In 2016, I had the honor of visiting the UK for the first time. During my trip, I learned a lot about the efforts that people are making to address the subject. Also in 2016, the Duke and the Dutchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate), along with Prince Harry, began advocating to transform the stigma surrounding mental health in the UK. Since then, mental health awareness is becoming an increasingly popular subject. In business, in the education system, as well as in other sectors and industries, issues affecting those struggling with mental health challenges are being discussed.
mental health speakers UK
As I researched speakers for this article, I found it tough to find presenters with a video and contact information. Also, all of the speakers that I found were women. Through this process, I could have assumed that mental health in an unpopular topic and the men have no mental health challenges. The lack of visible mental health speakers and the fact that none of them were men is a clear example of why it’s important for the UK to continue making a conscious effort to transform the stigma surrounding mental health.
From mental health advocates to mental health professionals, the speakers below have one common agenda – to share the tools that individuals, companies, governments, and institutions can use to improve the wellbeing of people struggling with mental health challenges.
Here are some of the top mental health speakers in the UK (in no particular order):
1. Tanya Byron
A respected clinical psychologist and famous TV personality, Byron draws on her experience and expertise in child behaviour to talk to people about mental health. Her two shows are now household favorites for British television viewers. They include Little Angles and The House of the Tiny Tearaways.
As a keynote speaker and a presenter, Tanya Byron has given national audiences and governments an improved understanding and appreciation of various issues related to mental health – particularly among the young.
Byron is also an expert in child behavior. She tames tiny terrors through her television series, all the while raising awareness about the mental health most common among young people. She also works as an awards host and a conference facilitator.
Her experience in the National Health Service has seen her work in the fields of adult mental health, sexual health and HIV/AIDS, drug dependency, and eating disorders.
2. Elaine Hanzak
Hanzak’s experience with postpartum psychosis is responsible for her becoming one of the most prominent of motivational speakers on the subject of perinatal mental health. Apart from her speaking engagements, she also blogs about a couple of the key issues related to mental health in the modern-day and age.
Not only is Elaine Hanzak inspiring, but she also goes over and above her speeches to provide advice and information that proves useful to those suffering mental illness. In 2005, for example, she published a moving, stimulating, and courageous book titled Eyes Without Sparkle. This book is targeted at understanding the journey of those going through postnatal illness – one of the leading causes of mental illness among new parents.
Learn more about Elaine Hanzak…
3. Ruby Wax
Mental health activist and TV personality Ruby Wax has also contributed her voice in the fight against mental illness. As such, she presents keynote speeches and facilitates workshops that focus on leadership, communication, and neuroscience. In all this, Wax effortlessly combines her unique humour with relevant topics in an informative and captivating manner.
Having studied psychology, psychotherapy, and counseling, Wax is well prepared to tackle the issues she renders her contribution to. Today, she runs various management works for leaders in the business world, empowering them to find more direct and deeper communication levels with colleagues and clients. The workshops often combine humour with scientific and theoretical learning. Typically, they also involve practical exercises.
Recently, she hosted a successful two-woman show titled Losing It. The dark comedy show talks about mental illness and how people are coping with the various toxins arising from modern life.
Additionally, Wax has hosted weekly Forums at the West End theatre. These sessions are tailored towards helping members of the general public receive the free advice they need to ensure that they know where they can get help in the country from the most prominent of professionals in the mental health sector.
4. Vickie Shanks
It’s important to include autism and other developmental disabilities in the mental health conversation. Vikie Shanks is the mother of seven beautiful children. Six of her children are on the autism spectrum; two were born with cerebral palsy, and one has server dyslexia. In addition to the additional challenges that came with raising her children, her husband also struggled with mental health problems. Sadly, he committed suicide.
Her presentations offer a unique perspective on how we view others with challenges. For example, without realizing it, we often pity those on the autism spectrum. Vikie believes that it’s time to reexamine how we approach those whose brains are different than ours. This paradigm shift came about after the experience she went through with her family.
Through her remarkable journey, she has become an author and motivational speaker. Her success has demonstrated that even the most difficult circumstances can be used as a catalyst in promoting mental health awareness and Autism awareness. Most importantly, she emphasizes the importance of effective communication – a reminder for everyone.
5. Eleanor Londgen
One of the biggest components of the stigma surrounding mental health is the notion that people who admit to hearing voices in their head face the risk of being labeled as “crazy”. It’s important to understand that many people hear voices in their head and it’s okay. This is especially true for Eleanor Londgen.
Eleanor is a British psychology researcher who believes that hearing voices is a “creative and ingenious survival strategy” that should be seen “not as an abstract symptom of illness to be endured, but as complex, significant, and meaningful experience to be explored.”
After spending many years in the psychiatric system, she earned a BSc and MSc in Psychology. It’s important to note that these are the most prestigious classifications ever given by the University of Leeds, England. She is currently studying for PhD, while also delivering presentations and writing.
Her 2013 TED talk, titled “The Voices in My Head,” clearly demonstrates her experience as a keynote speaker and her ability to captivate her audience. Through the combination of her personal experience and academic knowledge, she inspires people to have a successful recovery and grow from the experience.
Learn more about Eleanor Londgen…
Concluding Thoughts
Mental health has always affected humanity since our inception. However, the issues experienced by those with mental illness are only coming to the core. This is mostly on account of the contributions made by the top mental health speakers in the UK. In the modern age, different people are raising awareness about mental illness and health through their work, talking to others in decision making positions about appropriate solutions.
Although the list above is in no way conclusive, it showcases the work being done to improve knowledge and get people talking about mental health. Most of those listed in this list have lived through the experience of poor mental health. Others have gone to school to study mental health. Their work, as well as that of others in the industry, will hopefully go a long way in redirecting this illness to a manageable future.
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