Episode 16 - Holding space for fathers/trans men in the postnatal period with Mark Williams

In today’s episode I am talking to Mark Williams about holding space for Dad’s to support mental health and wellbeing in the first 1001 days of life and we come up with some great ideas to bring awareness to some of the issues facing men. About Gayle: International Lecturer & Expert on Baby Massage & Yoga Founder of Blossom & Berry, BA, Dip. Law, PGCE, IAIM, Birthlight, Dip Hypno, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Life Coach ITEC Massage, Author, Pregnancy and Post Natal Yoga Teacher, Children's Yoga Teacher, Doula & Sleep Consultant. Gayle is an international author and expert on infant massage and yoga. She is a proud mother of three amazing children & co founder of the charity Love Support Unite where she has enabled a safe motherhood project for mothers and babies in poverty in Malawi. She is also very proud to be an ambassador for a number of mother and baby wellness brands and I am Channel Mums' Baby Massage Expert and is also a global business mentor. Gayle's Links: Facebook Instagram Website If you are as passionate about nurturing the future as we are, check out our nurturing the future diplomas which allow you to teach all the essential elements of support in the first 1001 critical days. You can find out more HERE. About Mark: Keynote speaker Mark Williams is an advocate for fathers' mental health. He is a motivational speaker and, on a mission, to start the conversation about fathers' perinatal mental health issues and mental health in general. Mark has been featured in the media several times and has spoken at more than 350 conferences and events. Born in the Welsh Valley and the first member of his family not to go underground as a coal miner was brought up to be the strong one while struggling in school became a British Champion. Due to Rave scene in 1990 for seven years partied and was leading down the wrong path in life until he found his wife Michelle. Mark Williams had a career in sales management and training, but after his own experience with looking after Michelle with post-natal depression and struggling himself in 2004, he became involved in the health sector. He first struggled to find someone to talk to about his depression, which led to a breakdown. However, he was put on medication and was taught behavioural cognitive therapy and mindfulness. Today, speaker Mark Williams and his wife are closer than ever, although their family bond was threatened by the seriousness of mental health illnesses. Speaker Mark Williams is the founder of Fathers Reaching Out – an organization with a mission to prevent, treat and spread awareness about fathers’ mental health. Mark is also the founder of International Fathers’ Mental Health Day and has been awarded Inspirational Father of the Year in 2012 and Local Hero at the Pride of Britain Awards. In 2016, speaker Mark Williams was chosen to meet the Royal Family on World Mental Health Day. Mark works as an international speaker, consultant to organizations on men’s mental health, trainer in Perinatal Mental Health and author of Daddy Blues and Fathers Perinatal Mental Health. As a speaker Mark Williams is informative and motivational while bringing a humorous and creative sense to an otherwise serious topic. Having struggled with his own mental health after being diagnosed with ADHD at age 40, Mark knows what it is like to feel lost and confused. One in three fathers worry about their own mental health, and one in 10 fathers suffer from post-natal depression. It is an issue that must be acknowledged and dealt with – something Mark can help with! Mark's Links: Twitter Website