Our small, tight-knit team brings together a group of dedicated staff and volunteers who are passionate about helping mums and giving their babies the best start in life.
Dr Miriam Donaghy – Founder and CEO of MumsAid
Miriam set up one of the first postnatal depression therapy groups in the UK and created a ground-breaking framework for therapeutic approaches to postnatal depression, challenging existing models of viewing it as only a medical condition. Instead she highlighted the existential crisis that many new mothers experience and the need for an individualised approach to help them recover. Her academic endeavours, combined with her work with mothers directly, led to her designing a programme of support for the postnatal period. That programme laid the foundations of a model that is still in use today.
Over the years, Miriam has worked with the leading experts and therapists in the fields of couples therapy, maternal mental health and postnatal depression as well as working directly with hundreds of new mothers, and overseeing the support of hundreds more.
Anila Destani – Finance Officer
Anila has a BA (Hons) in Maths from Tirana University and is qualified in accountancy and business administration. She worked as a maths teacher in Albania before coming to London in 2000 and first began supporting MumsAid as an admin volunteer at the end of 2013. Anila is our financial administrator and also oversees our monitoring and evaluation processes. A mother to two teenagers, Anila works part-time and is also a private maths tutor.
Jessica Svejdar – Service Manager
Jessica has a BA (hons) from University College Dublin and many years’ experience of working in the private sector, before relocating to London with her family in 2011. Jessica joined MumsAid in early 2015 and as the Service Manager, is the first point of contact for our clients and integral to the smooth running of the organisation. She is a trained Mental Health First-Aider and regularly represents MumsAid at community and nationwide events. Before joining MumsAid Jessica was a committed volunteer at the Bridge Community Centre and at her daughters’ school.
Marisol holds an AAT Level 4 Accountant Technician Qualification, and a Level 2 Customer Service certificate and brings a wealth of creative as well as technical skills and experience, gained during her past roles with women’s groups, to provide vital administrative support for MumsAid. Marisol is also an artist and over her lifetime, has been a teacher, single mum, accountant, administrator, and an events organiser. Born in South America, Marisol is widely travelled and believes that living in different countries and appreciating different cultures has given her a broad and inclusive approach to understanding people’s needs.
Rachael Clohesy – Fundraising Manager
Rachael has worked in the non-profit field for most of her career and is passionate about creating a more equitable society. She joins us from KORI Youth Charity, where she specialized in fundraising and organizational development. Before that, Rachael co-founded a content production company and served as the head of digital strategy at a media production company. Rachael is also mother to twin boys!
Kelly Jordan – Young MumsAid Advocacy Worker
Kelly has worked supporting families in Children Centre’s in the Royal Borough of Greenwich for more than 15 years. Her background is in Early Years, and she has lived experience of being a young mother, so really understands the difference getting the right support can make. Kelly is passionate about the work we do with Mothers and their babies, and the need for a safe nurturing environment where Mother and baby can be supported, grow and thrive.
Siobhann McEvoy – Young MumsAid Therapist
Siobhann is a experienced psychotherapeutic counsellor and a member of the BACP. She was a volunteer counsellor with Place2Be as a school counsellor for ages 4-11 for 4 years. She currently works with individuals who have experienced domestic violence, substance misuse and individuals who are neurodiverse. She is a also a volunteer counsellor at Rape Crisis.
She is a mum of 4 and has a lived experience of young mums living with neurodiversity and the highs and lows involved in navigating day to day living . She has an understanding of the difficulties surrounding maternal mental health and the anxieties surrounding it. She has a BA in Object relations.
Mercy Browne – Freelance facilitator and Community Champion
Mercy is a specialist Perinatal Mental Health Nurse. She holds an MSc in Mental health Practice and is NMC registered. She is also a registered mental health nurse/nurse Practioner with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Previously visiting Lecturer in transcultural Effect of Perinatal Mental illness at Glasgow University and Facilitator of awareness of perinatal mental health in the community.
