Recent Testimonials
Mindjam has been wonderful for my son, now age 10, who had been housebound and out of school for 18 months prior to starting with Luke, his Mindjam mentor. Luke was friendly, calm, willing to play whatever game R wanted, and to go at R’s pace the whole way along. During the 15 months R was with Luke, he gained in confidence and self-esteem, and in social communication skills including his ability to reciprocate conversation. He also laughed the most we had heard him laugh for years. He really looked forward to his sessions with Luke, they gave him a sense of purpose, achievement and connection. They helped him along his pathway to recovery from autistic burn out. He was able to start at a specialist school during his time with Mindjam, progressing to attending full time over a 6 month period. Luke remained a constant throughout these tumultuous and challenging 18 months for R as he transitioned from being at home 24 hours a day to being able to get in the car and integrate back into a school environment. If I had any queries, Luke would respond promptly and helpfully, and was understanding and flexible on the odd occasion when R wasn’t able to engage in a session due to dysregulation. We are very grateful for Luke’s valuable input and contribution to R’s journey. We would highly recommend Mindjam to anyone in a similar situation to us.
A huge thanks to Oli for his patience and understanding with J last week when he was upset. His voice is so patient and calming, I think I need to book a session too!
I wanted to firstly let you know how wonderful and amazing Hollie is. B has built up an incredible relationship with her. B openly shares stuff with Hollie which is exactly what we wanted. Hollie is so warm and engaging. She gets it just right every single time. Hollie is exceptional at what she does and a credit to MindJam!
I have seen all of the reviews and just wanted to say how much we value Sam. He literally established a rapport with H within seconds and H loves his time with Sam. His collaborative, gentle and respectful approach just relaxes our boy so much that he spends quite a bit of the session belly laughing some days!! Thank you MindJamSam!
‘Beth has been absolutely wonderful with O, through a really tough year, she has been a constant. He looks forward to his session every week, where he can just be himself, with someone who is understanding of his needs. Being able to access this service at Home, in his ‘Safe Space’, is such a big deal. Thank you Beth and Mindjam, we are so incredibly grateful that you have been there for us when we needed you’
I’m not quite sure where we would be right now if it was not for Simon our son’s mentor. Simon has become a trusted adult for J (this doesn’t happen lightly) after a really difficult 18 months. We are finally seeing signs of recovery and feel like we are seeing our wonderful boy again.
I just wanted to drop you a note to say that we can not thank you enough for the creation of MindJam and in particular for having Simon as part of your amazing team.
Adam (Tank) was allocated to my son a couple of years ago when his mental health was at its worst. Adam was amazing with my son who developed a trusting relationship with him. I remember one occasion I had nipped out for an hour and my son got scared by a knock on the door. The first person he thought of to contact was Adam. Adam kept him on the call until I was back, he reassured him and was a huge support.
Adam’s tech skills are excellent, and he has really been able to help my son excel with his. He offers nothing but praise to my son and helped to increase his confidence and self-worth at a crucial time in his life. He has played a big part in my son’s recovery, and we will always be grateful to Mind Jam for allocating Adam to us and for Adam being so inspiring to a young boy going through a difficult time. He was a perfect match. Thank you!
It’s a sort of magic ingredient to be able to develop a rapport so quickly and be so genuine, not at all patronising and so invested in the world of a child who has some pretty intense obsessions. We are so grateful to have this positive energy beaming into our home twice a week.
I just wanted to say how great our MindJam mentor is. He is always positive, always supportive, always patient, he’s always there on time and is just so good at talking to H. We feel very lucky to have him as our mentor.
MindJam has had a positive impact on my son, who has ADHD. It’s his safe space and it’s one of the things that he never needs a reminder to log onto. Thank you so much for providing platform that reaches my son. May you continue to grow and help other children with your wonderful service.
MindJam’s understanding of neurodiverse children is second to none. They have built a team of mentors who make a difference to our children where our broken services and education system cannot. They truly deserve recognition for understanding our children, meeting them where they are and building them back up to who they are meant to be.
