Head Talks: Recent Episodes
Head Talks
Dasho Tshering Tobgay is the former Prime Minister of Bhutan, the Himalayan country once isolated from the rest of the world, but which in recent decades has been pursuing the idea of measuring ‘gross national happiness’. This idea goes beyond the traditional pursuit of economic growth and takes into account the country’s environment and culture. Dasho Tshering talks to us about how his country has changed and how he himself has coped with the ups and downs of political life, learning to question the nature of both failures and successes along the way.
Hear some of the inspiring people who've spoken to Head Talks:Lisane Basquiat, life strategistJohn Sanei, author, speaker, strategistKeri-Anne Payne, Olympic swimmerDasho Tshering Tobgay, former Prime Minister of BhutanMark & Maddy Austin, journalist and daughter recovered from eating disorderSir Ian Cheshire, senior businessmanKristin Neff, psychologist
Lisane Basquiat, the founder of Shaping Freedom, grew up in an immigrant Haitian family in Brooklyn. She and her siblings — including the artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat — were expected to succeed in conventional ways. Her brother took his own creative path. Lisane, who is an entrepreneur and a life strategist, followed a conventional corporate route for a while but now also helps others to define what they want from their lives. She says that families and their legacies to us are central. She tells us we need to work out how to be accountable to ourselves and not to put the responsibility for our own happiness onto others, whether that means members of our family or those outside.
While working in stressful jobs, Anastasia Dedyukhina realised that smartphones, and the pressure to be ‘always on’, were doing her harm. She tried an experiment: giving up her smartphone altogether and going back to a more offline way of life. The experience inspired her to found Consciously Digital, a network of coaches who help others to find a better balance between their online and offline lives. Anastasia describes what the constant switching of tasks does to our brains, and gives us some helpful advice for those who would like their families to spend less time on screens.
Pandit Dasa spent fifteen years living as a monk – not in a remote retreat but in the heart of New York City. When he emerged from his monastic life, he became a speaker instead, inspiring others to live more mindfully. He gives us some tips on how to re-emerge into the busy world, including ‘closing the apps’ in our minds to quieten busy thoughts, and accepting that the world and what it throws at us are constantly changing.
Asif Sadiq has had a long career working in business to make companies more diverse and inclusive. After a year of remote working, he believes that companies which have embraced change are more ready to adapt to new challenges. Asif says he’s learnt more about colleagues’ lives during the past year, and thinks this process of ‘bringing your authentic self to work’ will and should continue. He also believes companies should make talking about mental health as common as talking about physical exercise, with the same benefits. The next big challenge on the horizon? Managing the anxieties about returning to work and changing the way we work now.
Professor Ian Robertson is a psychologist and neuroscientist with an interest in confidence -- what makes some of us have self-belief and others not? And is this innate or a skill that can be learned? Professor Robertson says we can learn to acquire a set of mental habits that can help us to make our goals more reachable and to develop our confidence in new or unfamiliar situations. His new book, How Confidence Works, will be published in 2021, and you can find more on his work at www.ianrobertson.org
Paul Dolan is Professor of Behavioural Science at the LSE and the author of two bestselling books on happiness -- Happy Ever After and Happiness By Design. He tells us about the importance of finding a balance between pleasure and purpose in life in order to achieve that happiness, how we can find new ways of finding shared joy in the absence of our normal social lives, and warns of the dangers of too much looking forward or comparing ourselves with others.
Life coach Linda Mbagwu had a difficult start in her own childhood: at eight, she was working to boost the family’s income. Later, the pressure that she put on herself to succeed, as well as a failed relationship, led to anxiety and depression. Linda learned techniques to keep herself grounded and reframe her thinking, including meditation. As a coach, she believes that everyone deserves to reach their full potential and get through challenging situations to the next level of the game of life.
Barry McDonagh started experiencing panic attacks as a student, until one day he dared the panic to do its worst, and found that he came through it. Barry has now developed a method that he calls DARE, based on his own experiences. He describes the method as breaking ‘the fear of fear’ and ‘riding the wave’ of panic and anxiety disorders.
