Former professional rugby player Ed Jackson broke his neck and was paralysed from the neck down in 2017 after diving into a pool. Classified as quadriplegic, he was determined to prove science wrong: from wiggling his toes after a week to climbing Mount Snowdon. “I’m a walking quadriplegic – and I’m quite proud of that. […]
Recovery
Emotional wellbeing and resilience coach, Harriet Waley-Cohen
Harriet Waley-Cohen has come through many difficult times that life has thrown at her — recovery from addictions, the breakup of her marriage, the pain after being hurt in a car accident and treatment for cancer. She now builds on her experiences and the lessons she has learned to help other women to flourish. What […]
Former Olympic Hockey Gold Medallist, Helen Richardson-Walsh
Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player Helen Richardson-Walsh first felt that something was wrong in 2008, and the team doctor suggested she might have depression. “In that moment, where I was mentally and emotionally, it was a relief to learn I could take control.” A long spell away from the game through injury led to a […]
Journalist and Author of The Shift, Sam Baker
Journalist and author Sam Baker noticed an escalation in her anxiety, crashes in self-confidence, and depression in her 40s. “I felt like I had lost sight of myself.” When she was researching her book, The Shift, she realised those feelings weren’t uncommon in women – and they weren’t being discussed. Midway through HRT, she was […]
International Music Conductor, Charles Hazlewood
Conductor Charles Hazlewood created the Paraorchestra for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, as a way to enable virtuoso disabled magicians to share their musical gifts. But music has played a greater role than that in Charles’ life: it has helped through the recovery from deep-buried sexual abuse when he was young. “The trauma that […]
Reclaiming myself after addiction, Talitha Fosh
Psychotherapist Talitha Fosh is an addict. “The way that my mind works is what makes me an addict,” she says. It started with an eating disorder when she was 14, comparing herself to others, and it spiralled out of control quickly. Then Tally found alcohol and drugs. “I didn’t like who I was when I […]
Music lifts me up, Emma Conybeare
DJ and presenter Emma Conybeare didn’t expect her mental health to deteriorate over the years, but two years ago she had a breakdown. She turned to the NHS for therapy, finding support through CBT. This year has been the best she has felt for years, staying positive and motivated. Music has the power to change […]
It’s time to be progressive
Will Pike was paralysed after an injury during the hotel bombings in Mumbai in 2008. He now campaigns for better diversity across corporations and communities. “We have the entire population trying to accommodate themselves in different ways because of coronavirus. Many of the factors in this ‘new way of living’ are factors that […]
Opening new doors
On the surface Sefik had everything – a loving family and successful career. But mental health struggles got on top of him, and he tried to take his own life twice over a decade. In the years between attempts, he didn’t feel he could open up to anyone, due to stigma and social […]
Depression doesn’t define me, Oliver Chittenden
Two years after Head Talks’ launch, we turn to founder Oliver Chittenden to hear his own story of his mental health struggles. Now meditation is key, especially the discipline of making it a part of a daily routine, adding that 10 day silent retreats have been a game-changer. Oliver is also a fan of cold-water […]
Psychotherapist, Lou Lebentz
Lou Lebentz is a therapist and trauma specialist. She came to her work through her own experiences of trauma, addiction and eventually psychosis. Lou says that years of trauma are like a shaken-up bottle of fizzy drink — at some point it will explode. She sees her role as helping clients to open the bottle […]
Knowing I was fully well
Struggle & success
Carolina Mountford Recovery from an eating disorder is unlike any other form of recovery. We cannot just say no in the way we would if we were coming off alcohol or drugs. Saying no to food is what got many of us here in the first place. One of the immense challenges of recovery is […]
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