Mindjam is a unique service that is providing support to a rapidly growing demographic of children and young people who are being failed by education, health and care simply because they do not fit in to society’s standard square box! Dan and his team can see the massive potential in them and builds up their confidence and self esteem by playing to their strengths! A vast majority of people still have a negative view of gaming, but the fact that MindJam has a waiting list and are continuously expanding their team of mentors shows this is a huge area of need! Well done and thank you for seeing these children and young people for the amazing individuals that they are and creating Mindjam to support them!
Dan has set up a much needed service that has really helped my autistic son, and countless other children, have a safe space to connect with a mentor whilst doing something they enjoy. It has really helped my anxious son come out of his shell and helped with his depression too.
MindJam is a fantastic company who have provided valuable support for children with SEN and mental health needs.
Because of the lack of other types of support during the last few years, your valuable interaction really stands out, has filtered down & has affected our family as a whole.
I’m so happy to have found MindJam, such a unique project, literally saving the lives of many young people, it is currently positioned in our house above that of the LA and NHS!
I’m so glad that I got to spend those 2 years with you, as they vastly improved my life. I really do believe I wouldn’t be back in school if not for those lessons. I waited all week every day for your lessons, eager to show you how I’d improved in scripting and the new things that I created. When I went through bad times and had no friends to talk to, I always had you. When my dogs passed away and I had no friends to talk to, I had you. I absolutely loved your sessions, and they were the only thing that I could enjoy in my week. I will cherish every memory I ever created with you for the rest of my life and will continue to improve in coding all thanks to you and the help that you gave me. – Mentee
I would just like to say a really big thank you for all the hard work you have been carrying out to support our most vulnerable learners.
I sit on a complex needs panel and it was expressed how fantastic MindJam have been with responding to requests for provision.
So, thanks once again and have a lovely weekend!
- Buckinghamshire CC
Wow, it’s so amazing to hear how much this young person is benefitting from their sessions:
Just wanted to pop in to share a HUGE progressive win!
My teenager started sessions with Esther back in September, 1 hour a week. At that time his mental and physical health was so bad I was just trying to keep him alive. Things have been slow and gentle whilst they built up a bond after struggling to trust every other “professional” up until now. This year we started double sessions and the difference is incredible, I can hear his immersive enthusiasm through the walls!
Considering this time 2 months ago I was terrified of losing him to severe anorexia he’s even making progress with that too – he’s actually eating pizza and noodles and lasagne and the occasional McDonalds, what’s more he actually had his first few pieces of cucumber! I can’t help but feel that having someone he can trust to talk to in the gaming environment who shares many of his own interests has really helped him to move forwards.
Thank you Esther, thank you to Jess and the whole MindJam team (and its entire ethos), I feel like I might be slowly getting my son back – long may it continue! For the first time in a very long time I am feeling hopeful.
“My son has been having sessions with MindJam for a couple of months now. He looks forward to the sessions with excitement and engages animatedly throughout. MindJam have a responsive, compassionate, fun style that works well for E, who struggles with anxiety in particular around demands.
This style of engagement is perfect for enhancing confidence and because the sessions are collaborative my son can take a lead and feel more in control, allowing a strong relationship to form.
MindJam are clearly a devoted team that gets and responds to the individual needs of the children they work with. What a fabulous idea to connect with and help children in a way in which they feel passionate!”
“I wholeheartedly recommend MindJam and can’t rate the service highly enough! My son is an anxious worrier and very reluctant scholar. His meetings with MindJam are a high point of the week. He loves chatting and gaming with his mentor, which puts him at ease enough to be able to open up and talk about his worries. A much needed, five star service!”
MindJam”Our son is 12 and has been out of education for 27 months. He is Autistic, chronic anxitey, school trauma and demand avoidant.
Thank you MindJam for setting up this great service that benefits so many children. Also, thank you for allocating our son with mentor Leo.
Prior to sessions starting we had a zoom session with Leo, our son was unable to participate at first, but with a low arousal, no pressure approach he was able to wave, see Leo’s face and hear his voice in preperation for his sessions. This no pressure approach was wonderful meeting his needs and reducing anxiety.
