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Head Talks aims to inform, inspire and engage those interested in mental health and wellbeing.
Find people speaking from the heart and from their own experience, as well as a wide range of experts and healers sharing their tips and insights to help us work towards better mental health and wellbeing.
Video highlights
A map to find your way through life, Justine Hardy
Justine Hardy is a trauma therapist who works with people in conflict zones and other desperate circumstances. But she says that the devastation of feeling lost in a dark place in your life can happen to anyone, without an obvious reason. Trying to find a way out, Justine says, is the most important thing. When working with refugees, Justine tries to find […]
The hurting places of life, John Sutherland
John Sutherland was a police officer for more than 20 years, rising to become a Borough Commander in London. He was overcome by exhaustion, anxiety and then depression that ‘broke him into a thousand tiny pieces’. The stress of a job that brought him constantly into ‘the hurting places of life’ such as crime scenes and […]
Your body is always with you, Dominique Antiglio
When Dominique Antiglio arrived in the UK, she was surprised to find that Sophrology wasn’t widely known. Elsewhere in Europe, it’s a popular technique for relieving stress and is used in hospitals and schools. Dominique used it herself to overcome illness as a teenager. She now teaches others its combination of breathing, relaxation, movement and visualisation as […]
Navigating an anxious online world, Emma Gannon
Emma Gannon is a writer, broadcaster and podcaster. She’s the author of ‘The Multi-Hyphen Method’ about the new world of work. Emma loves her work but she also deals with anxiety that sometimes makes her feel a ‘wasp in a jam jar’ is trapped inside. She says we live in a world with so much information and […]
We all need balance, Charlotte Wiseman
Charlotte Wiseman was working in a high-pressured job in the fashion industry when she realised that she was putting too much pressure on herself to work hard, to eat well and to stay physically fit. She had experienced eating disorders in the past but overcame them through creating strict structures for herself. When she tried […]
The stress of student life, Students, Edinburgh University
Student life isn’t always the best time of your life. In fact, it can be one of the most overwhelming. Four students at Edinburgh discussed the pressures of life at university, often far away from home, friends and family. Stay connected to what feels true to you, whether people you love, or activities you enjoy, […]
You Can’t See Mental Pain, Mim Shaikh
Radio Host Broadcaster Mim Shaikh grew up with his mother suffering from severe mental health issues. It wasn’t until he went to school that he realised his family was different from others. However, today he feels this experience has helped him to become more sensitive and empathetic towards others going through mental pain. It’s also […]
Stranger on the Bridge, Jonny Benjamin MBE and Neil Laybourn
The Stranger on the Bridge Just before his 21st birthday, Jonny Benjamin MBE decided to run away from the mental hospital he was staying in. While he was sitting on the edge of London’s Waterloo Bridge, contemplating taking his own life, a man came up and talked him out of it. Six years later, a […]
Podcast highlights
Learning to look ahead, Terrence the Teacher
Terrence overcame huge adversity in childhood and now teaches others to look forward to improve their lives step by step, as he did. He came to mindfulness, hypnotherapy and NLP after being a physical fitness instructor when he realised how much his clients’ state of mind affected their bodies. He uses a combination of techniques […]
Moving the mind beyond trauma, Josh Dickson
Josh Dickson is a therapist who works with EMDR — eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing — therapy to help clients overcome past traumas. He says he has both experienced and witnessed its effects. Josh tells us the theories about why stimulating the brain helps it to file away old, painful memories and explains how he […]
Love, Hope and Cancer, Lucy O’Donnell
Cancer Wellness Advisor When Lucy was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in November 2011, she spent most of the next eighteen months in radical cancer treatment. Through her continuing treatment and experience, Lucy channels her energies into helping other people in and outside the cancer world. She is a Cancer Counsellor, Holistic Therapist, Inspirational […]
No Longer Living a Half Life, Mark and Maddy Austin
News Presenter & Daughter When Maddy Austin began to suffer from anorexia as a teenager, her father Mark didn’t know at first how to react. Mealtimes became a battle zone and the stress on the whole family was very difficult. It wasn’t until Maddy was able to get appropriate treatment that she began to recover. […]
The Panic of Cancer – A Survivor’s Story, Anne Shewring
Cancer Survivor It wasn’t until after her operation, chemo and double mastectomy that Anne Shewring started to struggle with anxiety. ‘You think: how am I going to survive this?’ It’s been five-and-half years now, and with the help of counselling Anne, whose sister died of breast cancer twenty years ago, learned to cope with ‘life […]
Recovery Through Art, Andy Hollinghurst
Depression & Art On the surface Andy Hollinghurst was calm, controlled and pleasant. Qualities needed for his job as a school headmaster. But underneath, this father of five suffered from debilitating anxiety and depression. After a massive burnout, Andy discovered the healing qualities of painting, documenting his crash, and eventually, his recovery. Andy is now […]
Headtalks blog
My therapist says…
Amber Adel “Are you happy to be discharged from this service?” I smile and reply “Yeah!” But as I walk away from my last session of therapy, a wave of emotion hits me and I can feel my throat tightening and my eyes welling up. I know I want to cry. I nearly do cry. […]
Tell your story with passion
Struggle & success
We are delighted to have partnered with OC87 Recovery Diaries to bring you a worksheet designed to help prompt you to dig a little deeper when journaling, or to help you start, or to help you voice your own story with passion. You can download your own version of the worksheet here. Bud Clayman, the […]
Facing the move to university
Struggle & success
Adjusting to student life can be hard. Being away from family and friends, with a new environment and facing new expectations. We went to Edinburgh University to speak to some of the students and teaching staff about how we can help with this important transition.