'People are really struggling with lockdown' says Nottinghamshire mental health coach

With the pandemic expected to run well into next year, mental health is becoming an increasing concern with many Nottinghamshire residents looking to professionals for help to deal with low mood and increases in stress.

Joe Roe, a mental health coach based in Mansfield, helps people to change their mindset and make positive changes to their lives.

Having struggled with her own mental health over the years, the 43-year-old combines years of study with her own experiences to provide a person-centred approach with her clients.

She said: “I’ve been hospitalised twice over the years, so I have experiences to draw on when providing a coaching plan for my clients.

"I first began to struggle in 2012 whilst caring for my father and finding my job at risk of redundancy.

"I was under extreme stress, working long hours and burning the candle at both ends.

"I was initially diagnosed with a general anxiety disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome and ended up bedridden for three months, but this was only the beginning.

"I experienced my first bipolar episode in 2013 – I became very manic and encountered my first bout of psychosis, suffering from delusions and hallucinations – I completely lost touch with reality.”

Joe was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and spent several months in hospital, eventually returning to work a few months later.

In 2015 she decided on a career change and began studying business coaching, but once again found herself struggling with sleep and overworking, and knew she was heading for another episode.

This time, she ended up in Millbrook mental health unit where, during her recovery, she made the decision to steer her career towards helping those in a similar situation.

“I was very unwell, but it helped me decide what I wanted to do with my life,” she said.

"In Millbrook I was very self-aware and knew how to put routines in place to help myself, but I could see a lot of others were not as fortunate as me.

"I knew I needed to complete my training and embark on a new career once I had recovered.”

Joe now provides her clients with a personalised approach to turning their life around, and begins by helping them rediscover themselves and goal-setting, which she believes is the key to recovery.

She said: “My clients are now 90 per cent male, whereas it used to be a 50-50 split. Men tend to struggle opening up and find it easier to be ‘coached’ I think, as opposed to the usual approaches such as counselling.

"I’m seeing a lot of clients recently who are having increased anxiety or low mood due to money worries, threats of redundancy and isolation.

"People are really struggling with lockdown and I am concerned about the impact of this pandemic on everyone’s mental health.”

Joe is currently creating free content which will be released weekly in 2021 to help those who are struggling, alongside a mental health toolbox to help ‘detox your mind’.

For more information, see her facebook page: Joe Roe Mental Health Coach or her website.

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