Can we talk?
Connecting through mental health
An Instagram-based project
Follow @Canwetalk.jpg
What this initiative is about
Creating a safe space for people from any background to share their mental health lows and highs, as well as what they've learnt along the way. The hope is that by connecting people, this will inspire others and provide an element of support to those in a similar situation. We're not alone in our mental health rollercoasters, let's talk about it.
At the moment all stories are shared via the Instagram page only (canwetalk.jpg).
How it works
1. Get in touch
Send an email or fill in the contact form below with a small paragraph (max. 500 words) explaining your own experience with any kind of mental health challenge.
Remember, this could be anything from a period of grief to a diagnosis of autism. Nothing is too small or big.
2. Interview
I will get in touch with further details if we progress with an interview. Then, we can arrange a day and time to meet online or in-person to have an informal, semi-structured interview.
3. Photos
Alongside the summary of our conversation, I will need at least one photo to include in the Instagram post. This could be a photo of you, as well as an image that represents you.
4. Proofread
Once I've completed the write-up, I'll send it over to you for a final proofread before posting it to the Instagram page. At the moment, all stories will only be shared via Instagram.
About Me
Who I am
My name is Jade. I'm an Assistant Psychologist, and aspiring Clinical Psychologist, wanting to use my knowledge and experience to encourage people to share their mental health stories. I'm also expecting this to be a massive learning curve for me as I can't say I'm great at talking about my feelings, even though I want to become a psychologist!
My qualifications include a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Neuropsychology (both from the University of Bristol). I'm also a graduate member of the British Psychological Society. After my MSc ended in 2020, I worked as an Enhanced Healthcare Assistant, working 1-to-1 with vulnerable patients on a Major Trauma ward for 9 months. I then began my current role as an Assistant Psychologist on a Neurodevelopmental Assessment Team.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a qualified therapist, counsellor or psychologist.
Outside of work I enjoy playing tennis (and exercising in general), travelling (the warmer the country, the better) and eating. I also love listening to music and I'm a big Taylor Swift fan. Not to brag, but I was in her top 0.5% of Spotify listeners from 2020-2021.
My aim
We will likely all experience poor mental health at some point in our lives, ranging from work stress to diagnosed depression. It can be extremely difficult to acknowledge our own mental health struggles. I wanted to start this initiative to spread awareness that there is at least one person out in the world who has lived through a similar experience to yourself. My hope is that giving people a safe space to share their low moments, along with their highs, can inspire others and provide an element of support to those in a similar situation.
Being vulnerable is a strength as it's a tough thing to do. Hopefully 'Can we talk?' will encourage all of us to open up and be more accepting of our own, and other's, vulnerabilities.
Contact us
If you are interested in sharing your story, please contact me via email or the contact form on the right. Please limit your mental health journey summary to 500 words max.
We will be in touch with further details as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance for your submission, I appreciate it's not an easy thing to do!
Get in touch
Contact Us
Crisis support
If you're in crisis and need to talk to someone immediately, here are some helplines staffed by trained people ready to listen:
- Samaritans: Available to talk about anything that is upsetting you, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone).
- SANEline: If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).
- National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK: Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call 0800 689 5652 (open 24/7).
- Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): You can call the CALM team on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.
- Shout: If you would prefer not to talk but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258. Shout offers a confidential 24/7 text service providing support if you are in crisis and need immediate help.
- Switchboard: If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day) or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.
Please visit your local A&E department if you feel unable to keep yourself safe – especially if you think you are at risk of acting on suicidal feelings, or you have seriously harmed yourself and need medical attention.
