About Us
At Quintessential, we believe healing is not a luxury it is a birthright. We were founded on the belief that humanity is at its best when compassion, dignity and justice are not only ideals, but practiced systems. Our work begins where systems fail: at the margins, in the shadows, in lives interrupted by trauma, exclusion, addiction or violence.
Quintessential is a global charity led by an alliance of clinicians, community leaders, legal experts and strategists who have spent their lives rebuilding people, reforming institutions, and restoring hope. We work at the intersection of health, humanity, and faith embedding holistic recovery and resilience into both individuals and systems.
We are committed to:
- Creating culturally sensitive recovery programmes grounded in faith, identity and belonging
- Advancing mental, physical and spiritual health through clinical innovation and grassroots outreach
- Healing trauma and extremism through compassion-led rehabilitation and reintegration
- Building international partnerships to fund and scale dignity-driven change
- Promoting justice, inclusion and cohesion through policy, education, and lived experience
Our model is not charity as usual. We don’t offer temporary fixes we build enduring pathways to transformation. We centre the wisdom of communities, the resilience of survivors, and the healing power of collaboration.
From addiction recovery centres and interfaith dialogue spaces to hospital mobilisation and global legal reform, Quintessential works across borders and belief systems to bring wholeness where there has been fragmentation.
Our Founding Story
Quintessential was born from decades of service. Our founders have worked in war zones and boardrooms, courtrooms and classrooms, hospitals and prisons. Each has witnessed the consequences of systemic neglect and the miraculous potential of human recovery when systems are reshaped around compassion.
Dr Angela Misra saw firsthand the gaps in mental health services for women caught between trauma and radicalisation. Usman Raja built transformative programmes that turned fear into trust and isolation into belonging. Siama O'Donnell and Craig O'Donnell worked globally to reform healthcare systems, yet never lost sight of the individual lives behind each policy. Vajahat Sharif stood as a legal voice for justice when systems fell silent. Sajad Afzal brought communities back to the table when they felt forgotten.
Together, they founded Quintessential with one vision: to turn experience into movement, and movement into transformation. They believe that every life is sacred, every person is redeemable, and that systems can and must be rebuilt to reflect those truths.
This is not just a charity. It is a mission. It is a call to those who believe in dignity without compromise, care without condition, and healing without exception.
Welcome to Quintessential.
Who We Are
We are a multidisciplinary alliance of Psychiatrists, Educators, legal advocates, Healthcare Strategist, youth workers and faith representatives.
We believe recovery is sacred, community is medicine, and every human being is worthy of love and lasting change.
