Welcome to episode 212 with Tana Sirois, who is an actor, theatre maker and coach who is currently touring a one woman show called UnTethered, an autobiographical comedy that follows a queer, demi sexual woman with obsessive compulsive disorder as she attempts to transcend her fears so that she may finally experience what it’s like to feel safe and…

Welcome to episode 211 with Owen Williams, who is the singer and guitarist in The Tubs. He is also a vocalist and guitarist in Ex-Void and the drummer in Sniffany and The Nits and other things in other bands as well, all under the banner of the London based, music collective Gob Nation. In this episode I chat to Owen about his experiences with OCD …

Welcome to episode 210 with Rosie Viva, who is a model, presenter, author and an ambassador for Bipolar UK. Rosie has experienced various mental health challenges from a young age and was originally misdiagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Despite this she built a successful career as a model which took her all over the globe, working with some of th…

Welcome to episode 209 with Dr Dean Burnett, who is a neuroscientist, lecturer and author. Dean is currently an honorary research fellow at Cardiff Psychology School and has also worked as a psychiatry tutor and lecturer at the Cardiff University Centre for Medical Education. He is the author of several acclaimed books about brains, neuroscience, e…

Welcome to episode 208 with Hyphen, who is a rapper, songwriter and political punk. After finishing university, Hyphen found himself working in finance. He also found himself bored, depressed and drinking to cope. This came to a tipping point when a close friend of his died by suicide and his own mental health was pushed towards breaking point. Hyp…

Welcome to episode 207 with Hana Walker-Brown, a multi-award winning and critically acclaimed storyteller and sound artist who works across film, radio and podcasting and narrative non-fiction. In 2023 Hana was signed off work with severe burnout. It took a year for her to understand this experience, to unpack it, to make peace with it and to get b…

Welcome to episode 206 with Karsta Lowe, who is an Olympian and professional volley ball player who was a member of the United States women's national team that won bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Karsta has played volley ball, at the highest level, all over the world, winning multiple titles and medals along the way. But throughout he…

Welcome to episode 205 with Dr Ross Ellenhorn, who is a sociologist, psychotherapist and social worker. Dr. Ellenhorn is encouraging mental health professionals to be more present with patients and think outside the box when it comes to treatment methods. With offices in Boston, New York and LA, he offers the types of care that serve and empower an…

Welcome to episode 204 with Ginger Wildheart, who is the singer, songwriter and guitarist in The Wildhearts. The Wildhearts formed in 1989 and over years since have celebrated top 20 singles and top 10 albums and sell out tours all over the world while navigating record company battles, industry politics, multiple line up changes, drugs, depression…

Welcome to episode 203 with Sam Delaney, who is a journalist, author, broadcaster and podcaster whose work has featured in Guardian, Big Issue and Talk Sport. Sam guested on Proper Mental a couple of years ago back at episode 127, and in that episode, we talked a lot about his problems with addiction and how he adjusted to getting sober. This time …

Welcome to episode 202 with Dan Astles, who is a musician and singer songwriter from Liverpool who makes music under the name Astles, either on his own or alongside a 10 strong musical collective called The Balloon Moon Orchestra. Dan has a new album on the way that has a very sad but beautiful story behind it. Dan’s uncle Joseph died by suicide be…

Welcome to episode 201 with Dr Martin Brunet, who has been an NHS GP for more than 20 years and is also well known for his social media channels and videos about different aspects of mental health. In this episode I chat to Martin about his time in general practice and some of the changes he has seen in mental health over the years. We also talk ab…

Welcome to episode 200 with Professor Joanna Moncrieff who is a psychiatrist, author and researcher who is one of the founding members of the Critical Psychiatry Network. In 2022, Joanna was the lead author of a study that explored the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression and found that no clear evidence that serotonin levels or serotonin acti…

Welcome to episode 199 with Georgia Lock, who is an actor, poet and an advocate for obsessive compulsive disorder. In this episode I chat to Georgia about the moment that her ‘brain broke’ and OCD became a part of her life. We chat about what happened next, what helped looked like for her and how she manages her OCD on a day-to-day basis. We chat a…

Welcome to episode 198 with Dr Susie Bennett, a psychologist and research fellow at the 'Suicidal Behaviour Research Lab' at the University of Glasgow. Her work focuses on trying to understand why men are more at risk of suicide and what can be done to help more men access a dignified and meaningful life. Through this work, Susie has been involved …

Welcome to episode 197 with Kevin Briggs, who is a retired sergeant for the California Highway Patrol, known as the "Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge”. The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean in California. It’s about 200 feet abov…

Welcome to episode 196 with Rory Lamont, who is a former professional Rugby Union player and the co-founder of CAIM, a health and wellness retreat centre in highland Scotland. During his time as a professional rugby player, Rory played for Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks and Toulon. He has 29 international caps for Scotland and has represented his co…

