Milton Keynes man brings back mental health podcast to help people in need

Mr Clark created the podcast in August 2020 to educate people on the importance of mental health. But also in an attempt to tackle the stigma around discussing men's mental health.

The 31-year-old's guests have varied from local Milton Keynes blogger, Sophie Etc., to Welsh international footballer, Manchester City's Matt Smith. Three episodes from season two are already live, with Mason 'The Dragon' Jones, a rising UFC prospect, the other weekly guest to be featured so far, alongside ETC. and Smith.

All these highly accomplished, high profile figures, have gone into detail about how they have suffered and coped with their mental illnesses.

Mental ill health is common; one in four people will experience a mental illness of some kind in each year in England, and one in six people will report experiencing a common mental health problem – like anxiety and depression – in any given week.

Mr Clark said: My main aim with The Stress Sessions has always been to get people talking about mental ill health and make it easier for everyone to speak to their loved ones, whether that’s their wife, husband, mum, dad, friends, family or even work colleagues, if they’re having any problems.

“There’s a stigma surrounding mental illness – particularly around men’s mental health – but it’s getting better day by day. And that’s by the simple are of conversation. Too many lives are taken each year – 18 each day in 2019 – a number that needs to be significantly reduced. We need to make talking about our mental health a normal thing and that’s what I’m trying to get people to do with the podcast.”

Series Two of The Stress Sessions is set to run until mid-April, with a new episode being released each Monday – and Luke is already planning his guests for series three.

Mr Clark added: “I’m not currently able to announce who’s going to feature on the third series, but I’ve managed to line up a few household names including a television presenter, an Olympian and mental health activist – some who have never spoken about their mental struggles before – so there are going to be some really interesting conversations and I’ll probably need a box of tissues!”

Follow The Stress Sessions on Instagram @stresssessions and download series one and two of The Stress Sessions podcast by visiting https://linktr.ee/stresssessions. The Stress Sessions is available on all podcasting platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer and Castbox.