He looks forward to every session and comes off each one beaming. Leo is very approachable, he listens to our sons needs, wishes, works alongside him and us his parents. Leo validates his worries or concerns. Our son has come on so much within such a short space of time. From their first session he said he felt relaxed and able to talk to Leo.
We are very grateful to MindJam, Leo and team for providing such a fabulous service for our children. Thank you for making such a difference in our child’s life.”
Our 12YO son is Autism/ADHD and has been out of full-time school for two years after a really difficult start to year 6.
A’s deep love for gaming and the many hours I spend as a parent on Autism/ADHD parenting groups on Facebook led me to read about MindJam. I became convinced that this could be just the thing that A needed. We even managed to get it funded by the LA as part of A’s EHCP.
From the minute A started talking to his mentor in their first session, there was an instant connection. They started gaming together like old friends and it’s very clear that his mentor knows exactly how to talk to young people. A’s demeanor after a session is striking. He’s bouncy, happy and full of energy. Not something we see much of at all usually.
The initial weekly sessions were 30 minutes long, but A was getting so much out of working with MindJam that we doubled them to one hour.
His mentor manages to chat to A about really difficult topics like how he feels about school in such an effortless manner. We communicate with MindJam separately to give them context around what’s going on at home so they gets an insight into both perspectives. A is now learning how to code with MindJam which he is enjoying immensely.
What’s MindJam given us? Hope for the future. Hope that A’s skills and passion for computer gaming can be harnessed and developed. Relief that there’s someone out there he can talk to and who understands him. If A had a choice, his mentor would be his teacher five days a week!
We started working with MindJam about six months ago. My young teen was completely unable to connect with anyone or anything. Many sessions ended early or abruptly as my child was unable to regulate or communicate. The mentor ALWAYS remained calm, relaxed, friendly and open. His kindness and understanding were (and still are) invaluable. Today we had a session where my young teen was able to quietly converse for perhaps 1/3 of the session without any support from me. Our mentor continues in the same calm, friendly and gently encouraging way to be a sounding board, a colleague, a partner in crime, a fun friend to play with, a guardian of our sanity. I cannot find the words of gratitude to adequately share how far we have come with the support of MindJam.
MindJam, you unlocked the door of my child’s prison. Thank you. ” Helen
“I ‘found’ MindJam just over a month ago. Their unique offering of emotional support and nurturing alongside gaming seemed the most perfect combination for my anxious and withdrawn teenage son. I spoke to MindJam on the telephone before deciding to ask him to work with my son. Within a few minutes I knew that he was perfect! MindJam ‘get’ anxiety and teenagers. They understood what I was saying without me having to explain how anxiety was affecting my son.
His mentor patiently listened to me and asked relevant questions which clearly demonstrated his awareness of my son’s needs. He was empathetic, compassionate and positive. His approach was to build a relationship with my son via gaming. There was no pressure placed upon my son and their relationship has quickly become very positive. After a 30 minute session with MindJam my son is more communicative with me and it is a time when I can encourage him to leave the house/go for a walk. This is a huge step for a child who has mainly been inside the house for the last two years!
My son quickly asked if he could have a second session each week (well actually he asked for 7 sessions!).
His mentor is very communicative with me as a parent and asks if there are any areas I would like him to focus on. Currently his mentor is supporting my son by talking to him about starting a new school in September (having not been in school for 2 years).
I recommend MindJam highly and feel very fortunate that they are in my son’s life. Thanks MindJam!”
My son has been working with Sam for over 2 years now and I can honestly say he has been pivotal in his recovery from a very traumatised little boy in his room not even able to get dressed or speak to his friends. He is now engaging with the world in a way that 2 years ago I didn’t think would be possible.
Sam has shown kindness, empathy and patience with my son . They have a lovely relationship and he looks forward to his sessions all the time, often asking to speak to Sam in between sessions.
Sam has helped with my son’s confidence and mental health as well as teach him so many IT skills. My son now works at a level well beyond his age for IT and often teaches the adults around him the things Sam has taught him.
Sam has, on several occasions helped at very short notice when things have gone wrong with my son’s pc and he’s got upset. Just before Christmas my son got a new monitor and when plugging it in it altered settings on the pc that really upset my son – he was devastated and wanted to throw it all away and cancel Christmas. He spoke to Sam and within minutes Sam had taken the time out of his day to help sort it out and calm a very upset little boy.
He’s honest with his limitations, signposts me to others if it’s out of his expertise, keeps me calm when things go wrong and it’s beyond my experience as a parent and he does all this while calming my child in the background, and teaching him things that no school could ever have taught him.
Sam has written reports and attended meetings and annual reviews for the LA and helps fight as part of a team around my son for what my son needs. I’m so grateful for Sam in our corner.
The help Sam and mind jam have given me and my son the last two years is just immeasurable. He has pulled us from a very dark place to one that has hope and a much brighter future.
Sam is an absolute credit to you, he’s worked so hard and rightly so is now part of the senior leadership team, I just wish he had more hours per week to offer my son. My son often jokes about how he’s like to kidnap Sam and keep him close to help him all the time!
He does really deserve such recognition for his work! I can t begin to tell you how much!
Well done mind jam, and well done Sam. I can’t thank you enough.
It is vital you know what an intrinsic part Luke and your company’s support have played in helping A get to where he is. Luke’s patience, approach and flexibility have been precisely what A has needed to help him recover to this stage, and also adapt to being ‘him’.
We can’t thank Luke and you enough for providing this for so many young people.
R has SUCH a good time with Luke. I hear so much laughter which is a relatively new sound in our house
Thank you so much
Again, my thanks and gratitude to yourselves and Zahra for being such an amazing support to us all. T has come on so much in their sessions and it’s a joy to hear her speak about Zahra as a friend. She’s a real credit to you and to have someone who sees T for herself, not her perceived deficits makes all the difference.
O. really, really enjoys his time with Josh. We have noticed O. able to tolerate levels of (inadvertent) temporal and technological frustrations so that he can attend MindJam sessions with Josh. Instead of giving up on the session when faced with a connection difficulty, he makes his way through– this is how much he enjoys connecting with Josh! Getting O. to agree to leave the house or go anywhere is difficult, however he eagerly accepted the offer to reschedule a session (missed over the holidays)– and that session was even on a different day and at a different time. This is amazing. We appreciate Josh and MindJam so much!
I can not put into words how thankful we are that A gets to spend time with Danny each week. He is amazing at his job! He is so kind and gentle with him and A loves his sessions. There is nothing better than listening to A’s time with Danny and he is laughing, joking and having fun. Pure joy! It has made such a difference to him.
J looks forward to his sessions with Simon every week and after each session is happy and positive. He knows that there is no pressure from Simon and this allows him to be himself and connect with him.
We will be eternally grateful.
Mindjam has been the most inspirational company I have known in all my time teaching. Nick and Reece are totally focused with helping young people find a voice and build life skills. Thank you for your time, care, patience and understanding. Thank you for putting others first. You make such a difference.
Thank you so much to Reece and Nick who have given O the confidence to be himself, find his way in the world and be heard. O has made two new friends as his mentors.
MindJam is the only service my autistic child has not struggled to engage with in over two years. They are flexible, knowledgeable and understanding. This service is the only one that looks beyond behaviour and meets children like mine where they are at. In a world where to access support your child needs to ideally be at school, and certainly leave the house MindJam comes to us, allowing our child to access support from the safety of his house. Enabling him to build a bond with an adult outside of his family. Supporting him to grow in confidence and helping on a path to reducing his anxiety. These sessions should be available to all children with SEND. They are a breath of fresh air in a system that is plagued with forms, parenting courses and out of date ideas. Dan should be in charge of the entire SEND system!
I discovered MindJam recently and the only way I could describe it is “The answer to my prayers”!!! The work they do and the service they offer is second to none,. Dan is an amazing inspiration, his enthusiasm and creativity for what he stands for is truly amazing!