Welcome to episode 195 with Dr Linda Gask who is a writer and a psychiatrist who has been an advisor to the World Health Organisation and been awarded the President’s Medal by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2017. Her latest book is titled ‘Out of Her Mind’ which asks the questions ‘Are we failing women’s mental health and what needs to be do…

Welcome to episode 194 with Dr Benji Waterhouse who is a front-line NHS doctor specialising in psychiatry and an award-winning stand-up comedian. He is also the author of the best-selling medical memoir ‘You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here’ where he has written about his work as a psychiatrist and the stories of the patients he has met along the …

Welcome to episode 193 with Tom Fleming of One True Pairing and formerly of Wild Beasts! As a member of Wild Beasts, Tom released 5 acclaimed albums, one of them was nominated for the Mercury Prize and two of the records charted in the top 10. Wild Beasts called it a day in 2018 with Tom putting out his first material as One True Pairing in 2019. H…

Welcome to episode 192 with Nathan Filer, who is a writer, university lecturer and broadcaster and a former mental health nurse. In this episode I chat to Nathan about his route in to nursing and how it formed some of things that he has written books about. I reached out to Nathan after reading his book ‘This Book will Change Your Mind about Mental…

Welcome to episode 191 with Dave Lock, who is more commonly known as the running telephone. For the last 25 consecutive years, Dave has ran the London Marathon to raise funds and awareness for the Samaritans charity and along the way he has become an iconic part of both the marathon and the mental health space. This year he ran as team captain for …

Welcome to episode 190 with Philippa Dawson, who is a writer, producer and performer who is also the creator of Character Flaw, a show about her experiences with ADHD and how it’s impacted her throughout her life. In this episode I chat to Pip about her show, about living with ADHD and how this has impacted her mental health over the years. We chat…

Welcome to episode 189 with Alex Staniforth, who is an adventurer, speaker and the founder of Mind Over Mountains, a charity that brings together walking in nature, mindfulness & professional coaching and counselling in support of good mental health & wellbeing. Alex was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of nine and this would be the catalyst for …

Welcome to episode 188 with Jaxon Feeley, who is a Life and Mindset Coach, motivational speaker and TV personality. Jax served in the military as an RAF Corporal for 4 years, which included a tour of Iraq, before joining MHP Hindley as a prison officer. Throughout his life, Jax had been through plenty of mental health struggles but had always manag…

Welcome to episode 187 with Chris Baker, who is a mentor, coach and public speaker. Chris got in to crime at a young age and spent a long time bouncing in and out of prison. He ended up losing an arm in a motorbike crash while being chased by police and this sent him in to a spiral of depression and self-loathing and he was also sentenced to longer…

Welcome to episode 186 with James McInerney, who is the creator of The Poetry Project. James started off experimenting with words by writing out his thoughts and feelings to instrumental film scores and he found that expressing himself through poetry helped him navigate his way through depression. After publishing several books, he launched The Poe…

Welcome to episode 185 with Dr. Gladys McGarey, who is a 103-year-old still-consulting doctor who is internationally recognised as the ‘Mother of Holistic Medicine’. Dr Gladys was born in 1920 and grew up in India. She joined Women’s Medical College during the second world war and when she began practising, women couldn’t even have their own bank a…

Welcome to episode 184 with Dr Louise Newson, who is a G.P, menopause specialist and member of the UK Government’s Menopause Taskforce who has been described as the ‘medic who kickstarted the menopause revolution.’ She is also an award-winning educator and author and regularly appears in the media as an expert in women’s hormone health. In this epi…

Welcome to episode 183 with The Artist Taxi Driver, who is an artist, taxi driver, educator and speaker who is also known as Mark McGowan. Mark discovered art as part of his mental health recovery when he was an inpatient. He uses the media, activism and mental health to create daily artworks. Mark’s form of performance art over the years has inclu…

Welcome to episode 182 with DJ Paulette, who is a renowned DJ, radio broadcaster and author who has spent more than three decades entertaining crowds all over world and breaking down racial and gender barriers along the way. She was the first female DJ to hold residency at The Hacienda, playing weekly at the ground-breaking LGBTQ+ club night ‘FLESH…

Welcome to episode 181 with Amelia Wrighton, who is the co-founder and CEO of Suicide & Co, a charity that is on a mission to support bereaved individuals and open the conversation around suicide-related grief. Amelia set up Suicide & Co. with Emma Morrisroe after they met at work and realised that they shared the same experience of losing someone …

Welcome to episode 180 with Andrew Jenkins, who is a mental health advocate, speaker and star of the hit BBC series The Traitors. At the age of 21, Andrew was in a car accident that left him pronounced dead at the side of the road. He spent 5 weeks in a coma and when he woke up, was told that he might not recognise his family or be able to walk. Th…

