Team

Meet the team

Professionals greeting one another at a meeting

Meet the team

Behind every service we provide, is a team of dedicated clinicians, each bringing expertise, compassion, and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people in residential care. Our clinicians are not only highly qualified — they are deeply passionate about understanding each child’s story and supporting the adults who care for them. We work collaboratively, drawing on multiple disciplines to create a cohesive, trauma-informed service that makes a real difference. The team represents a wide range of professional backgrounds, ensuring that every child’s needs are understood holistically. All clinicians receive regular supervision, reflective practice, and ongoing CPD to ensure clinical excellence and adherence to the BACP Ethical Framework. We ensure they maintain registration with their respective regulatory body working to the highest standards of clinical governance. Enhanced background checks are completed prior to employment to ensure safe recruitment.

Zain Abassi

Director

I have over a decade of experience working closely with children and young people who face a wide range of risks, challenges, and complex needs. Throughout my career, I have seen first-hand how trauma, instability, and unmet developmental needs can shape a young person’s life — but also how the right support, delivered with care and understanding, can create lasting change and positive outcomes. I founded this company because I wanted to do more than offer one-size-fits-all solutions. My aim has always been to help as many young people as possible by ensuring they receive the right support for them — support that is flexible, responsive, and individual to them. At the heart of my work is a belief in hope, resilience, and potential. I am deeply committed to building services that support not only young people but also the adults who care for them, with the hope of changing as many lives as possible for the better.

Gerrilyn Smith

Senior Clinical Consultant

I bring over four decades of experience across clinical psychology, systemic psychotherapy, and trauma-informed practice. I completed my Clinical Psychology training at the Maudsley, Institute of Psychiatry, before becoming actively involved with the London Rape Crisis and Research Project, working on the crisis line and contributing to the collective running of the service.

Throughout my career, I have worked across a range of health and social care settings and later trained as a Systemic Psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic. I went on to lead the Department of Health’s Postgraduate Training Programme in Child Sexual Abuse at the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital, and I have contributed to systemic training nationally, including as an External Examiner.

My clinical work includes complex assessments, expert witness roles, and contributions to major public inquiries, including the Clwydd Inquiry into institutional abuse in North Wales. I have worked extensively with children and adults who have experience of the care system in both the UK and Ireland.

In addition to my systemic practice, I am trained in EMDR, EFT, and TRE, and I am also a qualified yoga teacher and former Kundalini Medicine Associate. I have published widely, most recently a chapter titled Consent in the Age of Entitlement, and I serve on the advisory board for the Sexual Harm and Medical Encounters (SHaME) research project.

Joanne Smith

Senior Counsellor

My name is Jo, and I am a humanistic, person-centred therapist. I have worked with Building Psychological Capital for 3 years, and with Children and Young people for over 7 years. I have worked to become an accredited clinician with the BACP, and most recently, obtained certification in Clinical Supervision, which allows me to support and supervise other clinicians in their role. I have experience in delivering therapeutic sessions in school and community settings and feel honoured to currently support Children and Young People on their journey in the care system.

Jeannie Owens

Psychotherapist

I’m Jeannie, one of the Psychotherapists at Building Psychological Capital. I have over 10 years of experience working with mental health and over 6 years of experience working with children and young people in the looked-after children’s setting. I have a first-class BA(Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Salford. I am currently enrolled on an advanced diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am passionate about providing the best support for our young people, and I love my role at BPC. In my free time, you might often find me wandering in the mountains (I love the outdoors) or with my nose buried in a book.

Alison Carey

Psychotherapist

Hi, I am Alison Carey (MNCS), I am Psychotherapist from Ireland with over 17 years of experience working in mental health and social care services. I’ve worked across a variety of settings, including children’s residential homes, intellectual disability services, homeless services, and high support mental health homes. I hold an honours Degree in Social Studies and completed a master’s degree in counselling and Psychotherapy at the Irish College of Humanities and Applied Sciences (ICHAS) in Dublin in 2021. My therapeutic approach is grounded in trauma-informed care, with a strong focus on creating safety, building resilience, and supporting long-term emotional well-being for the children and teams that I therapeutically work with at Building Psychological Capital. In my role with BPC, I work closely with care teams and young people, helping to embed therapeutic thinking into everyday practice and promote meaningful, healing relationships.

Aneeta Banga

Counsellor

Hi there! My name’s Aneeta, and I’m one of the Counsellors at BPC. I have qualifications in Counselling and Youth work, Bereavement Counselling, and years of experience in mental health and wellbeing services, exploitation services, and knife crime with young people. I also have had personal lived experience, so know what difficulties and challenges can look like for some of our young people. I love to work with Young People – they are our future, and to give back is a privilege! For me – to be part of their journey to a better tomorrow is a blessing. I believe that if we have a little hope – impossible things become possible. As a Counsellor, I want to be a safe place for young people to talk so we can eventually walk together and see change. I have a positive look on life and have a passion to see young people become the best version of themselves! I love the work we do at BPC! It’s a Fantastic organisation; I love the team – everyone is really so amazing, and I know even more great things are yet to come!!