At the time, they were just two clinical psychologists trying to make sense of complicated systems, supporting some of the most vulnerable children, young people and families across social care, mental health and youth services. They didn’t realise it then, but those early experiences laid the groundwork for everything that followed.
 
James and Andy saw how traditional mental health approaches – often quite rigid and medical – didn’t always hit the mark. They sometimes helped in the short term but often missed the bigger picture. And too often, the systems around people made it harder to offer the kind of support that really made a lasting difference.
 
So, in 2007, they decided to try something new. They started Changing Minds – just one day
 a week at first. There was no grand plan or big ambition to build a company. They simply wanted to offer better psychological services, in a way that influenced system change and felt more real, more helpful in the longer term, and more human. 
 
That idea became the heart of Changing Minds Child & Family Services (CMCAFS), 
with a simple vision to leaving the people and systems we work with in a better place.
 
These days, we work with children, young people, families, and the professionals who support them – across education, social care and health. We help bring psychological thinking into everyday practice, support systems to work better, and hopefully help people make meaningful, lasting changes.
 
We’ve grown slowly and naturally over the years – and in 2021, CMCAFS became its own dedicated service, separate from its sister company Changing Minds Performance Services (which works in elite sport and business). That gave us a clearer focus and a proper home 
for our child and family work.
 
We’re proud of what we’ve built – and we’re always learning. We don’t get everything right, but we’re committed to improving, supporting our team to do great work, and helping others manage change, face challenges more effective, and ultimately reach their potential. 
 
Feel free to have a look around and if you would like to know more about what we do, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.