Paul Johnson

Paul is a highly experienced senior leader and psychotherapist with a career spanning over 35 years of direct clinical care, operational management, strategic leadership, and system-wide transformation across health, education, and third-sector environments. An accredited Group Analytical Psychotherapist, Registered Mental Health Nurse, and Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (MCIPD) professional, he brings a distinctive, holistic approach to leadership—working with individuals, teams, and organisations through a deep understanding of systems, culture, and service dynamics.

Paul’s clinical experience has predominantly been in child and adolescent mental health, working directly with children, young people, families, parents and carers. This work has included initial assessment, therapeutic/family work and group psychotherapy. Paul has also led on service user engagement as part of evaluating services and feeding back on patient experience.

He has led and delivered complex organisational change programmes, including workforce transformation, values-based culture initiatives, leadership development, and large-scale staff engagement projects within NHS Trusts and national systems. His work is grounded in relational leadership, with a strong emphasis on compassion, inclusion, and psychological insight, particularly in relation to equality, intercultural dynamics, and organisational wellbeing.

An accomplished facilitator, coach, and keynote speaker, he has presented nationally and internationally on leadership, recovery, co-production, kindness and culture. He has designed and delivered accredited leadership, supervision, and management programmes across the NHS, higher education, charities, and international health systems. Alongside his leadership roles, he maintains an active psychotherapy and supervision practice, supporting individuals and groups to think deeply, work ethically, and lead with humanity.