Testimonials
“…Sam has spoken at and chaired numerous events and conference for Optimus over the years, and is always an absolute pleasure to work with. Her up-to-date knowledge of the market and current issues facing the sector means she stays relevant, practical, and very popular with delegates!…”
“…Sam’s session on wellbeing and cognitive strategies was a revelation for our team. Her ‘telling it like it is’ approach combined with genuine humour made complex topics accessible and memorable. Our employees not only learned a great deal but also felt truly engaged. We’ve already seen a positive shift in how they approach their mental health…”
“…We invited Samantha Garner to be a keynote speaker for International Women’s Day, Sam’s talk was not only inspirational but also incredibly hilarious, creating a fantastic atmosphere for the event. Her passion for supporting her peers truly shines through.
Due to popular demand, we invited Sam to conduct a workshop on managing stress and mental health in business, work, and life for International Stress Awareness Week. The feedback was phenomenal; her ability to engage and inspire the audience while providing practical tools to navigate today’s stressful lives was exceptional.
Sam’s unique blend of humour and insight made her sessions unforgettable. Her dedication to empowering others is evident in every interaction, and her workshops are a testament to her expertise and genuine care for mental well-being. Participants left feeling motivated and equipped with actionable strategies to improve their mental health and manage stress effectively.
We highly recommend Sam for any event or workshop focused on personal development and mental health. Her impact is transformative…”
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“…As a headteacher, maintaining the well-being of my team is never far from my mind aswell as responding to an individual’s needs when they find themselves having a difficult time. As a leader I’ve always worked with compassion and empathy, so staff felt supported and able to do the job I needed them to do with the children but I am also acutely aware of the limits of my knowledge with regard to mental health.
Then I met Sam….WOW! What a powerhouse of knowledge and expertise, shared with humility, realism and pragmatism. I was so inspired by Sam that I reached out to her and commissioned bespoke school training for my whole staff, one INSET day and then half termly online twilight sessions over an academic year. Whilst the INSET day was spent looking at mental wellbeing generally, why it’s important, what it impacts, how it can be hijacked and jeopardised, how we can maintain it and how it connects to physical health, the twilights have been led by themes coming through from my team, either as a suggestion by them or my own observations of what might be a timely interjection of know-what and know-how from Sam!
Our partnership with Sam has empowered us all to know that our mental well-being is our responsibility to maintain and sustain; she has given us tools through her sessions and Balanced Schools website materials to do this very consciously and deliberately.
The knowledge my team now has access to thanks to having Sam in our CPD armoury, is far in excess of anything I could have ever given them. I too am more able to help, but most importantly they have access to the tools to be able to help themselves…”
“…We invited Sam to speak about neurodivergence in the workplace, and her expertise was immediately apparent. Her insights were practical, relevant, and delivered with an engaging style that kept everyone captivated. The feedback from our staff was overwhelmingly positive; many commented on how much they gained from her knowledge and approachable manner…”
“…I invited Sam in to speak to our Year 11s after their mocks so they could reflect on the process and specifically on how to cope with their anxiety around exams. Several girls complained that they couldn’t afford to miss maths and science for a talk….Until they met Sam! She is so totally engaging, they were immediately focussed and took in every word, story, anecdote and joke. Two hours later they spontaneously applauded. Sam gets them. They all left having really enjoyed the presentation with lots of practical tips and ideas they were keen to try out. No-one regretted missing maths or science! Next year we will invite her to speak with the parents and staff too. Thanks so much Sam!….”
“…Sam was an exceptional speaker. Engaging, knowledgeable, and funny, Sam was the best speaker we have had talk on the subject of neurodiversity. She made the topic fresh, relevant and the staff here found it hugely relevant. I would strongly recommend her to any school looking to make their classrooms more inclusive….”
“…Sam delivered a superb workshop on ADD/ADHD/OCD, stress and anxiety to our pastoral team of Housemasters and Housemistresses. The content was excellent and extremely relevant to the audience who enjoyed and benefitted from the morning. Her delivery is outstanding and created an open, interactive and purposeful atmosphere. Best of all, it was also a lot of fun and that is not easy to achieve with such important topics…”
“…we engaged Sam for three days of training and consultancy …which proved to be an excellent choice and decision. We would recommend Sam without hesitation to any school. She is a fountain of knowledge, wisdom and advice and possesses that rare quality of being able to motivate all around her. She is entertaining and charming but also exceedingly hard-working and thorough. Rarely have we come across such an outstanding practitioner…”
“…I had seen Sam in action previously at the Mental Health in Schools Conference and had recieved training from her on the SENCo Specialist Course. That’s why when I began my post as SENCo and was set my first task to plan whole school CPD, I couldn’t think of anyone better to deliver the mental health based training I had in mind. Sam didn’t disappoint. As always she was engaging, interesting, upbeat, informative and abreast of all the current best practice recommendations. The staff still comment that it was the most interesting and enjoyable inset day training that we’ve ever had…”
“…I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sam for over a decade, during which time she has consistently delivered outstanding workshops, masterclasses, eLearning courses, and keynote sessions. Most recently, she has been a key training provider for Education Conferences UK and Human Resources Conferences UK, covering a wide range of vital topics including wellbeing, mental health, and neurodivergence.
Delegates regularly praise Sam’s sessions for her authentic, down-to-earth delivery, infused with a rare combination of sensitivity, insight, and humour. Her ability to connect with diverse audiences and create a safe, engaging learning environment sets her apart as a truly exceptional facilitator…”