Episode 27 - A new conversation about mental health with Dr Jen Daffin

The Leah Sian Davies Podcast

Today I am chatting with the brilliant Dr Jen Daffin.

Jen is a Community Clinical Psychologist with a passion for social justice. She has 15 years’ experience of working in NHS mental health and learning disability services and now works for a mental health charity called Platfform.

She recently started her Instagram account @fair.play.psychology where she shares information about how our social and political circumstances determine our mental health.

Jen and I had a great conversation about the bigger picture of what we term our ‘mental health’. That we are more than our minds, and that for humans to thrive we need to nurture our minds, bodies and communities.

In this episode, we cover A LOT, but here are some key points:

What is ‘trauma’ and how does it impact our mental health

Is the term ‘mental health’ still valid, given how much more we know about how humans work?

How childhood adversity impacts our total health as adults

How the pandemic has created chronic stress AND given us a golden opportunity to reconnect back to ourselves and each other

A conversation of hope for anyone who feels alone – reminding us of our common humanity

Find out more:

Jen on Instagram

Psychologists for Social Change

Books we mentioned:

‘What happened to you’ Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

‘How to do the work’ Dr Nicole LePera (aka The Holistic psychologist)

Work with me:

1-1 Coaching experiences

Sign up to my letters

If you enjoyed this episode, I would love your feedback. You can get in touch with me on Instagram @leahsiandavies, or email me [e-mail].

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This podcast is edited and produced by Meghan Hutchins at Making Space VA