Emma Bailey – Counselling Co-ordinator
Emma has a Masters in Integrative Psychotherapy from Regents University and a PG Cerf in Integrative Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. She is registered with both the UKCP and BACP. Before beginning her training as a Psychotherapist, Emma worked in financial services. She joined MumsAid in a voluntary capacity in 2020 and began counselling with the organisation in 2021. She continues her counselling work and in her role as Counselling Co-ordinator, is responsible for assessing incoming clients and matching them to the best-suited therapist for them.
Humaira Sabahat
Humaira has years of experience working with mothers, after 15 years of working in children’s centres. She is also currently training to become a qualified counsellor and is passionate about maternal mental health and making a difference to women’s lives. Humaira is a volunteer for the mental health charity Mind and is an ambassador for Breast Cancer research, working to help raise money and awareness. She has 3 children and a grandchild on the way.
Tanaz Assefi – Art Group Facilitator
Tanaz is a London based artist that was born and raised in Iran. She studied Graphic Design in Tehran and moved to London to study for a Masters Degree in Illustration and Animation. She has been living and working in London for the past twenty one years, working as a freelance artist, participating in various exhibitions and leading art as therapy workshops as well as working with a PR company. She is highly passionate about mental health and particularly Post Natal Depression. Tanaz runs The Art of Self Expression Group as a form of art as therapy. Every week mothers join Tanaz to explore their thought process and emotional life through mark making, drawing and use of colour.
Jennifer Danby – Clinical Lead
Jennifer is a systemic psychotherapist with extensive experience working with women, mothers and families. She has worked in the NHS for 20 years and is also the Clinical Lead of a Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder Service, where she is committed to ensuring that care is accessible, inclusive and effective, with good clinical supervision for staff. Jennifer specialises in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), a model that empowers parents and caregivers in their role as agents of healing. As the lead EFFT supervisor and trainer in the UK, she is dedicated to developing practitioners and expanding the reach of this transformative approach. Jennifer is also a certified breathwork practitioner and is passionate about providing women with alternative approaches for processing emotions and healing trauma.
Uruj Anjum – Counsellor
Uruj Anjum is a BACP-registered psychotherapeutic counsellor, CPCAB lecturer, and founder of Saiyna Therapy, an online private practice. She is part of the Akwaaba service at MumsAid, supporting mothers from ethnic minority backgrounds.
She offers warm, culturally sensitive support to mothers navigating the emotional challenges of pregnancy, early parenthood, grief, and complex medical needs in their children. Her work is rooted in attachment theory and trauma-informed practice, with a focus on helping women feel seen, heard, and supported.
Natelie Henriques – Counsellor
Natelie is a fully qualified Integrative Counsellor and BACP-registered therapist. She has over 15 years of experience supporting individuals in the perinatal period. At MumsAid, Natelie offers trauma-informed counselling to women navigating pregnancy, birth, early parenting, and mental health challenges. Her favourite part of working for MumsAid is the inclusive, compassionate ethos and commitment to reaching mothers who might not usually be able to access support. Natelie’s background as a Doula, Perinatal Massage Therapist, and Antenatal Teacher shapes her holistic, mind-body approach. She uses Integrative Therapy and Somatic Therapy to empower clients through self-exploration, healing, and growth during this transformative stage of life.
Lilian Abrahams – Counsellor
Lilian studied Sociology at Middlesex University. She qualified as a Systemic Practitioner from Tavistock and Portman and as an Integrative Psychotherapist from Regents University London.
Sophie Kelly – Operations and Administration Officer
Sophie has a background in TV production and content marketing and brings experience in logistics, organisation and multitasking. A lifelong Greenwich resident and mum of two, she is deeply passionate about mental health, breaking down stigma, and supporting women as they navigate the transition into motherhood. Now looking to apply her skills and experience within the charity sector, she is driven by a desire to create meaningful change in her community.