Harriet Waley-Cohen has come through many difficult times that life has thrown at her -- recovery from addictions, the breakup of her marriage, the pain after being hurt in a car accident and treatment for cancer. She now builds on her experiences and the lessons she has learned to help other women to flourish. What are Harriet’s tips for coping in a crisis? She tells us about the importance of accepting reality and working out whether the situation is one you have to cope with or need to change. She talks about the importance of enjoying what’s good in the here and now while also being able to dream of a different future, yet not dwelling in the potential wreckage of what might go wrong.
Leading businessman Sir Ian Cheshire says the pandemic has completely changed the background to talking about mental health at work. He became interested in the issues because of family experiences and has since worked with charities to promote good practices in the office. The fact that so many of us are working from home poses new challenges, he says, such as the risk of ‘online presenteeism’ -- feeling you have to stay glued to your screen and always working -- or simply not knowing if a colleague is having a hard time. He says changing attitudes and processes is important for leadership at all levels of a business.
For many young people, this year’s lockdown has brought mental health difficulties to the fore. Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Nihara Krause says that stress, anxiety and depression may result from the crisis, but she suggests ways to help young people build resilience and learn strategies to cope as they get back to their usual routines of school or university.
Jada Sezer says the lockdown has meant a rollercoaster of emotions to her, a process of grieving for our past life and its routines. The model and campaigner said: "Every week is different. I might start the week happy and end the week collapsed on the sofa. There's a heaviness in the world. Some days I wake up and I can't think through this fog. But we are going through a process and every day is going to be different." She calls the process 'hijacking your mind' - trying to find things that are helpful and will get you out of your rut.
Psychotherapist Susie Orbach has long studied our relationships with food and eating. ‘Life is full of challenges,’ she says, ‘the question is how to make them interesting.’ Susie is concerned about how parents’ preoccupations with bodies, food and fitness are transmitted to their children, sometimes using food as a substitute for genuine emotion. We have to work out both our desire to belong, and our desire to stand out.
Richard Layard is an Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics where he is also Director of the Wellbeing Programme, as well as a member of the House of Lords and the co-founder of Action for Happiness. His books include Happiness: Lessons from a New Science, and Thrive. Lord Layard began his career as an economist and was one of the first to study the economic and social importance of happiness. Once we measure what makes people happy, he argues, we can develop policies to improve the happiness of our society. Our first priority should be to improve mental health services, particularly those from children. He says he’s seen profound cultural change in recent years as we have learned to talk more about these issues, but warns of the risks that social media can pose to our happiness.
Terrence overcame huge adversity in childhood and now teaches others to look forward to improve their lives step by step, as he did. He came to mindfulness, hypnotherapy and NLP after being a physical fitness instructor when he realised how much his clients’ state of mind affected their bodies. He uses a combination of techniques to reprogram the mindset of those he teaches, helping them to imagine their future selves.
Josh Dickson is a therapist who works with EMDR -- eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing -- therapy to help clients overcome past traumas. He says he has both experienced and witnessed its effects. Josh tells us the theories about why stimulating the brain helps it to file away old, painful memories and explains how he uses it in practice. After treatment, he says, many are able to say their trauma has gone.
Lucid dreaming is a state where you’re asleep, but aware that you’re dreaming. Charlie Morley says that almost anyone can learn how to do it. He’s a teacher of lucid dreaming and a student of Buddhism. Charlie says that not only is lucid dreaming fun -- like a virtual reality simulation -- but it has therapeutic benefits. Scientists have studied its effects in treating post-traumatic stress and improving athletes’ performance. Charlie believes that more research will teach us more about this strange state of consciousness.
Lucy O’Donnell Cancer Wellness Advisor
When Lucy was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in November 2011, she spent most of the next eighteen months in radical cancer treatment. Through her continuing treatment and experience, Lucy channels her energies into helping other people in and outside the cancer world. She is a Cancer Counsellor, Holistic Therapist, Inspirational Speaker and author of Cancer Is My Teacher.
Katie Phillips, self love coach and Head Talks ambassador, wants to prove that menopause can be a very positive experience! She says most women suffer through their menopause because it has been the 'white elephant in the room' for too long. Katie is joined by women’s integrative health and wellbeing coach, Tanith Lee, and Sandra Peat, co-founder of SuperHuman, to discuss and share their experiences of perimenopause and menopause.
