I am a GP, mental health researcher and trainer, expedition doctor and emerging film-maker.

My Fellowship – Exploring Indigenous Attitudes and Practices around Emotional Wellbeing – was borne out of a desire to challenge the current perceptions and management of mental health problems in the UK. As a clinician, I have seen first-hand the mounting levels of distress experienced by our population and am passionate about finding alternative approaches to supporting sufferers that harness community and peer connections and draw on aspects of spirituality.

My Fellowship findings have directly informed the design of two pilot projects targeting the needs of health and social care workers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Both draw respectfully on Native American and Alaska Native talking circle models and aim to offer support in a way that is destigmatising and builds community. Alongside, I am also utilising my findings to enhance my role as an expedition medic through the design and development of a mental health education programme for remote environments. This project draws on similar ideas and aims to build resilience in young people, and those supporting them, in wilderness settings.