This episode is a bit different because it takes the form of a conversation between Shona Macpherson and Professor Rory O’Connor.  Shona is a counsellor and life coach who works with Mikeysline and will be a familiar voice to you if you listen to the podcast regularly.  Rory is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of suicide prevention, he’s Professor of Health Psychology, Director of the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory and head of the Mental Health and Wellbeing group at the University of Glasgow. He’s passionate about trying to understand the root causes of suicide in a bid to work out what we can do to reduce the shocking suicide statistics worldwide.  

His recent book “When it is darkest – Why people die by suicide and what we can do to prevent it” is a searingly honest search through this challenging and often upsetting subject.  It’s a book that’s written with such compassion and humanity we couldn’t resist asking Rory to take part in Speaking of Suicide and, since it was Shona who first brought Rory’s book to our attention and is such a passionate advocate herself of finding ways to stop suicide, we thought it should be Shona who talks with Rory.

Rory O'Connor

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Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin