The Samaritans, Britain's first crisis hotline, was founded in 1953 ‘to befriend the despairing and suicidal’. If, like me, you visit the tiny crypt...
Articles on Inspirational People
A Gentle Approach to Anxiety
On 29 March, I attended the book launch of fellow Jessica-Kingsley-published author, Dr Martin Brunet. His book, Your Worry Makes Sense, was...
Being proximate: when a hug is too much
There is a young boy, aged 11, called Pete, who loses his beloved mother to cancer and his world changes. The ground he walks on longer feels solid...
A glint in the eye: the importance of mirroring
I have always thought that people's eyes matter. Perhaps when we meet another person and look them in the eye we have a sense of whether we are...
Stop and Look Inside! Thoughts on addiction
Aged 80 this year, Canadian physician Gabor Maté was recently speaking about the notion of being ‘Young Again’ with Kirsty Young on BBC Radio 4. I...
What we most need: thoughts on chronic illness
Many of us remember Miranda Hart, the comedian extraordinaire who rose to prominence with Call the Midwife, winning comedy awards and four BAFTA...
Terry Waite and the power of poetry
I had no personal contact with Terry Waite until April, 2024. Up until then, he was someone who I knew had been held captive in Beirut before being...
Colin Murray Parkes – The David Attenborough of bereavement
Colin Murray Parkes, who died on 13 January 2024 at the age of 95, spent the majority of his life putting himself where others suffered traumatic...