Encourager

Charles Balcombe is the creator and founder of Paind, with the no small mission of 'changing the face of chronic pain treatment'. 

Why?

Because Charles has his own story of chronic pain. It started with leg pain, a visit to the doctor, physio that 'did not work', an MRI and 7 months after the pain began, neurosurgery. Little was he to know that this would follow with years of pain and 'revolving door' treatments. Plus foot drop and more surgeries to boot. 

Then he realised that there must be more to it. He could be in control and focus on those things that before he had dismissed: emotions, beliefs, expectations and more. He could also choose to be more active. 

Charles found a way. He believes that everyone can find their way but needs the right information about pain and the right guidance. Perhaps from a Pain Coach.

Is there an ideal healthcare professional? What's going wrong in the healthcare system? What can we do? What is Charles doing?

All of this and much more in this episode of The Encourager 

You can follow Charles on Instagram and Paind.

Nerita shares her story of being a serving officer in the Australian Air Force for 10 years before chronic pain took her on a different journey, to where she is now.  Nerita is a Winston Churchill Trust Fellow. 

Her mission is to 'eliminate the social isolation that is prevalent amongst the 250,000 military veterans who live with persistent pain'. She is building a community to 'empower and improve the quality of life for veterans; providing connection, validation, support and access to evidence-based information'.  

Understanding the nature of the problem of chronic pain, Nerita is dedicated to helping others find their own way forward. Whilst her focus is on veterans, this is applicable to all who are suffering.  

If you are suffering chronic pain or help people, I think you'll find this compelling.  

For more see Nerita's website 

and follow her on Instagram

Ultrarunner, author and all-round good bloke who cares about people and the planet, Damian Hall, returns to the show. 

He talks about his recent adventures at the 330k Tor des Géants, why he runs, how he prepares and keeps going over ultra distances. 

Then we get into Damian’s new and very important book on the climate emergency: We Can’t Run Away From This. 

"Gut-wrenchingly serious but also cleverly light-hearted. It's impossible to read this book and not make changes to your life." Beth Pascall

It’s an outstanding and much needed book, full of facts and highlighting the complexity of the debate on climate change. 

Yet there are clear things we can do, which Damian describes in the episode. 

Have a listen but definitely buy the book—publisher link below. And then share it around! Thanks.

Vertebrate Publishing

Damo on Instagram and Twitter

The Green Runners -- make your pledge!

Rerun Clothing -- Dan Lawson

If you loved our first chat, this one will blow you away!

Mark is back on the Encourager's pod. The basis of our chat today is his new paper looking at wellbeing through the predictive processing lens. 

But we get into some really juicy stuff.

How do we get stuck? What is going on there? 

This could be with pain, depression or some higher belief. What are the effects of this and importantly, how we reckon we can help people get unstuck. 

Today was much more of a chat rather than an interview, and we set it up like that, so plenty of back and forth. 

I love Mark's energy. He is a huge sharer, having realised that this way of being results in wellness and great results: together over tribal. 

You will love this if you are interested in wellness, pain, depression, anxiety, mental health, coaching, being with people, a manager, a leader, the list goes on.

Mark's work informs my approach to helping people understand and overcome their pain. 

Mark now has his own podcast: The Contemplative Scientist Podcast -- what a cool name! And so perfect! You can read his work and listen to other talks here.

And you can read the wellness paper entitled: 'The Predictive Dynamics of Happiness and Well-Being' here.

This is a recording of an online talk -- essentially me, on my own, talking to my computer :)

Persistent pain is a problem in the performing arts. Many performers are affected, meaning that clinicians need to understand pain in order to be helpful and guide them onwards and successfully. 

It starts by knowing thyself as a clinician. So you may want to grab a pen and paper (old school), as there are some important reflections upon your own starting position. 

Then I go into a modern way we can think about pain -- predictive processing and enactivism. It is a very brief introduction, so resources will be made available to deepen your knowledge.

Finally, I get into some practicalities through the Pain Coaching lens -- what is the Pain Coach approach to caring for and helping people achieve their picture of success. 

More on my social media: Twitter and Instagram and my website

There was so much that had me gripped in this conversation with Glenn. 

I recommend a pen, paper, maybe a coffee and a readiness to pause and listen again. 

This is for you is you want to be a better helper as a therapist, clinician, parent, teacher, friend, whatever!

The bulk of the chat focuses on the spirit of motivational interviewing (MI). Glenn describes what MI is at the end. It seems to work -- you can let me know!

Glenn Hinds is an accredited counsellor and independent training consultant trained in person centred and psychodynamic counselling, motivational interviewing and emotional intelligence (EQ).

You can read more about Glenn on his website, listen to his superb podcast co-hosted with Sebastian, and on social media, Twitter. 

It was great to catch up with Alan and hear his rock n roll story that led to the creation of a business -- he saw the need and took action. 

We follow Alan's journey from his early rebel years through to the person-focused business coach that he is now, having had a transformational experience -- he calls it 'a stroke of luck'. 

Alan guides, helps and encourages people who want to be successful transforming their purpose-led ideas into businesses that make a difference -- entrepreneurs. I know because I was fortunate enough to work with Alan.

There are some golden tips to look out for in our conversation.

Listen in, and let me know what you think.

You can read more about Alan's work on his website: https://www.alanwick.com 

Stuart kicks off Season 3 by sharing his stories of becoming a physio, being curious, and exploring different ways of helping people.

I met Stuart some years ago on a retreat he was running in Somerset. It was the most stunning location, perfect for the work we did on ourselves and others. 

He followed traditional training as a mature student, having already trained and worked as a PE teacher. Then onto a Masters, working for Sussex Cricket Club and beyond into complementary therapies. Now he loves helping older people be active with yoga and movement.

Stuart entertains with stories throughout. Much to learn from his approach. 

He is walking the SW Coastal Path for Motor Neurone Disease Association inspired by his friend Barry. You can read about his adventure and donate here. 

**There is the odd swear word

A hill walk on a family holiday became two attempts to climb Everest just a few years later for Alex. The second attempt could have been fatal -- it was for some. 

What did Alex take from this and all his training? He tells me in this fascinating episode.

Then, in 2020 he ran 452 miles, not only climbing the 3 Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike & Snowdon), but also running between them. It took 9 days and 12 hours. 

Last year Alex co-founded the charity Mind Over Mountains: 'We offer immediate and accessible support by bringing together the healing power of nature, the practice of mindfulness and time to talk with experienced coaches and counsellors in an unpressured, unhurried setting'. That setting is nature, where Alex has found his strength and inspiration. 

Alex has achieved all this and much more aged 26. He is a motivational speaker and a published author, whilst continuing to be an ultra-athlete and build the charity. He is busy! But mindful that he needs to self-care.

You can follow Alex on Twitter, Instagram and on his website plus the Mind Over Mountains website.