In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Dr Emma Richardson, a clinical psychologist and lead psychologist for the Tackle Your Feelings program. This free mental health initiative supports AFL clubs by providing evidence-based training that helps coaches, players, committee members, and support staff understand, recognise, and respond to signs of mental ill-health in themselves and others. While awareness around mental health has improved across sporting environments, stigma still lingers beneath the surface, reinforced by unspoken expectations of toughness and a reluctance to show vulnerability.

Join Big Bros, Jeremy and Ilan, as they sit down with Dr Emma Richardson to explore mental health stigma in sport, unpack common thinking traps, and discuss how to strike the right balance between resilience and vulnerability. Expect to learn how to approach a loved one when you’re concerned about their mental health, why vulnerability is a true form of mental toughness, the key early warning signs of declining mental health, where stigma still shows up in footy clubs, the most unhelpful thinking traps athletes fall into, whether the AFL will introduce a mental health round, and much more.

Check Out Tackle Your Feelings: 
Tackle Your Feelings Website: https://www.tackleyourfeelings.org.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyf_au/

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