Journalist Rachel Kelly was working in a stressful job when she had her first serious attack of anxiety and depression which put her in hospital; later, her second episode lasted for two years. Rachel found that her love of words and poetry helped her recovery. She built up from reciting one line at a time […]
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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.
Inspiring Head Talks
My strength is made perfect in weakness, Rachel Kelly
Own your breath, own your peace, Leon Taylor
Three-time Olympic diver and silver medallist Leon Taylor trained hard for his success but his body paid the price. ‘If you were a horse,’ he was told when he retired from the sport, ‘we’d have to shoot you.’ As with many athletes, it took him a while to recover both physically and mentally from the […]
You can do hard things, Adrienne Herbert
Adrienne Herbert was a professional dancer with much to look forward to — a new husband and a new baby — when her husband’s sudden illness turned their lives upside down. Adrienne took up running as a way to get out of the door and get her energy back. She now runs road races and […]
Being Friends with Your Own Mind, Matthieu Ricard
Buddhist Monk Matthieu Ricard is a French writer, photographer and Buddhist monk. His life is divided between the seclusion of a hermitage in the Himalayas and the whirlwind of modern life. Matthieu says that our state of mind can override our circumstances, whether good or bad. He says that our mind can be our best […]
#coronatalks
Avoiding the lockdown blues
Struggle & success
Simon and Ayshen Webbe tell Head Talks how they are coping in isolation. Simon, a singer-songwriter who found fame with the group Blue, has told us before of his struggles with depression. For the couple, a routine is absolutely essential, and they’re giving thanks for time spent at home.
Be your own historian
Struggle & success
The pandemic has hit mental health facilitator Hazel Sawyers and her family hard. She is keeping herself afloat by following the FOCUS principle: Fearless, Optimistic, Creative, Unique, and Storyteller. Hazel urges us to tell our stories and take notes of how this situation is making us feel. She explains: “Make sure you’re your […]
The benefits of being kind
Struggle & success
Psychotherapist and ITV “agony aunt” Lucy Beresford explains the benefits of random acts of kindness – and it works both ways. If you’re on the receiving end, it makes you feel supported and seen, and it can change your feeling of self-worth. And if you’re the person doing the kind thing, it will […]
Isolation is painful
Struggle & success
The most important thing during the lockdown is community, says writer Ruby Wax. “Isolation is painful. We’re going through a phase where people really want to hug each other, but they’re terrified, so how do we deal with the terror?” Ruby practises mindfulness, and has turned her Frazzled Cafe online to bring people […]
Work hard to keep a positive mindset
Struggle & success
Love Island star Jack Fowler has spoken to us before about his challenges with his mental health. In this exclusive message for Head Talks, he gives us an update on how he is coping in the lockdown. “It’s imperative you understand that we are not going to be in this position forever. Right […]
Spare room workouts
Struggle & success
Author and consultant Mark Simmonds finds that making time for exercise is vital for his mental health. Using his spare room during the lockdown, he has set up a routine that involves a cupboard, a wall and the floor – no need for YouTube videos or expensive equipment! He has turned his spare […]
MASTERCLASSES and Workshops
Dive even deeper into the world of mental health and wellbeing by signing up to our Masterclasses and Digital Workshops. Delivered by today’s leading voices, HeadTalks’ Masterclasses will give you exclusive access to insight, exercises and lifestyle tips – taking you deeper into the beautiful realm of what it means to be human.
Building Resilience To Deal With Hard Times
A toolkit for accessing our natural resources
see online workshop
Dr Rangan Chatterjee,
Pioneer of Progressive Medicine
New Medicine
see video and read more
Elif Shafak,
Famous Turkish author
On discovering the power of the written word.
see video and read more
Podcast highlights
Hijacking your mind, Jada Sezer
Jada Sezer says the lockdown has meant a rollercoaster of emotions to her, a process of grieving for our past life and its routines. The model and campaigner said: “Every week is different. I might start the week happy and end the week collapsed on the sofa. There’s a heaviness in the world. Some days […]
Dream Yourself Better, Charlie Morley
Lucid dreaming is a state where you’re asleep, but aware that you’re dreaming. Charlie Morley says that almost anyone can learn how to do it. He’s a teacher of lucid dreaming and a student of Buddhism. Charlie says that not only is lucid dreaming fun — like a virtual reality simulation — but it has […]
A Bridge to the Future, Jonny Benjamin MBE
Mental Health Campaigner Ten years ago, Jonny Benjamin was at a low point. He was talked out of a suicide attempt on Waterloo Bridge. His quest to find the man who rescued him, Neil Laybourn, became famous. Jonny’s now written a book about his story, his illness and his progress towards recovery. Jonny talks to […]
The Proven Power of Being Kind, Dr. Kristin Neff
The Self-Compassion Pioneer Having compassion for oneself is really no different than having compassion for others, says Dr. Kristin Neff. Yet we turn out not to be very good at the first. Neff, a leading expert on self-compassion, is an associate professor at the University of Texas in Austin. She is a professor, bestselling author […]
