Mental Health & Wellbeing

Why We Must Lead Mental Health Conversations from the Inside Out

In every movement, there’s a moment when the story changes. When awareness gives way to architecture. When silence is no longer survivable. For Black and minority ethnic women, that moment is now  and it’s not just personal, it’s neurological.

Let’s begin with a fact from neuroscience. Trauma doesn’t just happen to us it rewires us.

The amygdala, the brain’s fear centre, goes into overdrive. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, begins to dim. Memory becomes fragmented. Logic short-circuits.

This is not a metaphor. This is what happens when you’ve endured narcissistic abuse, survived financial control or lived in systems that gaslight your very existence at home, online or in the workplace.

Narcissistic Abuse in the Lives of Women Who Lead

They sit on panels. They run boardrooms. They mentor others. And yet, they go home to partners who undermine them, isolate them or emotionally deplete them before the morning coffee is brewed.

For too many women in leadership,  particularly Black, Asian and ethnically minoritised women  narcissistic abuse hides behind wedding rings, polished Instagram profiles and professional partnerships. What begins as validation becomes surveillance. What looked like loyalty becomes control. And because the world sees her success, few suspect the emotional warfare she’s navigating behind the scenes.

This is not about weakness. It’s about proximity to power. Narcissistic abusers are often drawn to accomplished women because controlling a leader validates their own insecurity. And culturally, women are often trained to endure rather than expose. Especially in African, Caribbean, South Asian and diasporic households, the message is “Don’t embarrass the family. Stay quiet.…

Beyond Survival: Why National Mental Health Month Must Be a Turning Point!

Every May, we are invited to pause and think about mental health.

For many, this means campaigns, hashtags, curated conversations and branded commitments to 'raising awareness.'

Yet studies show that awareness alone does not translate into better outcomes for marginalised groups.

The Mental Health Foundation (UK) has noted that people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds are less likely to receive mental health support despite experiencing higher rates of mental distress.