The interview is intended to empower women with awareness, solutions, practical tips, tools and alternative ways of viewing and thinking about menopause.
Maneesh Juneja Digital Health Futurist
Maneesh Juneja wants to see a world where everyone has the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their health. He says new ways of thinking are needed to reach that goal. We are gathering more and more data from the real world about our health and our lifestyles -- whether that’s from internet searches or smart devices. But what’s the best way to use that to make our lives more healthy? And how can those benefits reach people in the developing world who may not yet be able to access good healthcare?
Maneesh Juneja believes that one way to help tackle mental health problems could be for people to talk to a machine. An algorithm or a robot doesn’t judge, but could one day help people to share and solve their problems. There’s a long way to go, but we’re already on the road.
Healing And Letting Go - A Meditation Gude by Meg James
A guided meditation to help you to surrender and release painful emotions
Teenage Eating Disorder
When, at ten years old, homeschooled Ruth was sent off to school, she felt like an outcast. Discovering, during a health check, that she weighed twice as much as a friend, she rapidly started losing weight. 'Once you start, it's very difficult to stop for an eating-disorder mind.' Anorexia reportedly has the highest mortality rate of any adolescent mental disorder in the UK. Yet Ruth was lucky; she was almost hospitalized, but was able to claw her way back with help from parents and health experts. Here she tells us how.
Jo Marchant Science Journalist
Science journalist Jo Marchant set out in her book Cure: a journey into the science of mind over body, to find out more about the evidence for how our minds can influence our bodies. She tells us about some of the fascinating experiments that researchers are conducting into phenomena such as the placebo effect. How can we sometimes use the power of our minds to trick our bodies into feeling better, and what does this tell us about how the mind works?
Jeremy Thomas Educational Mental Health Speaker
Jeremy Thomas is a best-selling author, former record company owner, but most of all an all-round survivor. Having battled manic depression, addiction, and bipolar disorder, this funny and poignant mental health educator is now lecturing in schools, teaching teenagers 'how to stay sane in an insane world.' Thomas lives in London with his wife Jane plus cat and dog, and sometimes in Patmos, Greece with six other cats.
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.'
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.'
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.'
Ingrid Betancourt Held Hostage by the Columbian FARC
Ingrid Betancourt became headline news when she was kidnapped by the Colombian guerrilla movement FARC in 2002. The Columbian presidential candidate was held in the jungle, mistreated and tortured, until she, and 14 other hostages, were rescued by the Colombian military six years later. Betancourt, who has a son and daughter, wrote a book about her ordeal and received international bravery awards. 'It was a battle, not only with the guerrillas, but with our inner selves.'
Ingrid Betancourt Held Hostage by the Columbian FARC
Ingrid Betancourt became headline news when she was kidnapped by the Colombian guerrilla movement FARC in 2002. The Columbian presidential candidate was held in the jungle, mistreated and tortured, until she, and 14 other hostages, were rescued by the Colombian military six years later. Betancourt, who has a son and daughter, wrote a book about her ordeal and received international bravery awards. 'It was a battle, not only with the guerrillas, but with our inner selves.'
Sir Anthony Seldon Co-founder of Action for Happiness
Fed up with our education system, which he calls target-oriented and 'sick', Sir Anthony set out to teach children how to 'lead lives full of meaning and love' instead. Seldon, a prominent political historian and commentator, took his Buddhism-meets-school philosophy and successfully applied it to Wellington College, even introducing 'stillness sessions' at the top school. Seldon is co-founder of Action for Happiness, which passionately promotes happiness and the development of the 'all-round child.'
Sir Anthony Seldon Co-founder of Action for Happiness
Fed up with our education system, which he calls target-oriented and 'sick', Sir Anthony set out to teach children how to 'lead lives full of meaning and love' instead. Seldon, a prominent political historian and commentator, took his Buddhism-meets-school philosophy and successfully applied it to Wellington College, even introducing 'stillness sessions' at the top school. Seldon is co-founder of Action for Happiness, which passionately promotes happiness and the development of the 'all-round child.'