Who We Are
About Vanguard
A laboratory of systemic ideas, research, and intervention.
Vanguard is dedicated to transforming mental health care. Founded on the principle that all people deserve care that respects their dignity and autonomy, we develop and deliver services that challenge traditional psychiatric paradigms while offering genuine, evidence-informed support.
Our name reflects our commitment to leading change in how society understands and responds to psychological distress — moving from coercion toward collaboration, from pathology toward meaning-making, from institutional control toward community-based care.
Philosophy
We believe that psychological distress, including experiences labelled as "psychosis" or "mental illness," can be understood as meaningful responses to life circumstances, relationships, and social conditions.
While we don't deny that people experience genuine suffering, we reject approaches that reduce this suffering to brain disease requiring chemical or coercive intervention. We prioritise:
Human Rights
Informed consent, freedom from coercion, respect for autonomy
Relational Understanding
Seeing distress in context, not as individual pathology
Collaborative Practice
Working alongside people, not doing things to them
Meaning-Making
Helping people understand their experiences, not just suppress symptoms
Social Justice
Recognising that mental distress often reflects social inequalities
Theodoros (Teo) Mitrevski is a clinical psychologist and systemic family therapist born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece, with over 15 years of professional experience. He has worked with children, adolescents, and adults across various settings in Greece and throughout the European Union.
His approach is systemic, focusing on interactions and relationships within the systems we belong to. He aims to help individuals and families address challenges and move forward, providing a safe, non-judgmental environment where all members can explore their feelings and express their thoughts.
Beyond clinical practice, Teo served as Faculty Lecturer at Mediterranean College and is the author of A Clinician's Guide to Radical Care Beyond Institutional Walls: Systemic Alternatives (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2025).
Education
- PhD Candidate — Psychology (Critical Psychiatry & Systemic Alternatives), University of East London
- MSc — Clinical & Community Psychology, University of East London
- BSc — Psychology, University of Sheffield
Professional Training
- Systemic Family Psychotherapy & Counselling — Rodakino Institute
- Systemic Therapy of Psychoses — Entropia Institute
- Systemic Therapy for Children & Adolescents — Entropia Institute
- EMDR Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Interventions
Professional Memberships
- British Psychological Society (MBPsS)
- Systemic Society of Northern Greece
- Hellenic Observatory for Rights in Mental Health