Michael is an author and speaker on the topic of Aspergers and Autism. Non verbal until the age of 3 and diagnosed with high functioning autism at the age of 7,  Michael has had to learn to adjust and adapt to living with Autism. He is now on a mission to change the world’s perception of autism and inspire through his talks.

Michael opens up about overcoming obstacles and his experience of living with Autism.

We go deep on topics such as

You can learn more about and connect with Michael at michaelbarton.org.uk , linkedIn & Twitter

Check out Michael’s Books ,It's Raining Cats and Dogs  and A Different Kettle of Fish 

“I remember going in to see a therapist and they said, do you think you would be happier if your mum was dead and I said yes”

My good friend Danny Rahim is an Actor and Mental Health speaker. At the age of 13 Danny’s Mother  suffered from mental health issues and suicide ideation as a result of a serious accident in which she lost her unborn baby. This saw Danny forced to take on the role of sole carer for his mother. What followed was years of erratic behaviour from his mother and hardship for Danny.   Despite managing to carve a successful career for himself, the combination of this child hood trauma and new episodes of adversity showing up in his life resulted in Danny attempting to take his own life.

During his journey of self-development , recovery & rehabilitation, Danny realised his life purpose. He now has a mission to help others recognise that there is support out there and that other options are available to them.

We discuss:

You can find out more about Danny and connect with him at LinkedIn or Speakers Collective

“By talking about him and talking about my experience, it keeps him with me”

In 2018 Bev’s son Jess, took his own life. Using her creativity to process her grief, Bev created a short film called “5 days to say goodbye” which documented the last 5 days which she spent with her son.

In this episode Bev opens up to me about her quest to find magic after the death of her son. A raw and honest conversation about suicide and the love, grief and promises surrounding it.

We discuss:

You can find out more about Beverley and connect with her at www.beverleybishop.co.uk

“Unexpected things always happen”

If you’re currently struggling with the collective uncertainty of our times then this episode goes deep on the things we can do to support ourselves through crisis!

Minter Dial is a thought-leader, author, consultant and professional speaker.  Having experienced and been witness to several terrorist attacks, Minter is no stranger to crisis.

In this episode Minter lends insight into the way he has dealt with past trauma and his coping mechanisms and we discuss how we can face up to uncertainty and crisis when it shows up in our lives.

We discuss:

You can find out more about Minter and connect with him at www.minterdial.com

Books: www.minterdial.com/books/

The Last Ring Home: www.thelastringhome.com

@mdial on Twitter

Podcast: www.minterdial.com/podcast

“If we all just don’t self-deify, then this world would be a better place”

Scott Shay is the co-founder of an American Bank and author of In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism, a book which explores the most common atheist critiques of the Bible and religion, incorporating Jewish, Christian, and Muslim voices.

In this episode Scott shares with me his belief systems around religion and the driving force behind writing his book.

We cover:

Check out Scott’s book - In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism 

You can find out more about Scott and connect with him at Scottshay.com , Facebook

Jen Coken is an executive coach for Badass Boss Ladies, a national speaker and a best-selling author of   "When I Die, Take My Panties," is an inspiring, raw, and at times, funny memoir about her mother’s battle with Ovarian Cancer.

Jen opens up about coping with her mother's death, her rock-bottom moments and what it took to push on through.

We discuss topics such as:

You can find out more about Jen and connect with her at  www.jencoken.com , LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

“We can’t control what is going on out there but we can choose what we focus on”

My good friend Sam Kiani is a Human potential coach , yogi, runner and long time meditator with a love for freedom. In this episode we discuss the resilience needed to deal with the current Covid-19 environment t and how there is in fact the potential for us all to actually find opportunities in what feels like such a rock bottom moment in time!

Sam explains how exposure to childhood trauma brought on by leaving home at the age of 14 to escape an abusive alcoholic mother, enabled her to develop the skills needed to help with todays climate.

We delve into topics such as:

Hear more about Sam’s amazing work at Inspired World or over on Instagram and LinkedIn

“It’s not just one phase, it’s not just one stereotype. It can affect anyone”

When Paul McGregor lost his father to suicide it left him with unanswered questions and he struggled to process grief in a world where silence is revered as a man’s way of coping.

His father had been so perfect; he ran religiously, read self-help books, had a career and a happy family. Without knowing anything about mental health, it seemed to Paul that everything descended into chaos fast, as he visited his father in a  depressing mental institution where he eventually was released, taking his life soon after.

After lots of confusion, Paul took up therapy and educated himself on mental illness and how to talk so he could process the grief. Over time he’s found purpose in his pain and now delivers his message of hope as a mental Health Speaker, Advocate & Author and is driven to create change by normalising mental health conversations and breaking down the stigma that surrounds conversations about our minds and emotions.

This is a hopeful conversation covering grief and life after suicide. We cover:

With swirling media attention on fear and panic, listen to this short episode to help you shift your perspective and connect into your inner wisdom.

After weeks of ‘being strong’ and being there for other people, I found myself caught up in the fear narrative, reactively looking for work, thinking I’d lose everything and that everything’s gone to shit.

After tears and white knuckling, a job hunt (even though I am lucky to have resources to last for some months) I decided to close my eyes and meditate.  Without any specific breathing exercises or cool methods, I simply sat open-palmed putting my attention on the energy in the air and noticing the wisdom around me.

Just this short time brought my cortisol down and tapped me into the wisdom that is all around us! My own inner-innate wisdom which reduced panic, recalibrated trust in the universe and allowed me to know the next right steps for me.

Listen to this episode if you want to find a way to connect to your own source and understand the next right steps for you during these troubling times.

Let me know your thoughts on Insta: @petra.velzeboer