About Us

Our Mission

At Beyond Trauma Academy CIC, we believe healing from trauma isn’t just possible — it can become the foundation for powerful leadership. We exist to turn lived experience into lasting change by training, supporting, and equipping survivors and professionals to lead trauma-informed services and solutions across communities.

We’re not just another organisation. We’re a movement. One rooted in compassion, built by survivors, and guided by professionals who have walked the path of representation, safeguarding, and systemic reform.

How It Started

What began as a deeply personal journey of healing became the spark for global change.

Mayameen Meftahi BEM, a survivor of complex trauma and a nationally recognised advocate, created the original Beyond Trauma™ programme out of necessity — not just for herself, but for others like her. Refusing to accept that trauma recovery must be rooted in re-living pain, she developed a practical, forward-focused model that empowers survivors with tools, agency, and hope. Her ground-breaking work, recognised by Her Majesty The Queen, laid the foundation for what is now BeyondTrauma Academy CIC.

After delivering the programme to hundreds of individuals and professionals, one participant emerged not only as a graduate — but as a believer in its power. Her lived experience, business expertise, and unwavering belief in the programme’s potential made her a natural partner. Together, she and Mayameen opened BeyondTrauma Academy CIC with one shared mission: to reach more people, deliver deeper impact, and make trauma recovery accessible on a much wider scale. By combining Mayameen’s lived expertise and therapeutic innovation with Jill’s business insight and strategic drive, the CIC was born as a vehicle for sustainable, survivor-led change.

Today, BeyondTrauma Academy CIC is more than a training provider — it is a global social enterprise and survivor-led movement. Our work spans multiple layers of impact, including: The Organisational Lead model, embedding trauma recovery into frontline services. A global professional advisory network, offering best practice guidance across sectors. The SIBS (Survivors in Business Scholarship), helping survivors train and build purposeful careers. The SARP panel, driving survivor-led reform and accountability. And the creation of BeyondTrauma Tahara Retreat and Refuge — a restorative sanctuary for healing and reconnection. At its heart, everything we do is survivor-rooted, professionally guided, and systemically driven — with one goal: to transform trauma into lasting, life-affirming change.

Meet the Team

Mayameen Meftahi BEM

CEO and Founder

A survivor, national advocate, Award-Winning trauma specialist and trainer, Maya is the visionary behind the BeyondTrauma Programme. She’s known for her fearless work with survivors, her deep understanding of trauma recovery, and her dedication to system-wide change.

Jill Drewry

Director & Business Development

After completing the BeyondTrauma™ Programme, Jill became a dedicated advocate for its impact. Now as Operations Manager, she works closely with Mayameen to scale the Academy, support facilitators, and bring structure to the mission — with the heart of a survivor and a passion to see others rise.

Sarah Payne

Director & Former Police Officer

With over 20 years in public protection, Sarah brings a sharp focus on safeguarding and compliance. Her experience with law enforcement and multi-agency teams ensures we remain accountable in everything we do.

Hayley Harewood

Director & CSE Consultant

Hayley is a lived experience leader and founder of KOGS (Keeping Our Girls Safe), a charity supporting young girls affected by exploitation. As a CSE consultant, she brings frontline expertise and a survivor-led perspective to the Academy’s work, helping ensure our approach remains real, relevant, and rooted in impact.

Because trauma is everywhere — and recovery should be too.

Why We Exist

Too many people are left behind in systems that don’t understand trauma. BeyondTrauma Academy CIC is here to change that. We exist to empower survivors, train professionals, and build trauma-informed leadership across every layer of society.

25% of women in England and Wales have experienced rape or sexual assault since the age of 16.

25%

85% of women who experience domestic abuse also report emotional and psychological trauma.

85%

88% of adults with complex PTSD report difficulties accessing suitable support.

87%

80% of survivors say their trauma negatively affects their daily life, relationships, and ability to work.

80%

Download our Social Impact Brochure

Want to Work With Us?

We’re always open to partnerships with aligned organisations, practitioners, and changemakers. Whether you’re interested in bringing our programme to your community, joining our facilitator network, or exploring collaborations — reach out.

Join us in creating real, independent change.

Your Support. Their Voice. Real Impact.

We also welcome support from private donors, trusts, and foundations who believe in trauma-informed change led by survivors. As a Community Interest Company (CIC), we are a not-for-profit organisation regulated to ensure all income and donations are used for public benefit — not private gain.

We do not accept government funding, ensuring our work remains free from conflicts of interest and always centred around the voices of those we serve.

Your support allows us to remain independent, responsive, and radically survivor-led — creating real, lasting change where it’s needed most.

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info@beyondtraumaacademy.com