Schools Speakers

We provide live (in-person or online) multi-media presentations tailored appropriately for either… students, teachers, other pastoral staff, or parents/carers. They normally last for 45 minutes followed by a question/answer session, but timing can be adjusted to suit.

They are presented live by accredited Family Mental Wealth team members, and feature video contributions from Dr Joshua Harwood, Dr Elizabeth McNaught, and Dr Faith Orchard.

Dr Joshua Harwood, Dr Elizabeth McNaught, and Dr Faith Orchard appear on video clips
(drawn from our government-funded Headway: Parent Toolkit)

N.B. These multi-media presentations will be tailored specifically to the needs of the attendees, using language and style that is appropriate for them.

We provide two different presentations:

  • FROM RISK TO RESILIENCE: KEY SKILLS FOR BUILDING MENTALLY HEALTHY LIVES
    (For students Year 9 upwards, teachers, other pastoral staff, or parents/carers.)
    Set in the context of real-life inspirational stories of recovery from mental ill-health, we explore how we might build mentally healthy lives, avoiding the development of ill-health such as anxiety, depression or eating disorders. We explore how we might develop protective factors which will reduce the impact of three of the most common risk factors for mental ill-health:
    • Body Dissatisfaction. A psychological state characterised by the negative subjective evaluation of one’s own body (e.g. size, shape, muscularity) with a strong motivation to fit a perceived ideal.
    • Negative Emotionality. A personality trait characterised by a tendency to interpret experiences in a way that produces negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, fear and anger.
    • Perfectionism. A personality trait characterised by setting oneself unrealistically high standards, and engaging in harsh, negative, self-evaluation with a strong motivation to avoid failure.
  • FROM FADING TO FLOURISHING: KEY SKILLS FOR SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY
    (For teachers, other pastoral staff, or parents/carers.)
    Following on from the content of From Risk to Resilience, and appropriately tailored to the audience, we explore three key skills, drawn from the ‘New Maudsley Method for Skills-based Caring’. This evidence-based approach, developed at King’s College and the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, can help teachers, other pastoral staff, and parents/carers to support a person’s recovery from mental ill-health:
    • ‘Be curious not furious’. This key skill enables us to facilitate positive conversations in which the person we are supporting can tell their story, express their experience, and gain insight into their thoughts, feelings, and mental health.
    • ‘Be the anchor not the captain’. This key skill enables us to support the person positively, even when they are very resistant to change, or indeed in denial about their mental ill-health.
    • ‘Be a believer and a cheerleader’. This key skill enables us to develop the self-efficacy of the person we are supporting, by building their confidence in their ability to overcome obstacles on their journey towards a mentally healthy life.

Special presentation focussed on Eating Disorders

We also offer a special version of From Risk to Resilience specifically focussed on eating disorders (for students Year 9 upwards, teachers, other pastoral staff, or parents/carers) see full details here.

It is presented live by Nick Pollard BSc (Psych) MBPsS FRSA, with his daughter Dr Elizabeth McNaught MBBS DRCOG on video. This presentation is set in the context of Dr McNaught’s recovery from anorexia in her teenage years, so their inspirational personal stories illustrate the detailed information.

It explores how the devastating impact of eating disorders can be averted by the appropriate knowledge of students, teachers, other pastoral staff, and parents/carers.

Dr McNaught and Nick Pollard are co-authors of the Oxford Specialist Handbook on Eating Disorders.

They have considerable professional as well as personal knowledge of eating disorders.


Commendations

‘A positive and hopeful message, that provides students and parents with useful
and practical strategies for building improved mental well-being.’
Mr Robert Smith, Assistant Head Pastoral, Portsmouth High School (GDST).

‘The presentation by Nick Pollard and Dr Elizabeth McNaught was packed full of important and detailed information but in a way that made it very accessible. This information was further illustrated by powerful personal stories. Nick’s perspective as a father was particularly poignant and insightful. Both staff and pupils found the presentation genuinely inspirational and educative. I recommend them highly.’
Lisa Greatwood, Head of PSHE, Rugby School.

‘Nick Pollard and Dr Elizabeth McNaught are both inspirational speakers who are able to articulate a very personal and powerful account of a young woman’s journey towards overcoming anorexia, and the extent to which her family understanding and support was crucial to her recovery. They give clear, simple guidance to enable parents and teachers to listen and advise with confidence. I recommend them highly.’
Brenda McDonald, Director of Sixth Form, Kingston Grammar School.


Costs (excl VAT*)

  • In-person events £750 plus travel
  • Online events £250

* If the event is part of the school’s curriculum then no VAT is payable, if it is not part of the school’s curriculum then VAT will be added.


To enquire about availability and to book

Please email us at Contact@FamilyMentalWealth.com