Built by two people who lived it first
Our story
Davanna Mind Co didn’t start in a clinic. It started in real life — with restlessness, burnout, rebuilding, and the slow discovery that the right structure changes everything.
We make the kind of support we wish we’d had — practical, affirming, and honest
about how hard it can be.
Dave
Co-founder · Mental Health Nurse
Dave’s path into mental health hasn’t been straightforward — and that’s exactly what shapes his approach today.
From an early age, focus and consistency were a challenge. At school he was the daydreamer: distracted, “not academic,” often in trouble — never serious, but a clear pattern of restlessness with no real direction.
At 19, after a string of jobs, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. For the first time he had real structure, discipline and accountability. It brought stability — but it didn’t fix what was underneath. After leaving at 27, the old patterns came back.
Over the years he moved through retail, truck driving, factories, warehouses and care work — never quite settling.
There was debt and financial pressure. Two marriages broke down. There were times things felt very low — emotional dysregulation, and suicidal thoughts. Eventually it reached a breaking point: homelessness, twice.
But those moments became turning points, not endings. After the second time, Dave made two decisions: never go back to that place and take control of his life.
Volunteering with Change Step, supporting other veterans with their mental health, gave him the thing he’d been missing — a clear sense of purpose. At 39, living back with his parents, he decided to train as a nurse.
It wasn’t easy. Academic work was hard and staying consistent took real effort. But by putting structure in place and sticking with it, he qualified — and went on to work in both acute and community mental health settings.
What he uses now isn’t just theory. It’s built from real experience of struggling and rebuilding, strategies backed by training that actually work, and tools that hold up even on difficult days — not just good ones.
Anna
Co-founder · Operations
Anna brings a different kind of strength — one built on resilience, consistency, and getting things done even when it’s not easy.
at 27, the old patterns came back.
Growing up, she often struggled with focus and distraction. Motivation didn’t always come naturally, and procrastination was something she dealt with for years. But she developed a key ability: showing up when it mattered — especially when responsibility and accountability were involved.
You don’t need perfect discipline to be successful. You need the right systems, the right approach, and the ability to keep going.
Her working life began in sales and design before moving into business. She co-founded her first company, built it from the ground up, and continued to grow it into a respected team with a strong reputation — earning multiple award nominations and wins as a woman in business, and serving at board level within a not-for-profit she’s proud of.
Behind that success, things weren’t always easy. Focus, motivation and follow-through have always taken effort and structure. More recently those challenges have become more noticeable — particularly alongside perimenopause — a reminder that even highly capable people struggle with energy, clarity and consistency.
What Anna shows is simple: capability and struggle aren’t opposites. With the right systems, you can keep going — and build something that lasts.
Lived, not just learned
Everything we make comes from real experience of struggling and rebuilding — backed by clinical training.
The principles behind everything we make.
What we stand for
Affirming, never fixing
You’re not a problem to solve. We create practical tools that work with real human experiences, not against them.
Calm over pressure
Tools that hold up on difficult days, not just good ones. Gentle, doable, shame-free.