Dr Lars Hansen is a Consultant Psychiatrist from Denmark living in the New Forest, UK. This conversation touched on so many of the topics that fascinated and perplexed me over the past year, and it continues to have a big impact on me. In this episode, we tackle questions of kindness, trust, the negativity impulse, and the mental health benefits of human connection.

You can find more info about Dr Lars here, and you can buy his exceptional book here.

Dr Lars Hansen is a Consultant Psychiatrist from Denmark living in the New Forest, UK. He has spent his career treating patients with severe mental health conditions, most frequently schizophrenia, psychosis, suicidality, anxiety and depression. However, he believes that psychiatry could benefit from a more positive approach, with less emphasis on what is 'wrong' with patients and more on what they are good at. In this hugely meaningful discussion, we explore how simple joy could be a force for good to that end.

And to mark the day that would've been his 63rd birthday, here's something from the wonderful Sean Locke.

David Hawkins is a botanist, an inspector of all things small and green, an old friend and perhaps the most curious man I've ever met. In this episode, he tells me all about the simple joy of 'looking' - looking for things, and looking closer at things. It's been a great inspiration for me, and I hope it is for you too. Below are some book recommendations for those who, like me, would like to pay a bit more attention to the vast and fascinating world of plants.

Best way in: Collins Complete Guide to British Wild Flowers

For city-dwellers: A Field Guide to Urban Plants