Welcome to Episode 142, the second part of the interview with Dr Caroline Leaf. Part 1 is available here.

Caroline Leaf, PhD is a mental health expert, neuroscientist, and host of the popular podcast, Cleaning Up the Mental Mess. She is leveraging her 40 years of clinical experience to help adults and children unravel toxic thoughts and regain control of their minds.

Since the early 1980s, Dr Leaf has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. As a highly sought-after expert on mental health, she is the host of the top-rated podcast, Cleaning Up the Mental Mess. Dr Leaf is also the author of several bestselling books, including Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, Switch on Your Brain, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, The Perfect You, Think, Learn, Succeed, and many more. She has a master’s and PhD in Communication Pathology and a BSc on Logopaedics. Dr Leaf does ongoing research and clinical trials in the field of psycho neurobiology to improve mental health interventions.

What did we cover in this episode?

This was the second of two parts from Caroline and in the first part she did an amazing job of offering the science behind why we think the way we do and the impact it can have.

In the second part, my conversation with Caroline delves into the mental wellbeing of young people. The current mental health crisis has brought attention to the difficulties young children encounter in managing their emotional well-being. Many lack vital life skills to effectively handle situations, rendering them more susceptible. In today’s episode, we delve further into the concept of “thought trees” which is what Caroline calls the intricate thought patterns we develop. She feels young minds can struggle to navigate life and ‘big’ emotions. Without the tools to unravel these thoughts, children often grapple with overwhelming emotions and an inability to address them.

What else did we discuss?

We talk about Caroline’s most recent book (How to help your child clean up their mental mess), which sheds light on the significance of fostering early mental health understanding. Her book is designed to equip young readers with skills to comprehend and manage toxic thought patterns. We go on to discuss the inspiration behind the book and the importance of early mental health education, emphasising emotional intelligence and resilience. The book serves as a guide for parents, educators, and caregivers, supporting children’s mental well-being.

I hope you find this week’s guest as valuable to listen to as I did.  Stay tuned for next week’s episode for more tips and expertise on skills in life and in business.