Welcome to episode 179 with Tim Owen, Mike Palmer and Andy Airey, who are collectively known as the 3 Dads Walking! Tim, Mike & Andy are 3 dads, bereaved by suicide who have been walking in memory of their daughters, Emily, Beth & Sophie. In 2021 they walked 300 miles between their 3 homes, to highlight the fact that suicide is the biggest killer o…

Welcome to episode 178 with Hannah Phillips, who is a mother, a runner, a writer, speaker and trainee psychotherapist. Han is a returning guest and first appeared on Proper Mental back at episode 110. In that episode we covered her early experiences with OCD, her relationship with alcohol, getting sober and hitting crisis point shortly after. I rea…

Welcome to episode 177 with Joe Griffin, who is a psychologist and co-founder of the Human Givens approach to psychotherapy. Human Givens is a practical, holistic and scientific approach to therapy that focuses on what individuals need to live mentally healthy and fulfilling lives. It draws on the latest insights from neuroscience and psychological…

Welcome to episode 176 with Vince Freeman, a singer and songwriter who is about to release a debut album that has been a decade in the making. Vince started out by running and playing club shows and regularly racking up 300 gigs a year. He appeared on The Voice in 2012, written multi-million streamer dance tracks, had 5 European Top 10 hits and pla…

Welcome to episode 175 with Allie Bailey, who is an ultrarunner, coach and author. She was the first woman to run 100 miles across a frozen Lake in Mongolia, has ran the full length of the Panama Canal, crossed the inhospitable Namib Desert three times, and completed a 1,000-mile off-road version of the classic Land’s End to John O’Groats route in …

Welcome to episode 174 with Paul Danan, who is an actor and the founder and creator of Morning After Drama (MAD), a theatre company that provides specifically tailored workshops to support people who have experienced trauma, been involved with the criminal justice system, suffered from addiction or experience poor mental health. Paul shot to fame w…

Welcome to episode 173 with Gulwali Passarlay, who is a speaker and campaigner for refugee rights. Gulwali was sent away from Afghanistan at the age of twelve, after his father was killed in a gun battle with the US Army. He was smuggled into Iran and spent the next 12 months traveling through Europe. He crossed 10 countries, was put in prison 6 ti…

Welcome to episode 172 with Bill Ryder-Jones, who is a singer-songwriter, musician, music producer and composer. Bill was a co-founder of The Coral, which they started when he was 13, and he played lead guitar on the first five albums, eventually leaving in 2008. It was around then that Bill started to experience depression, agoraphobia and panic a…

Welcome to episode 171 with Mark Williams, who is an author, speaker and international campaigner for father’s mental health. Mark suffered with PTSD and depression after the birth of his son and he suffered in silence for many years while trying to support his wife who was also struggling with her mental health and they were both in at crisis poin…

Welcome to episode 170 with Lily Bailey who is an author, journalist and activist who has been writing and speaking about OCD and mental illness for a long time and in this episode, I chat to Lily about her experiences with obsessive compulsive disorder and how it’s affected her over the years. We also chat her new book, When I Feel Red, written fo…

Welcome to episode 169 with John Rattray, who is a former professional skateboarder and the creator of Why So Sad? Why So Sad? Is a skate and cycling focused campaign with the goal of driving awareness and education around mental wellbeing and suicide prevention. In this episode I chat to John about getting in to skating and the importance of commu…

Welcome to episode 168 with Jess Greenfield, who is a multi-instrumentalist and a singer with Wonder 45 and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying birds. In this episode I chat to Jess about singing, the music industry and balancing being a mother and a touring musician. We also chat about Jess’ experiences with post-natal mental health issues, the impact th…

Welcome to episode 167 with Nadia Gilani, who is a writer and yoga teacher. Nadia was introduced to yoga as a teenager when her Mum took her along to a class as a way of helping her mental health. Since then, yoga has been a constant and important part of her life but her relationship with the practice has not always been a smooth one. In this epis…

Welcome to episode 166 with Tate Smith, who is an award-winning trans activist, consultant and speaker. Tate started to experience anxiety at high school but this had nothing to do with his gender. It was only later on in his teenage years that he became aware of what it means to be trans and was able to start making sense of himself. In this episo…

Welcome to episode 165 with Roxy Longworth. When Roxy was 13, she was coerced then blackmailed into sending explicit photos, which were spread around her school. The school blamed all of this on Roxy and the shame and embarrassment that was heaped down on her, by the very establishment that was supposed to be looking after her, took a huge toll on …

Welcome to episode 164 with Ian Tucknott who is a creative coach, arts educator and the curator of the Mental Wealth Festival which is hosted by City Lit. The festival is an annual event that provides a forum for informative, challenging and inspiring discussion through workshops, talks, exhibitions, and other activities. In this episode I chat to …

Welcome to episode 163 with Steve Warwick, who is a men’s mental health advocate, eating disorder survivor and the man behind the Instagram page Healthy Done Sexy. In this episode I chat to Steve about his relationship with food from a creative perspective and a mental illness perspective. We chat about Steve’s history with Bulimia, how it showed u…