Meet the staff
Board
Kate Nowlan – Chief Executive Officer
Kate has worked as a psychotherapist, corporate consultant and trainer for 25 years. Prior to joining CiC as CEO in 2002, Kate worked as corporate psychologist for Ernst & Young on management due diligence projects. She has also acted as a consultant on counselling practice to the National Health Service (NHS).
She has delivered workshops and seminars around the world to a diverse range of organisations including Thomson Reuters, Amnesty International, the Metropolitan Police, leading international law firms and the construction industry. She has a particular interest in supporting those who have been exposed to cumulative traumatic experiences in the course of their working lives.
Kate is a fully qualified psychotherapist and a member of the European Association for Psychotherapy. In addition, she has trained in a range of mental health specialisms, including trauma, couples therapy and mediation. She has written numerous articles for human resources journals on subjects including addiction in the workplace, bullying & harassment and human continuity. Kate is Secretary of EAEF (Employee Assistance European Forum) and in 2008 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).
Libby Payne – Clinical Director
Libby has more than 20 years counselling experience in the voluntary, corporate and private sectors. Having specialised in the design and implementation of group and individual counselling services in corporate settings, she joined CiC in 2005. Libby combines her background in commerce with her counselling & psychotherapy training to provide a breadth of expertise both as a business consultant and a clinician.
Libby specialises in crisis management and personnel problems within organisations. She has extensive experience of working with psychological trauma and has been involved in the clinical response to a broad range of critical incidents, both in Britain and overseas.
Libby has trained in many theoretical models including psychodynamic, short-term counselling, Gestalt and group analysis. She is author of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Guidelines for Telephone Counselling and Psychotherapy, published in 2006. Libby is also an executive committee member of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA).
Dr Ralph Holtom – Business Director
Ralph is qualified both as a physicist and a psychotherapist holding both doctoral degrees and registration with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). A proven business leader, he built a UK space imaging business from start-up to world-leader before deciding to focus more on his parallel career as a clinician.
Ralph has championed the development of CiC's services beyond those of an ordinary Employee Assistance Programme. Combining business acumen with clinical expertise in organisational dynamics, he has worked to integrate commercial excellence with the company's proven clinical pre-eminence. He is particularly focussed on driving the expansion of the company's training, mediation and critical incident business activities.
He trained as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist at the Association of Independent Psychotherapists (AIP) in London and is a qualified Jungian supervisor trained at the Society for Analytic Psychotherapy (SAP). Aside from his work with CiC, he also runs a clinical, training and supervision consultancy and sees psychotherapy clients in his private practice.
Account managers
Karen Riederer
Karen joined CiC in November 2006 after more than 10 years in marketing, latterly as the marketing director of an event organising business that she co-founded in 1998. She has completed a Graduate Conversion Diploma in Psychology and holds a Certificate in the Foundations of Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is also qualified in psychometric testing and holds a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
With a particular interest in the development of individual and organisational potential, Karen's remit at CiC encompasses learning and development activity, as well as account management. She has also been involved in developing CiC's international EAP service, with accounts covering the Far East and Europe in both the private and public sector.
David Rix
David joined CiC as a university graduate in December 2005 having already worked in several sales and customer service roles during his studies. He adapts these skills to his present role and brings strong business ethics and growing experience to the role of account manager.
David takes care of a large client portfolio, specializing in humanitarian and development agencies, ethical and Fairtrade companies, as well as niche organisations such as the British Library and Kew Gardens.
Aidan Warren
Aidan joined CiC in 2003 and brings with him ten years of experience across many sectors including financial services. In addition to his commercial expertise, Aidan has a Diploma in Credit from the Institute of Bankers in South Africa and holds the IOB Certificate in Banking.
Aidan is the account manager for most of CiC's longest running accounts. He is also responsible for two of CiC's biggest contracts, Thomson Reuters and the Home Office.
Sarah Warwick
Sarah has eighteen years of sales and marketing experience, gained in various client-facing and account management roles across multiple sectors and in various industries. Client companies have ranged from large corporates to small start-ups. In addition to her commercial experience, Sarah has a Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and runs her own counselling practice on a part-time basis.
Sarah's client base within CiC is wide-ranging, including a number of local authorities, government departments and law firms. She is also involved in training and mediation, and has particular expertise in teaching counselling and communication skills in the workplace.
Communications and training
Mark Snelling
Mark began working for CiC in 2007 after a career in journalism and humanitarian aid. Having spent 11 years working in the Far East, South Asia and East Africa, he has been based in London since 2004.
At CiC, Mark devises and delivers seminars and workshops, specialising in stress management, trauma support and active self-care. He is also responsible for writing the organisation's helpsheets, brochures, online materials and e-learning modules.
As a journalist, aid worker and trainer, Mark has had extensive experience of international multi-cultural settings and has worked in some of the world's most hostile environments. He is himself currently training as a psychodynamic counsellor and has a particular interest in the psychological pressures of humanitarian work and the impact of childhood trauma on adult resilience. He has undertaken further training in addiction, organisational dynamics and disaster mental health.
Clinical managers
Sharon Start
Sharon joined CIC in 2006 and has developed with the Company, working initially as an Adviceline Consultant and progressed to Case Management. Her current role is as Senior Clinical Manager and one of her main responsibilities is to manage the International portfolio, assessing the client and organising suitable therapeutic interventions for a range of presenting issues in a variety of localities. She is a trainer in Business Management and Counselling Skills and also works as a Clinical Supervisor to qualified and trainee counsellors.
Sharon is an experienced practitioner and a qualified Psychotherapist, is UKCP registered and has a private practice in Notting Hill, London. She has also experience as a Psychotherapist within a London Hospital.
Qualified to post graduate level in Business Management Sharon worked as a Services Manager in a University and also had a role of Harassment Advisor to staff and students. Sharon also worked as a Samaritan during this time.
Sharon is a founder member of the CIC Mediation Team and a trained Addiction Therapist. She also is the lead manager supporting CIC's International Trauma referrals.
Sheila Neville
Sheila joined CiC in 2008, bringing with her 10 years of experience in the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) sector in a variety of roles, including counselling team leader, trainer and on-site post-trauma practitioner. Prior to that, she worked as an HR manager in a rapidly expanding family-run manufacturing company.
At CiC, Sheila has particular responsibility for mediation, new systems, and on-site interventions. She also works as a clinical supervisor and runs a private counselling practice working with both individuals and couples.
Sheila trained as a psychotherapist at the National School of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (N-Shap) and qualified as a marital and relationship therapist at Relate. She is accredited with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is currently working towards a BSc in Reflective Therapeutic Practice at the Metanoia training institute. She is a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and has completed a Level 2 training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
