Both the past and the future are filled with things to think about, fret about, and hope for. Sometimes those  thoughts can be intensely distracting, and take us away from being in the present. Being in the moment means different things to each of us, but for all us it’s a way to pay more attention to ourselves, to those we’re with, and to appreciate what we have.

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

Are you happy? It’s a harder question to answer than we think. Overloaded with expectations, ambitions and comparing ourselves with others, we dive into a discussion about something that we’re all “supposed” to be aiming for: happiness. 

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

What do you do when someone opens up to you? It’s a privilege, but it’s also potentially terrifying, very awkward and just difficult to know how to respond! We talk about what it feels like when a friend, family member, or even a complete stranger shares something deeply personal with us, and how we might respond. 

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

This episode is about being in counselling, sharing how the process can feel, and what can be gained from the experience. Ten years after being in counselling, Nick shares some excerpts from the notes he made after those sessions. He talks about piecing shattered memories back together, why that’s a fundamental part of his here and now, and with a detached approach he wanders through his scattered reflections on that past. This episode contains conversations and personal thoughts about child abuse, self-harm, and trauma - please use your own judgement before listening.

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

Modern life is filled with a seemingly endless barrage of information - news, social media feeds, gossip... stuff. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, but you can't just turn it off... can you? This time we chat about how being constantly fed news affects us, how we feel about it and what we can do to manage the insistent external voices.

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

We talk about the barriers to seeking help, recognising whether we need help, and why it is that so many people don't reach out when they're in distress. It's complicated, and we talk about our own personal experiences with realising we need help, as well as how we've seen others seek aid.

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

This month we talk about something that can linger in the back of our minds... regret. It's a slippery feeling, and so we spend some time trying to figure out what regret is, and what leads us to hold onto feelings that often hurt. 

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

Gosh it's been a long year... or super-short? Either way, there's a new one coming up in just a couple of days. For some that brings promise of hope and change, for others it's the beginning of the same old cycle. 

We met up just before Christmas to talk about this annual event, hanging out at Derby Arena's Sleeping Beauty pantomime during set construction, which set a cheery tone for the conversation to follow. 

Join us as we consider hope, reflecting on the past, making positive changes and whether new year makes any sense at all. 

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.

It's that time of year. Snow, Real Fires, Baileys (other Irish Cream Liqueurs are available but not necessarily as good) Relatives, Cold (both varieties), Present shopping, Panto, stories about immigrants seeking refuge and finding a stable etc.  

It's a tricky and diverse time of year, met with polar opposite emotions depending where you're at in this life. 

Wes, Nick and Matt talk through it all, the upsides, the downsides. It's good to chat x

At last we’re able to meet up in person again, and we took advantage of a gloriously sunny day to gather and talk about mental health. This episode is about perspectives, particularly that sensation we sometimes have when our perspective suddenly changes and everything feels different. We’re interested in what that feels like, and what prompts such a change in our mental landscape. 

CW: this conversation includes a discussion about sexual abuse and its impact. 

This episode was recorded on 18 July 2021, outside in Woodhouse Moor in Leeds, so there may be some background sounds of other folks enjoying themselves.

Everyone needs to talk more about mental health and we’re no exception, especially in these weird times. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counselling.