About me

Informing and underpinning my coaching practice is over a decade of experience studying and working in the medical, research, and mental health fields. A focus on the evidence and what really works lies at the heart of what I do; as does an in-depth training in both the mind and the body, which are inseparable.

  • I’m a medical doctor trained at University College London (UCL), currently working part-time in A&E.

  • Additionally, I have a PhD (under the supervision of Professor Daisy Fancourt, one of the world’s leading academics) in Behavioural Sciences and Health (UCL), researching community group support (social prescribing) for those with mental health & addiction problems. I am an experienced researcher in this area with over 1300 citations across the field of mental health.

  • I am also a trainee-psychotherapist. This means I incorporate a therapeutic approach within my coaching practice but am not yet providing formal paid therapy.

  • Just as importantly as any of this professional experience, is my own previous lived experience of mental health challenges and addictive behaviours. This means I can often honestly say to you “I get it”. This informs my practice more than anything else, and I believe brings an even deeper level of empathy, understanding and compassion to my approach.

Academic Research

  • Experienced researcher with over 1300 citations across the field of mental health

  • Co-author of DCMS Government Report on Social Prescribing

  • Lead author on 1-year long Social Prescribing Ethnography across multiple community groups

  • Co-author on the first unifying framework explaining how Leisure activities impact mental and physical health, published in Lancet psychiatry

  • Author of multiple studies throughout the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health impact of the pandemic on those with: Mental health conditions, Long Covid, Non-Healthcare Key Workers, Healthcare Workers

Highlights

Media & Podcast appearances

Brands & organisations I’ve worked with

Further Professional Work

  • Graduate of the prestigious MBPhD programme at University College London (UCL) - joint Medicine and Research/PhD programme

  • Mental health content creator on instagram: doctor_mentalhealth - providing evidence-based mental health content for thousands of followers

  • Former Vice-Lead of National Student Social Prescribing Champion Scheme, helping to set up social prescribing teaching across all UK medical schools

  • Founder and Host of (former) MARCH research network podcast series “Mental Health and Communities”, including interviews with high-profile doctors, healthcare practitioners and researchers, e.g. Sir Sam Everington, Professor Daisy Fancourt, Professor Helen Chatterjee and Marie Polley MBE

  • Guest speaker at ACAMH Learn on adolescent social prescribing & reducing loneliness in adolescents 

  • Former Lecturer on Social Prescribing at UCL medical school (and several other medical schools) including designing an online Social Prescribing training module

  • Medical/Health and Well-being Writer across range of outlets including: National Elf Service, Men’s Health, Medium.

Get in touch

If you think you would like some support, do get in touch. We can arrange a 30-min free, no-expectations discovery call to explore if you’d like to work together.

Or, if you’d like me to speak at an event, run a workshop or training, or collaborate in any way.

henry.aughterson@gmail.com