Mark Williams is a passionate advocate for parental mental health, having experienced the hardships of mental health himself. Mark was overjoyed to find that his wife was expecting, however after a traumatic childbirth Mark found himself helping his wife through post-natal depression. Seeing his wife suffer and dealing with the pressure of new parenthood, Mark found it difficult to find someone to discuss his feelings with. As a result, he too became depressed, spiralling into a mental breakdown. Fortunately, Mark was able to find the strength to battle through his breakdown and depression, ultimately being taught cognitive behavioural therapy and becoming involved in the health sector.
After having spent time suffering from mental illness and feeling as though he had no one to turn to, Mark channelled his passion to found Fathers Reaching Out. Mark founded the organisation with the vision of helping other parents and fathers who were struggling with the pressures of parenthood and to spread the awareness of such a topical subject. Determined to further raise awareness of paternal mental health, Mark also founded the International Fathers Mental Health Day to spend an entire day bringing the importance of such a topic to light.
In reward of his commitment to the cause, Mark has been awarded the 2012 Inspirational Father of the Year Award and was also selected to meet the Royal Family on World Mental Health Day. He has also claimed the Pride of Britain Local Hero Award, a testament to his authority in mental health and illness. Mark also authored the book Daddy Blues, where he shares his story of depression and troubles of parenthood.
Mark now dedicates his time to working as a motivational mental health speaker, travelling the country to spread his important messages about paternal mental health. Although speaking about an important topic, Mark adds a humorous spin to his speeches. Having personally battled with his mental health and diagnosed with ADHD at 40 years old, Mark is able to share the first-hand experience of overcoming adversity and what it takes to do just that. Coaching and consulting, Mark helps dad’s and parents across the country to take control of their wellbeing, ensuring that whilst they are caring for their children, they are also caring for themselves. In a world where one in ten fathers suffer from post-natal depression, it is more important now than ever to have someone like Mark speak at events championing action towards a world that is more accepting of mental illness.
