Blogs, articles, insights and research
Blogs, articles, insights and research
🧭 Navigating This Blog

Hearing about the experiences of others, and sharing tools and tips to support recovery, is one of the foundations of our culture. We can create connections by sharing about our lived experience – especially those that offer inspiration and hope.

Recovery in mental health is not always well understood; sharing your experiences makes personal recovery come alive. It also supports values and strengthens lessons learned from life experiences. It helps to build community and create connections.

You can find lots of inspirational stories; use the search bar at the top to find stories relevant to you. To return to this page after a search, please press the back button in your browser.

✍️ Share Your Experiences

If you are a registered student and would like to share about your experience, please contact us.

You can read more student experiences on our testimonials page and student development programme page.

📰 Newsletters

To make our website and newsletters more accessible from 2025 onwards, all blogs, tips and articles published in our e-newsletters will be published on this page.

You can also read PDF newsletters published before 2025.

📝 Write for the Blog

We welcome students who are interested in writing blogs, sharing reflections, or contributing creative content to support others on their recovery journey.

Get started by visiting the following links:

If you have any questions or ideas, please contact us at newleaf.wellbeingcollege@nhs.net.

Student transformations
Blog, Hope and recovery

Student transformations

How two people who once felt suicidal overcame their depression.

Leslie Tate from Radio Dacorum interviews two New Leaf Recovery and Wellbeing College experts by experience. Learn how they overcome their depression and the things you can do to help your mental health too.

How being on the student development programme has helped my personal recovery
Blog, Interview, Hope and recovery, Opportunity building

How being on the student development programme has helped my personal recovery

Read about the experience of one of our experts by experience and how the student development programme has helped their personal mental health recovery

The Catch22 dilemma
Blog, Resilience, Creativity for wellbeing, Hope and recovery, Healthy eating

The Catch22 dilemma

One persons discovery and recovery plan for overcoming PCOS and binge eating disorder

Keep reading to find out about their recovery journey and how they plan to propel themselves out of the catch22 cycle of PCOS and binge eating disorder.

From grief to hope - there is always hope!
Blog, Campaign, Hope and recovery

From grief to hope - there is always hope!

Well done to everyone who attended and shared their experiences at HPFT NHS's virtual conference for World Suicide Prevention Day 'Creating Hope Through Action'. And a big well done to our expert by experience Louisa, who shared her experience of how the college helped helped her to go from grief to hope.

If you missed it, click to read Louisah’s story.

7 mental health lessons from the Star Wars films
Blog, Resilience, Creativity for wellbeing, Hope and recovery, Learning for wellbeing

7 mental health lessons from the Star Wars films

May the force (and good health) be with you

Did you know that re-watching movies you love helps your wellbeing? It’s...

‘New Year, New Leaf’
Blog, Keeping active and physical exercise, Resilience, Hope and recovery, Communication and relationship building

‘New Year, New Leaf’

The five approaches that could change the way you achieve your health goals

The goal of living a healthier and more fulfilling life is something many of us strive to achieve; and this article answers the question: what practices, tools and techniques have been proven to work? The five approaches discussed in this article have helped hundreds of people to achieve their physical and mental wellbeing goals.

Rebuilding the impossible
Blog, Hope and recovery, Giving for wellbeing, Communication and relationship building

Rebuilding the impossible

Mending our marriage

Laura shares their experience of being on the brink of divorce and how our courses helped them rebuild their marriage.

Free Me
Blog, Resilience, Writing for wellbeing, Creativity for wellbeing, Hope and recovery

Free Me

Helen shares her recovery journey and how she freed herself from the rope and chain prison she was unknowingly creating.