MindJam has done an incredible job with one of our students who has autism and PDA, and was really resistant to engaging with others and learning. Through their joint passion for gaming and creating games, our student has absolutely blossomed and he’s enjoyed every minute.
Mindjam have been instrumental in turning my son’s life around. What more can I say!
My 10 year old AuDHD/PDAer became unable to attend school due to severe autistic burn out/school trauma. She was mostly unable to leave the house, and often, unable to leave her bed. She was bored and lonely, yet too unwell to engage with even the most basic demands of self care. She sought solace in Minecraft, playing alone for hours every day. It was pretty much all she could cope with. We thought she might just need a few weeks of rest, but months down the line she was no better. Thankfully by then we had reached the top of the waiting list for Mind Jam and she was allocated Siobhan. It was a perfect match. Siobhan was able to gently and naturally engage in a low demand way. I was pretty sure my child would not tolerate sessions, but she attended all of them, growing in confidence, and eventually even starting to chat about her worries. Now, almost a year later, she has recovered enough to consider returning to formal education. We are very grateful for the part in which Siobhan played in her gradual recovery. Thanks also to the admin team who were able to help us secure funding via her EHCP, as well as giving me help and encouragement.
I thought I would say we are so impressed with the mentoring with J – he is flourishing. J loves the sessions and has really grown in confidence over the last 18 months or so. He is now in y10 and in an education setting for the first time in 2 years and comes out with a smile on his face.
From a parent of two young people with multiple needs. I consider myself armed and experienced along with education and knowledge as I’ve been doing ‘this thing’ for so long.
In ALL that time I’ve never come across something that has been an absolute lifeline (literally)
My son has visited the darkest places possible, even to the point of attempting to end his life (3 times).
Call this number, do this, do that but nothing has ever been enough to allow my son to open up and be vulnerable in a safe space, that is until we came across Mindjam.
My son who is now 19, has been on a journey with Kyle, his mentor, for over a year now. Kyle is like those humans who you meet who wear that hidden superman cape. Those that never get the real recognition, who seemingly stay quiet in the background but are the real hero’s saving lives. Dramatic I know, but without my sons connection with Mindjam he really wouldn’t be here.
The will, no actually the excitable enthusiasm he has twice a week has changed his whole life around. He views things differently thanks to Kyle, he rationalises things, thanks to Kyle, he perseveres, thanks to Kyle, he can separate dark thoughts to everyday thinking, thanks to Kyle. He has a routine, thanks to Mindjam. The list can go on and on. In a nutshell, Mindjam, you have been the one and only stable, consistent support in my sons life since trauma hit him at 8 years old. I bow down to you. Dan, you are a wonderful human to initiate this project to so many that needed it and to Kyle, I thank you, from every bone in my body, you have helped my son so so much, I really can’t put into words.
Forever grateful’
MindJam presented as a well organised service, with clear policies and procedures in place.
Mentors appeared to be caring, prioritising the needs of the Young People accessing the virtual provision, but also knowledgeable about safeguards in place and the boundaries within which they needed to work.
YP feedback highlights the provision provides a YP-centred service, YP feel happy and safe accessing the virtual service.
Furthermore, mentor feedback confirms that the service is YP-centred as the views and wishes of the YP are at the heart of everything they do in order to ensure they are happy, safe and can achieve their individual potential.
Mentors also confirmed that the management style is good, management are always approachable and that they find regular supervision helpful to them.
- Nottinghamshire CC
Our mentor has been absolutely amazing, he goes above and beyond to help my son with all kinds of issues from technical help step by step to being that really happy friendly, caring person that my son needed and still needs. He has situational mutism among other things and only talked to family members within our house but Kyle has managed to get him talking none stop in his session which is astonishing to say the least, it’s fantastic to hear him talking especially about gaming and having someone that actually understands his interests.
‘I’m sure other people tell you but you’ve saved us.
You saved my boy.
He smiles again, he talks to us.
