Meet the People Behind NOVEYA
Barbara Zadworna
Founder & Managing Director
Psychology & Criminology Graduate | Addiction Recovery Advocate
Barbara Zadworna is the Founder of NOVEYA, bringing together academic knowledge, professional experience in mental health settings, and lived experience of addiction and recovery.
Her journey in psychology began in 2010, when she completed a Psychology Technician qualification. In 2020, she completed further training in Psychology and Addiction Therapy, developing a particular interest in addiction, recovery, mental health and crisis support.
Barbara has continued to develop her knowledge through further specialist education. She completed an Introduction to Psychotherapy course in 2020, followed by practitioner courses in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) in 2021.
In 2023, Barbara graduated in Manchester with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminology. Her undergraduate dissertation focused on suicide among young adults, exploring an area that continues to be central to her commitment to mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
She has professional experience working within a psychiatric hospital, supporting people experiencing complex mental health difficulties, including individuals affected by addiction, people following suicide attempts, and those engaging in self-harm.
Barbara has continued to develop her knowledge through further specialist education. In 2026, she completed training in Addiction Therapy, Psychological First Aid, Neuropsychology and Level 3 Award in Education and Training.
Alongside her academic and professional background, Barbara brings something deeply personal to NOVEYA: lived experience of addiction and recovery.
Having experienced addiction herself, she understands that recovery is rarely a simple or linear journey. This experience has shaped her belief that people facing addiction or emotional crisis should be met with dignity, compassion and understanding rather than judgement.
Through NOVEYA, Barbara aims to combine professional knowledge, psychoeducation and lived experience to create a supportive community where people can feel heard, understood and empowered to move forward.
Maciej Muskala
Director of Digital Development & People Operations
Maciej Muskala is a Director at NOVEYA, bringing together over a decade of experience in people and team management, ongoing expertise in digital development, and personal, lived experience of mental health struggles and recovery.
Before joining NOVEYA, Maciej built a career across a range of demanding, hands-on industries, developing a strong foundation in leading and coordinating teams, including managing groups of up to 80 people. This experience gave him a practical, grounded understanding of how to support people, organise work under pressure, and take responsibility for the wellbeing and safety of a team - skills he now brings directly to NOVEYA's People Operations.
Alongside this, Maciej has continued to develop his skills in digital development, with an ongoing focus on website development and social media marketing, which he applies to help NOVEYA reach and support more people who need it.
Maciej's commitment to NOVEYA's mission is personal. He has lived through his own experience of mental health difficulties and addiction, and has engaged in therapy as part of his own recovery. This experience has shaped his understanding that people facing similar struggles deserve to be met with patience, respect and understanding, not judgement.
Through his work at NOVEYA, Maciej aims to combine practical leadership, digital expertise and personal understanding to help build an organisation that people can trust and turn to when they need support.