Neelam Khawani-Connett

Neelam graduated from a therapeutic community over 12 years ago, having battled her own depression from a very young age. She is an international lived experience consultant and trainer. Neelam works collaboratively with mental health practitioners as a KUF and STAR trainer, group facilitator and family and relationship counsellor – working especially well with people who have been given a diagnosis of a personality disorder.

Having lived through her own challenges, Neelam is adept at supporting people to grow through and develop understanding and awareness. Neelam says:

“For nearly 35 years I felt like I had an empty black void within me, which no amount of superficial relationships or emotionally unstable behaviour could fill.
I spent years punishing myself, which I believed was the only way to know that I was alive, and that I was able to ‘feel’.

My journey is full of triggers, trauma, and therapy, but I am finally in a place where I feel valued, loved, appreciated, and cared for. I am happy, I am content, and I no longer feel the need to harm myself or others with my destructive behaviours.”

​Now my mission is to help others achieve peace and wellbeing, and to support services to develop compassionate and therapeutic environments where people feel safe.

Neelam was paramount in establishing one of the therapeutic communities in Buckinghamshire and co-developing the TCEPT course for TC practitioners. She also leads peer reviews for the Community of Communities project and Enabling Environments project for the Royal College of Psychiatrists as well as being a TC Specialist. Neelam sit on the board as a trustee at The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities (UK) and consults on a number of projects and contracts. She is also affiliated with Hank Nunn Institute  in India, as a board member and trustee, and she works with them to co-deliver webinars, co-facilitate GreenCloud International (the Greencare group we transitioned from the UK to India), and is a staff member of Mosaic, their academic therapeutic community.

Neelam is relocating to the West of Ireland after living in Goa, India for the past five years.  She started an online support group for British and foreign nationals that became stranded in Goa due to the Coronavirus lockdown.