Former nurse and midwife Gwyneth MacDonald spent 33 years rising through the ranks in the NHS, working latterly in sexual health counselling.
Fourteen years ago she took the brave decision to go it alone by setting up the pioneering Mind Mosaic charity to offer counselling and therapy – with a promise never to turn anyone who couldn’t afford it away.
In that time Gwyneth, now 63, has built up a dedicated team of staff, as well as volunteers with a shared commitment to putting a priority on mental health.
Mind Mosaic founder and chief executive Gwyneth MacDonald, left, is pictured with director of counselling Elaine Wroe (Image: George Munro)
Every year the charity raises thousands of pounds to help keep the doors open and provide a lifeline to those in need.
Gwyneth said: “I started up Mind Mosaic in 2012 because I was concerned about the lack of psychology services here in Inverclyde.
“Health services generally were being moved from here to Glasgow. I was working in sexual health but if anyone wanted access to counselling they had to go to Glasgow. I wanted that to change.
“There needed to be services here in Inverclyde, where there is a need. There was a massive gap that I wanted to fill.
“I have a passion for providing counselling and therapy for the people of Inverclyde.”
From the moment she opened the doors of Mind Mosaic at its first base in Hood Street in 2012, Gwyneth was ahead of the curve, setting up a network for survivors of abuse, reaching out wherever there was trauma, and finding there was a massive demand.
Mind Mosaic Counselling and Therapy is accredited by professional counselling body COSCA. (Image: MindMosaic Counselling & Therapy)
Slowly but surely, Mind Mosaic progressed, taking on an ever increasing workload and adding to their expertise.
Indeed Gwyneth was well placed to come to the rescue when the Covid pandemic hit, offering help to frontline workers as well as raising awareness of social isolation.
Their helpline was a lifeline to many suffering locally as the death toll rose and the ripple effect of the pandemic had a major impact on every part of people’s lives.
Mind Mosaic now operates from a fantastic space in Union Street where they provide one-to-one counselling, group therapies and peer support.
Gwyneth, who is married to Robert, a financial advisor, said: “We have a community based in here. People feel welcome. Over time you can really see the difference to the people who come to us.
“People come to us from GPs, health visitors and through word of mouth. ”
One area Mind Mosaic has found a need and stepped in to help is with perinatal mental health issues such as antenatal and postnatal depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
The charity moved from Hood Street to Union Street in 2021.
Gwyneth said: “When I was a midwife I began to realise that there was a real need for better services for mums with babies. I knew I wanted to do more.”
She remains keen to give people hope where mainstream services have failed.
“We have had people caught up in NHS mental health services for years, who have found the help they need here at Mind Mosaic,” she continued.
The Mind Mosaic team offer a range of cutting edge therapies tailored to what works best for individuals, and a proven programme including psychotherapy technique EMDR which uses eye movement to alleviate distress from trauma.
They are branching out into the community, going where the need is greatest with drop in services in Craigend Resource Centre, 7½ John Wood Street in Port Glasgow, and Auchmountain Community Resource Centre.
Next week they are running a mindfulness and pain management taster session at Craigend Resource Centre.
They also have an ongoing project working with Greenock prison.
According to the 2022 census the number of people diagnosed with a mental health condition in Inverclyde doubled from 5,205Â back in 2011 to 10,312.
Gwyneth says she believes the tide is now turning for those faced with mental health difficulties often caused by past traumas.
Mind Mosaic’s services proved a lifeline for many during the pandemic.
She said: “There is definitely more of an awareness now. People are reaching out and seeking help.”
Gwyneth is also a mentor and is involved in training programmes, offering placements to students and providing training to employers and professionals, as well as other charities.
Mind Mosaic has also been officially recognised by COSCA, the professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland.
One of her proudest achievements is seeing the number of people who have used the service choosing to support it through fund-raising events.
“It means so much that people want to give back,” she added.
Together with her team, including director of counselling Elaine Wroe, who has helped Gwyneth build up the service, Mind Mosaic offers a policy of helping those in the greatest need by funding services through grant funding, partnerships, and generous donations.
Additionally, Gwyneth and her team ask clients to contribute what they can for each counselling session.
All funds go directly to paying Mind Mosaic’s staff and enabling them to extend their services to help more people in need.