Rachel Kelly

Writer, Journalist & Mental Health Campaigner

Rachel Kelly had come to terms with the idea that it was 'fine to die'. Her anxiety was just too overwhelming. With the help of medication and therapy, Rachel, then a prominent journalist at the Times newspaper, slowly clawed her way back. In this moving account she talks about going from not being able to do a single school-run for a year, to becoming a writer (best-seller Black Rainbow is about her depression) and mental health activist. Rachel is a married mother of five.

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 us about how far he has come on his journey and the help he’d like to see for others with mental health problems in the future.

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. Mark says that until he realised his daughter had a mental illness, it was hard to deal with it properly. They both tell us about the importance of early intervention and treatment for eating disorders.

Paul Gilbert

Founder of Compassion Focused Therapy

Paul Gilbert is a pioneer of compassion-focused therapy. He’s a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Derby. In his work, he has drawn on insights from Buddhist tradition as well as evolutionary psychology. His compassion training teaches people to quieten critical or hostile inner voices in order to treat themselves more kindly. That can mean working on breath, posture and tone of voice. Learning to feel compassion towards ourselves is a skill that can be taught.

Johann Hari

The author and journalist Johann Hari was first diagnosed with depression as a teenager. In his new book, Lost Connections, he investigates broader approaches to mental health that go beyond medication. He argues that creating more meaningful connections with society and with nature, and having more control over our work and our lives, can provide solutions to depression and anxiety that are not solely medical.

After a successful career as a professor of art and design, Dr Louise Mazanti had a spiritual awakening that took her in a new direction. She wanted to learn more about her body, sexuality and spirituality. She now works alongside her husband, Mike Lousada, as a therapist. She sees sex as an energy, a kind of life force that flows through our bodies. Spirituality, she says, is a sense of feeling ourselves as part of something bigger than ourselves alone. Louise’s advice starts with feeling real, breathing, and being aware of your body and its energy.

*CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT*

Mike Lousada

Mike Lousada is a Psychosexual Somatic practitioner who works alongside his wife, therapist Dr Louise Mazanti. In this interview, he looks at society’s views of sexuality through history. Mike argues that we should move away from a view of sex that’s about control and fear towards one where the emphasis is on freedom of expression, pleasure, intimacy and love.

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 and runs courses at her Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. 'Everyone can learn the skill of being a good friend to oneself.'

Nadya Khokhar

Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT)

Unhelpful thoughts; we’ve all got them. Over the past decade, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has become the go-to way to tackle our muddled thinking. 'We are helping clients to become their own therapists,' explains Nadya Khokhar. UK-based Khokhar participates in a government-run scheme improving access to therapies. CBT can successfully help those suffering from a range of conditions, including depression and anxiety. Here Khokhar explains how.

Claudia Hammond

BBC Radio 4 Presenter of 'All in the Mind'

If the world only knew how much good research is out there and put it into practice, Claudia Hammond would be much happier. The award-winning broadcaster and psychology lecturer has been dubbed the 'most important source of psychological ideas in the UK media' and has made it her mission to explain often dense, technical findings to her listeners. 'Attitudes are changing,' says the BBC Radio 4 presenter, 'but many people still don't know who to talk to.'