Tom Gold-Blyth and Luciana Fondaras

Tai Chi Teacher & Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

Our approach to mental health should be more varied and less talk-oriented, says body-based psychotherapist Luciana Fondaras. 'Because if you're in your body, you can't be in your mind.' And that, in turn, helps discharge the nervous system. For instructor Tom Gold-Blyth, the ancient Chinese practice of Tai Chi does the trick. By 'getting into’ your body, he says, you can start dealing with deeply-felt emotions which are often stored there. Blyth and Fondaras both work for Khiron House, a UK-based chain of trauma clinics.

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 a full-time artist, working in the north of England. He is also a passionate campaigner for wellbeing and reform in the workplace.

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 afterwards.' Though she still occasionally feels the tug of panic. With this interview Anne hopes to 'give some light to people struggling with cancer.'

Andrew Wallas

The Modern Day Wizard

Disconnection from ourselves is the biggest ailment of our time. Andrew Wallas, a former financial whizz-kid-turned-psychic counsellor, has made it his mission to reconnect us with those parts of ourselves we are running away from. 'Too often mental health treatment deals with the symptoms and not the root,' says Wallas, who underwent 13 years of psychotherapy, before becoming one of the most well known spiritual psychotherapists himself.

Thomas Stimpson MBE

War Hero Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Twenty-six years in the Royal Air Force. Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan. But when Tom Stimpson (MBE) started collapsing with mysterious seizures, he had no idea what it was. Eventually he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Since then, Tom has heroically regained much of his health and was one of the first to compete as a mental health patient in the 2016 Invictus Games for wounded service personal. He is also a highly inspiring speaker, aiming to lift the stigma on mental health, especially within the military.

Dr. Harold Koplewicz

Child Psychiatrist

One in five children struggles with mental health. 'These disorders are not only common, they are very treatable,' says world-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Koplewicz. At a time when screens have taken the place of babysitters, Koplewicz says that 'being available' for your child is crucial. Koplewicz runs the Child Mind Institute in New York City. With his unique and innovative approach he aims to dispel the myths and stigma that surround psychiatric disorders in young people.

Dior Vargas

Feminist Latina on Mental Health

Even when Dior Vargas was depressed and suicidal, she felt she shouldn't complain. 'Mental illness is considered a privileged white person thing', she says. Vargas is the founder of the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project, created to counter the invisibility of people of colour in media coverage of mental health. Vargas has won numerous awards, is a 'proud feminist Latina', and works as a mental health counsellor and activist-speaker in New York City.

Ben Barnett, who gave a Head Talk for us earlier this year (link at end), has provided our community with a mini meditation to clear your head and open up your mind to wonder. Ben said: "This is a perfect meditation when you are feeling jaded, or if the constant stream of bad news and negativity is weighing you down. Take ten minutes, pause, press the reset button, and awaken a positive energy to face the rest of the day."

Link to Head Talk - http://bit.ly/2uqxmeV

Ben's other mini meditations - https://htbb.bandcamp.com

Susan Greenfield

Neuroscientist

We are in the midst of the worst social experiment ever, says scientist, author and broadcaster Susan Greenfield. Baroness Greenfield, a leading specialist on the workings of the brain, is convinced that social media stints our personal growth and adds to the mental anguish of young people. 'We have to think about this now; what kind of people are they going to be?' London-born Greenberg was the first in her family to attend university. She is now a member of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament.

Lord Carey

Former Archbishop of Canterbury

Our communities are fragmented, so there is no natural support system for mental illness anymore, says Lord Carey. Instead, this former Archbishop of Canterbury supports 'taking out pews' to create 24-hour churches, functioning as community centers. Outspoken Carey, once leader of 70 million Anglicans worldwide, also supported the ordination of female priests. He was the first former archbishop to write an autobiography, saying he's 'familiar with the knocks of life.'