Education, supporting school improvement in many primaries and setting up and directing a National Teaching School EYELA – Early Years Excellence Learning Alliance. Leonie’s vast knowledge of the educational field has been crucial in advising iheart on curriculum development, Ofsted requirements, school leader priorities, teaching practises and pupils’ needs.
Advisors
Allan Fisher
One of the founding fathers of the health club industry, Allan has established over 100 health clubs globally since opening the first Holmes Place in South London in 1980, which he served as CEO for almost 25 years, including overseeing its listing as a public company in 1997. Having been on the board of several start-ups and large charities, Allan’s enthusiasm for creating aspirational brands, company cultures and organisations achieving significant value while retaining their own unique values, is as contagious as his appreciation of excellent wine. As a mentor and advisor to the iheart leadership team, Allan offers a unique blend of organisational experience, commercial knowhow and personal commitment to supporting innovative non-profits.
Dr Andrew Solomon
A Consultant Physician in Internal Medicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology at East and North Herts NHS, Andrew initially trained at Oxford Medical School, graduating with distinction. He was a research fellow at the Royal Free Hospital/UCL leading to a doctorate in medicine and is currently the Clinical Audit Lead for a team of senior health professionals. Having been involved in medical research for a number of years, including multiple published papers and book chapters, Andrew provides essential expert input into our ongoing evaluation processes and research projects.
Arron Poole
A Teach First Ambassador, mental health and well-being champion, and advocate for educational reform, Arron is currently a Head of Department/Head of Year at a large secondary school in North London. Alongside being the school-lead for the iheart Programme, Arron’s pedagogical insights and experiences in working in other London inner and outer schools place him in a strong position to advise and support the implementation of iheart’s holistic educational vision. Having been inspired by and seen first-hand the impact of iheart, Arron believes that all students and teachers can benefit from the innovative curriculum.
Branwen Hywel
For the last twenty years, Branwen has, by choice, worked in inner city primary schools located within areas with high levels of deprivation. Starting as a teacher and culminating in a successful headship in a culturally diverse school with over 60% of children entitled to pupil premium, she has always sought to empower pupils and staff to be confident and fulfilled within the school’s learning community. Underpinned by a focus on the health and wellbeing of children, families and staff, Branwen’s leadership work contributes to developing happy, achieving and well-rounded young citizens of the future.
Kim Miller
An Advisory Teacher for Autism at London Borough of Barnet, Kim has worked as a teacher, SenCo and wellbeing specialist for children and teenagers with special educational needs for the past 17 years. She has extensive experience in primary school education and was part of senior leadership in school for many years. Kim’s knowledge, expertise and experience in providing support for children and families is of great benefit to ihearts’s holistic approach to improving young people’s wellbeing, as is her past work as an Inclusion Manager working with pupils with SEN, EAL and Pupil Premium.
Matthew Lindsay
Matthew has been a partner in a City law firm for over 20 years specialising in banking and finance work, and has also sat on the management board of an international legal practice. Having served as a trustee of a number of charities in the youth and education sector, Matthew offers significant experience and knowledge to iheart, both as a legal expert and from a governance perspective.
Michael Cohen
An education consultant, leadership coach and certified iheart facilitator who leads professional development in schools and corporate settings, Michael has held numerous leadership posts during his 25 years of involvement in education, both in the UK and overseas. In focussing on communication and self-empowerment, Michael believes that in addition to supporting students with the necessary skills and experiences to become confident and independent learners, the job of an educator is to develop the student’s core skills that will prepare them to enter the big wide world and support their emotional wellbeing.
Peggy Jhugroo
For over 35 years Peggy has worked in local government specialising in working with hard to reach communities, young people and their families. She previously led on mental health within Wandsworth Integrated Youth Service and has managed multiple teams including Ending Gangs and Youth Violence, Borough Early Intervention Team, Teenage Parents, and Prevention from Extremism. Peggy currently manages Wandsworth’s Targeted Youth Service teams and has recently been commissioned by a Croydon Pupil Referral Unit to deliver a whole school and family project underpinned by the iheart approach.
Ryan Rabinowitz
A senior Business Director at Ogilvy, one of the world’s most prestigious advertising agencies, Ryan is an award-winning executive with vast experience in the fields of Advertising, Marketing, Brand Stewardship, Media and PR. Having led accounts such as Audi, Caterpillar, IBM, Inmarsat and Rolls-Royce, Ryan’s expertise, passion and knowledge is of great value to iheart as we continue to expand our vision, footprint and impact.
Professor Tom Kelly
Professor Thomas Kelley, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Department of Criminal Justice, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Tom has authored or co-authored over 70 peer-refereed journal articles, many of which explore cutting-edge approaches to addressing issues regarding resilience and mental health in children and adolescents. With the benefit of over 45 years of professional experience in this field, plus extensive knowledge of similar interventions in the USA and globally, Tom provides essential guidance and input towards the rigorous research and evaluation of the iheart Programme.
Toni Medcalf
Toni is the Founder and CEO of the Schools Counselling Partnership which specialises in providing a counselling service supporting children, schools and families. Moreover, as a qualified Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, who also serves as Attachment Lead for Ealing, Harrow & Tower Hamlets and as an advisory board member for BASE Babywatching, Toni offers great expertise and experience in how to integrate mental health support and solutions within school environments.