No one knows better how much football can benefit your mental health than a devout supporter like Johnnie Lowery, who supports Sutton United and the English National Team. A football fan for as long as he can remember, he also struggled with mental health during adolescence, so he decided to write his second book to help other football fans learn more about mental health through their love of football. The book, Match Fit, published by Pitch Publishing, is out now, and features interviews with people throughout the footballing communities from those who play in Sunday Leagues to the Premier League as well as supporters and those talking about mental health.

You can find Johnnie on Twitter @AddedSix or his site johnnielowery.co.uk

Find Match Fit by Johnnie Lowery, published by Pitch Publishing at amazon.uk and more

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Most football supporters joke about needing therapy after a tough match or season, but my guest Phil actually provides therapy for a living. He is a lifelong Tottenham Spurs fan and also a BACP Counsellor, although those choices were not related, as some might suspect. He provided excellent conversation about both Spurs and mental health, especially why therapy is so beneficial even for those who are not impacted by severe mental health or trauma. He also talked about the power of mindfulness, that it is not just a buzzword, but a helpful practice for daily living.

You can find Phil on Twitter @thespursycurse

If you are interested in talking to Phil professionally online or in person, you can contact him via the Counseling Directory: Phil Middleton

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My inaugural guest comes from Australia, but is an avid fan of Italian football. Frank shares his love of the Italian National Team, Inter Milan, and how he became a football fan, and then opens up about his challenges with mental health. He has plenty of wisdom about how to manage mental health as well as what has been most successful for him.

You can find Frank on Twitter @SerieA_Aust or @GentlemanUltra, or listen to him on The Gentleman Ultra Podcast everywhere you get your podcasts from. You can find his writing on gentlemanultra.com or at frankrisorto.medium.com

As a quick introduction to the Total Football Mentality Podcast, I share my own mental health story as well as the inspiration for this podcast. As football fans, we share common bonds, and we need to talk about mental health. You are not alone.

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