Marta Almeida
Founder & CEO – Marta Almeida
With over 15 years of experience in the sector, I bring a deeply rooted, lived and professional understanding of trauma-informed support. I am a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist, a trained ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Adviser) and IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Adviser), and hold a diploma in coaching and training. My training background spans safeguarding (Level 3 for both children and adults), quantum physics of the soul, aromatherapy, and more—reflecting my commitment to holistic, compassionate, and evidence-informed care.
I began working at 16, after falling pregnant and being kicked out of my family home. That lived experience continues to shape my approach: I lead with empathy, honesty, and an unwavering belief in people’s capacity to heal and grow when given the right support.
As a mother of three, I understand the real-life complexities people face. This perspective grounds Nova & Root in both professional integrity and personal truth. My vision is to create spaces that are not only trauma-informed, but truly human-led.
Your Vision,
Brought Life
About Nova & Root
Nova & Root is a trauma-informed consultancy and training practice rooted in healing, equity, and transformation.
We are a values-led limited company working toward becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC), to more deeply embed our mission of social impact, accountability, and service to the communities we work with.
Our name speaks to our ethos:
Nova – a powerful burst of light after darkness, symbolising hope, healing, and resilience.
Root – grounding, origin, and connection to what sustains us.
Together, we believe in doing the deep work of change — not just dreaming of brighter futures, but building the conditions that make them possible.
We combine professional expertise with lived experience. Our work is co-produced and community-embedded, grounded in survivor leadership, reflective practice, and inclusive design. Whether delivering training, consultancy, or creating resources, we prioritise relational safety, cultural humility, and trauma-aware practice.
Our current focus is on supporting individuals, teams, and organisations across the public, voluntary, and education sectors to:
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Understand the impact of trauma
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Create emotionally safe spaces
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Strengthen consent-based, anti-oppressive practices
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Build cultures of care, accountability, and trust
We’re not here to offer surface-level fixes. We’re here to partner with you to shift culture — from the ground up.
OUR STRATEGY
Nova & Root exists to seed deep, lasting change — not just awareness, but transformation.
Our strategic approach weaves together trauma-informed principles, equity, and collective care to build safer systems from the inside out.
1. Purpose-Led Growth
We are a small organisation with a big vision: to centre trauma-aware, emotionally safe, and consent-based practices across services, systems, and communities.
As we grow, our structure will evolve into a Community Interest Company (CIC) — reflecting our long-term commitment to social impact and community accountability.
2. Our Core Focus Areas
We deliver across three interlinked strands:
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Training & Facilitation
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Practical, values-rooted sessions for teams and professionals to embed emotional safety, consent, and survivor-informed practices.
Organisational Culture Change:
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Supporting teams to shift from performative to transformative — through co-production, reflective space, and trauma-informed leadership.
Thought Leadership & Resource Development:
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Collaborating to create accessible, creative, and ethical content that supports people to work differently — from the grassroots to leadership.
3. Values-Informed Action
All our work is guided by the following principles:
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Relational Safety before productivity
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Transparency & Reflection over perfectionism
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Accountability that nurtures growth, not shame
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Liberation & Healing as everyday practice
We work slowly and intentionally. We take risks to speak truth and centre the margins. And we always seek to partner, not parachute.
4. Collaborative by Design
Our collaborations are never extractive. We work with, not on. We believe change must be co-owned — led by those most impacted. That’s why we build long-term, mutual relationships with partners who share our values.
5. Long-Term Impact Goals
Embed trauma-informed values across public and third-sector systems
Make consent-based approaches everyday, not exceptional
Increase the visibility and influence of survivor-led and culturally responsive voices
Help organisations move from individual practice shifts to structural transformation
