Behind every course at MindAid Training is a simple belief. Mental health matters, and everyone deserves to feel confident in supporting the people in their lives. For founder and lead facilitator Anthea Overlunde, that message is both personal and deeply lived.
With more than 20 years of leadership experience, extensive qualifications, and a lifetime shaped by real-world challenges, Anthea created MindAid Training to empower everyday people with practical, compassionate mental health skills.
This is her story.
Where MindAid Training Began
Anthea spent two decades in senior leadership roles within a large corporate environment. Throughout those years, she often found herself naturally supporting team members who were struggling. Although she cared deeply, she sometimes felt limited. Workplace structures could be rigid. Systems did not always allow leaders to show the level of empathy and human connection people truly needed.
Anthea saw the difference that supportive leadership could make. She also saw the harm that could occur when mental health was overlooked. One poor leadership experience can change how someone feels about their work, their confidence, and even themselves.
These moments sparked a passion for mental health education. Anthea began to study the field, driven by a desire to reduce stigma and help people feel safe enough to speak openly. That curiosity soon grew into a calling.
MindAid Training was created to give people the tools, understanding, and confidence to make a real difference in the lives of others. Whether you are a manager trying to support your team or a family member who wants to help a loved one, the training is designed for everyday people who want to show up with care.
A Life Shaped by Lived Experience
Anthea’s commitment to mental health does not come from theory alone. It comes from her own life.
She is a mother of five. She has supported a child with autism. She has navigated blended family life, divorce, the complexities of caring for elderly parents, and the grief of losing them. She has experienced the exhaustion and the beauty that come with holding a family together during difficult times.
Each chapter in her life has strengthened her empathy, resilience, and deep respect for mental wellbeing. Anthea has seen how common it is for people to struggle silently. She believes strongly in helping Australians understand the difference between living with a mental health condition and maintaining everyday mental health. Both matter. Both deserve care.
What Mental Health Matters Means to Anthea
For Anthea, mental health matters because it touches every aspect of life. It affects families, workplaces, friendships, and entire communities.
As a mum, she wants her children to grow up in a home where emotions are understood and everyone feels safe to ask for help. She believes mental health deserves the same priority as physical health. The most rewarding part of her work is knowing that each day she may help someone feel understood or even help someone save a life.
Delivering Her First MHFA Session
Running her first Mental Health First Aid course was a defining moment. Anthea felt both excitement and a deep sense of purpose. Once the session began, the nerves disappeared. Participants engaged, asked meaningful questions, and shared personal experiences. Watching people develop new confidence confirmed exactly why MindAid Training exists.
A Supportive, Human Approach to Learning
Anthea’s teaching style is natural, warm, and approachable. She creates a learning space where people feel supported, respected, and at ease. There are no silly questions. Every conversation is an opportunity to grow.
Participants often connect most with the role plays and real-life scenarios. These moments help people understand what it really feels like to support someone in crisis and how to respond with calmness and clarity.
Anthea hopes that everyone leaves the course feeling more informed, more confident, and more capable of helping the people around them.
A Vision for Stronger, More Compassionate Communities
Anthea’s long-term vision is simple. She wants MindAid Training to become the place people think of when they want to help but are not sure where to start.
She hopes to train people across the local area and beyond, creating a ripple effect of awareness, confidence, and community support. She believes mental health knowledge should be as normal in homes, workplaces, and sports clubs as physical first aid.
Her message to Australians is clear. Care for one another. Look out for the people around you. The smallest act of support can change someone’s life.
Life Outside the Training Room
Although Anthea works closely with people through her courses, she thrives when she has quiet space to think and create. She describes herself as a people person who works best alone, a mix that gives her balance.
At home, life is anything but quiet. Weekends are filled with five kids, loud music, shared meals, dancing, games, laughter, and moments that become treasured memories. Her home is her happy place. It is filled with warmth, family, and joyful chaos. That environment keeps her grounded and mentally well.
Why Anthea’s Work Matters
Anthea brings together professional expertise, lived experience, and genuine care. With a Diploma of Mental Health, a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and her accreditation as a Licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor, she delivers training that is both evidence-based and deeply human.
Her goal is not just to teach. It is to empower people to respond with compassion when mental health challenges arise. To build workplaces that understand the importance of wellbeing. To support families who want to be there for each other. To strengthen communities.
Because mental health matters. And with the right tools and knowledge, everybody can make a difference.