– Talking Health: Making Time for Difficult Conversations –

Talking Health: Making Time for Difficult Conversations

Content Warning: This workshop will cover challenging topics including suicide, bereavement, and mental ill-health.

Some conversations can feel awkward. We can be wary of talking about topics like disability or mental health. Asking for help with menopause or migraines can be daunting. Letting our colleagues or our loved ones know we’re struggling can seem like the worst thing in the world.

But how much does this this hold us back, at work and in life, and what are the consequences of keeping parts of ourselves from those around us?

Matt will facilitate a relaxed discussion about creating the conditions for having sensitive discussions at work, reducing stigma and shame, and achieving better outcomes. He’ll share examples from his lived experience, encourage the group to share their stories, and crowdsource a whiteboard full of tips for you to take away. Whether you want to talk about your own experiences, seek advice from the group, or simply listen and reflect in a safe space, you’re very welcome to join us.

Matt’s ten years as a communications professional include time in the public, private, and third sectors, covering topics from covid vaccines and social care recruitment to mental health and housing policy. He’s currently a Head of Strategic Communications at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and co-chairs a professional network for strategic communicators in the Civil Service. During the pandemic, he established a cross-Government wellbeing support group for communications professionals.

Matt is a mental health first-aider (MHFA) and is currently training as an accredited MHFA instructor.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-dolman