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Björg Hermannsdóttir is an online counselling psychologist What attracted you to become a therapist? I wanted to be a medical doctor until I realised at 19 that I was not interested enough in anatomy and how bodies function. It turned out I was much more interested in people’s behaviour, society, and in making sense of all the strange things we do.

James Leyland-Willows is a psychotherapist in Nottingham and online What attracted you to become a therapist? I struggled with my mental health back in 2017, suffering daily with crippling anxiety and panic attacks. I knew I needed help so found a counsellor and she helped me get back to a place where I could enjoy my life again. Fast forward to 2021 where I decided I wanted to put something back into the world and help people in the same way I was.

We rarely talk about how men feel about their bodies. This is unfortunate, because body image anxiety affects millions of men, often in ways they don’t fully recognise or admit. From superhero physiques to reality shows like Love Island, the message is clear: to be desirable or successful you should look a certain way – sculpted, strong, symmetrical. And if you don’t, you’re led to believe you’re inadequate in some way.

Controlling racing thoughts at night can be challenging, especially when knowing that getting a good night's sleep is so important to our happiness, health and wellbeing (not to mention functioning in the workplace) but hypnotherapy is one very effective approach. In my book Subconsciously I share the story of a former client, Estelle. She was one of those lucky people who could always sleep a good eight hours without waking up. Before she had a child, sleep was her superpower.

Millions of self-help resources exist, including books, therapies, podcasts, YouTube videos, and more. But is there a hidden, unified framework that lies beneath all of them? This is the question that sparked a five-year project culminating in our new book, The 12 Levers. What motivated us was a simple recognition: Yes, some self-help is garbage. But some of it is truly life-changing. We know this first hand.

Joanne Petschek is a psychotherapist in London and online What attracted you to become a therapist? I started training in 2007 when my children were young. My mother had recently died, and I needed to find a new way to be. The training gave me something of my own to focus on while raising my family and looking after my busy household. I originally signed up for a one-year course for a Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Suicide is rarely only about death; more often, it is about the unbearable difficulty of continuing to live in a world that no longer feels possible, and the human need to be met there without fear or judgement. That distinction matters. In therapeutic work there is often a moment when someone quietly says, "I don't think I want to be here anymore". Such words can evoke fear, responsibility and a wish to move quickly into reassurance, safety planning or assessment.

When Beeban Kidron noticed the unsettling effects that phones and technology had on young people in her family, she decided she needed to understand it better. But while most parents might have spoken to other mothers, or tackled the appropriate teachers at school, Kidron went far, far further.

Most people begin weight loss medication expecting two things: for the weight to shift, and for life to feel better. The first often happens; the second could be more complicated. If you’re a few weeks or months into Mounjaro, Wegovy, or a similar medication and something unexpected has surfaced — a flatness, a low-level unease, a restlessness you cant quite name — it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.

Ever since US-owned therapy platform BetterHelp appeared in the UK it has been a huge advertiser. While the company’s global advertising and marketing spend in 2025 was US$518.5 million, in the UK it initially focused on podcasts such as The Rest is History and others. Recently has turned to advertising on the London Underground, arousing controversy in some quarters. One ad has had a particularly negative reception from therapy professionals.