And I don’t feel like I want to break into a million pieces all the time.
So thank you.’
My 10 year old son has a very complex profile of autism including extreme PDA and school trauma and he has been having sessions with MindJam for 4 months. My son takes a very long time to engage with others (if at all) due to negative experiences in education but he engaged instantly. I believe this is due to MindJam’s approach which is low demand, friendly and responsive, with a manner which exudes unconditional positive regard. They always treats him as an equal which is so vital for successful engagement with the PDA profile . He always brings positivity to the sessions without fail.
I have been looking for someone like MindJam for my son for a number of years and what I have found is that it’s quite rare to find a good fit for an extreme PDA profile with extremely high anxiety. When you do find it, it’s like striking gold!
In my experience there are a few key attributes to look for when sourcing a tutor/mentor for a complex profile like my son and they are the right personality, skill, intelligence and shared interests. Mindjam has all of these and more. If his Mentor doesn’t know something that my son has requested (which isn’t very often) then he will go away and research it meticulously and return with the correct knowledge to inform the session.
In the 4 months my son has been working with a Mentor through the lockdown, he has made excellent progress in that he is now managing the transitions with ease, has been able to compromise in situations and is learning reading, spelling and technical skills all through gaming. My son looks forward to the sessions and through patience and understanding when my son’s anxiety has been high, my son is easily able to re-engage with the peace of mind that his Mentor is someone that he can trust.
As a result of the safe and happy space that MindJam creates, my son is supported well and as a result this has improved his self esteem and maintained positive mental health during the lockdown.
I would highly recommend MindJam and I just wish there were more tutors/mentors out there with their profile and skill set. I feel very fortunate that they have come into my son’s life.”
MindJam“We are so grateful that MindJam came into our lives. My son has had an extremely difficult few years, MindJam has brought fun and laughter back into my son’s life on a regular basis. This is no mean feat, particularly after the added stress of lockdown.
My son is 11, has been having a weekly session with MindJam since January 2021. My son is autistic, demand avoidant, and highly anxious. He’s had dreadful experiences in education. His mentor is enthusiastic, happy, accommodating of my son’s needs, understands his needs better than most people.
His mentor uses his understanding of autism and wellbeing, and his shared passion for gaming to connect and build trust with my son. MindJam has had the most success with my son of all the professionals that have worked with him since he became too anxious for school.
My son looks forward to his sessions and wishes he could have more than 1 a week. He frequently asks me when he will be seeing MindJam. He creates things in Minecraft in his spare time to share with his mentor. My son has built the level of trust in 5 months of weekly sessions, that he can talk to his mentor when something is concerning him, which is monumental. After a session with MindJam my son’s mood is always lifted. MindJam’s sessions provide fun, support with wellbeing and also technical knowledge of which I am lacking!
Thank you MindJam you are the highlight of my son’s week.” – Jess
My son aged 9 has been having sessions with MindJam for a few months now. He’s diagnosed autistic with sensory issues and anxiety and avoids any demands. He absolutely loves his one to one sessions, they really bring his personality out and improve his confidence and self worth. He’s had issues at school so now is being hone educated and much more settled happy and engaging alongside his sessions with MindJam. What I’ve seen is they are helping him with his vital sense of self identity and the information MindJam gives to parents on the benefits of gaming for children who are neurodiverse or sensitive or who have anxiety is very factual and reduces parental anxiety over children gaming. My son is so much more confident in himself especially after having had some challenging experiences
Thank you MindJam
“I wanted to let you know that O is going into school most days, he chats with friends from school online at weekends and after school and leaves the house almost every day to go for a walk. I really do believe that speaking with you weekly built his confidence and has helped him to live his life. Thank you so much”
FAQ'S
For answers to our most commonly asked questions regarding sessions, please visit the FAQs page.
We'd love to hear from you.
If you would like our team to get in touch with you to discuss how we can help you and your young people through our services, please feel free to fill out our contact form, and we will be in touch as soon as possible to talk you through enrolling with one of our mentors or counsellors