Mental health support is evolving in exciting new directions. While talk therapy and medication remain essential, research is opening doors to new approaches that could offer faster, deeper, and more personalised care. Here’s a look at some of the most promising areas of mental health research happening right now.

Do you ever catch yourself overthinking, replaying a conversation, or catastrophising a future event? You're not alone. According to psychologist and neuroscientist Ethan Kross, the voice in our head can be both our greatest asset and our harshest critic.

Based on a live presentation by Professor Russell Foster

When you're struggling with low mood or depression, it's natural to ask yourself:“Was I always destined to feel this way?”“Why am I depressed for no reason?”“Is something wrong with me?”

We all have days where the world feels a bit heavier. Maybe you’ve caught yourself wondering, “Is this normal?” or “Should I be worried about how I feel?” Or perhaps you've typed into Google: “How long should I feel low before doing something about it?” You're not alone — these are some of the most common questions people ask when they're feeling low.

In today’s rapidly evolving workplaces, organisations are under pressure to deliver more, faster—often with fewer resources. Amidst this, training is often viewed as a nice-to-have, something to be ticked off when time allows. But we need to reframe this.

As a person who wears many hats (so to speak), I'm fortunate enough to have opportunities to attend fascinating discussions from professionals in a variety of fields of interest. Last week I was lucky enough to attend a webinar with Professor Russel Foster, Head of Oxford University's Nuffield Laboratory and founder of the Sleep and Circadian Research Institute. He provided some interesting statistics from his research and made a number of surprising claims about sleep. This feels like the perfect place to share a summary of the points I found most interesting.

I was recently out for breakfast with friends, enjoying a much needed break from the home and workspace I spend most of my time in, looking through the menu for my favourite things, which, as with many places in this digital age, was available on my phone via a QR code.

Adlerian therapy, also known as Individual Psychology, is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by Alfred Adler, a prominent psychologist in the early 20th century, initially working closely with Freud and eventually diverging off to further develop his own interpretations.

For a long time I've struggled with a mind full of ideas. Lots of exciting potential of our time on Earth and what we could do with it to find happiness. I always blindly assumed that what I need to be happy is to achieve my goals and aspirations in life. But a few years ago, I was introduced to Buddhist teachings which suggest that TRUE happiness comes from contentment. From accepting where we are and what we cannot change, and being grateful for it.

This past week, the UK has had a sudden reappearance of clear blue skies, giving us a much needed boost after a dull winter. It's got me thinking about how and why the suns rays connect to us in ways that can have such a dramatic impact on our mood. What are the neurological changes our brains experience when sunlight touches our skin?

Dr Sean Feit Oakes is a teacher and practitioner specialising in the integration of Buddhism, Haṭha Yoga, trauma resolution, and social justice.