Welcome to The Talk Works Podcast, a space where we explore mental health, therapy, practical advice, and the tools needed to support wellbeing in the workplace.

In this episode, Dr Jen Cottam is joined by Rie Pearson, a former police officer, domestic abuse specialist and author of Be Kind, No Excuses.

Rie reflects on her 27 years in policing, specialising in Domestic Violence and Safeguarding. She talks about how control builds gradually, why leaving is far more complex than most people realise, and the red flag behaviours that are a precursor to abuse in intimate relationships.

Visit Talk Works: https://talk-works.org.uk/  

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: Jen Cottam 

Connect with Rie:

Instagram: @bekindnoexcuses_cic

TikTok: @riepearson (me.actually)

Website: riepearson.com

Be Kind, No Excuses (Book):

Available via Amazon

Welcome to The Talk Works Podcast, a space where we explore mental health, therapy, practical advice, and the tools needed to support wellbeing in the workplace.

In this episode, Dr Jen Cottam is joined by Anthony Hutton, winner of Big Brother 2005 and founder of the Never Throw In The Towel Project.

Anthony talks openly about life after sudden fame, the impact it had on his identity, which led to unhealthy habits, including alcohol and drug use. He shares the importance of breathwork, how you sometimes need to disguise mental health for men and why you need to get in the best shape of your life for the sake of your own mental health.

He also shares the power of community and the inspiration behind the Never Throw In The Towel Project.

Visit Talk Works: talk-works.org.uk  

Connect with Jen:  LinkedIn: Jen Cottam 

Connect with Anthony:

LinkedIn: Anthony Hutton

Instagram: @theanthonyhutton

https://www.instagram.com/theanthonyhutton/

Visit Never Throw in the Towel Project:

Website: https://neverthrowinthetowel.website/

LinkedIn: Never Throw In The Towel Project

Instagram: @neverthrowinthetowelproject

Welcome to the Talk Works Podcast, a space where we explore mental health, therapy, practical advice, and the tools needed to support wellbeing in the workplace.

In this episode, host Dr Jen Cottam is joined by Dr Vicky Jervis, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist working full-time in the NHS within a Specialist Adult Autism Team. Alongside her NHS role, Vicky provides supervision and mentoring through ACP-UK and the Royal College of Psychiatry’s national Autism Training Programme.

Vicky shares her experience of spending much of her life undiagnosed before receiving a late autism diagnosis in 2021, and what that was like for her. Jen and Vicky discuss masking at work, what a neuroaffirmative approach looks like in practice, and why identity-affirming support matters. They also explore the role of language and how employers can create environments where autistic and neurodivergent people don’t feel pressure to hide who they are.

Visit Talk Works: https://talk-works.org.uk/  

 Connect with Jen: LinkedIn: Jen Cottam 

 Connect with Vicky: LinkedIn: Dr Vicky Jervis

Recommended Resources:

The Autistic Anthology: Neuro Narratives of Mental Health Professionals