This week on Definitely Not Therapy, I sit down with Richard – a man whose passion for teaching runs deep, but whose journey has been anything but straightforward.

Richard opens up about the darkest chapter of his life: losing his job, battling depression, and the heavy weight of providing for his four children while feeling like the world had turned against him. He shares the raw truth of what it’s like when you’re told to “be honest” only for that honesty to be used against you—costing him the chance at his dream role.

But this isn’t a story that ends in defeat. Richard talks about how he faced the pain head-on, picked himself back up, and found the strength to keep moving forward even when it felt impossible. His story is one of resilience, hope, and the reality that no matter how far down you feel, you can always rise again.

We talk about:

• The toll of job loss and financial pressure on mental health
• The stigma around honesty and vulnerability in the workplace
• The crushing weight of responsibility when you’ve got a family to provide for
• How Richard learned to keep going through the fog of depression
• Finding purpose again and coming out the other side stronger

Richard’s journey is proof that even in your lowest moments, you can rebuild, you can grow, and you can come out fighting.

🔗 If you’re struggling, remember: you are not alone. Check out Andy’s Man Club
and other support networks near you.

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Episode Snapshot

This episode hits deep. I sat down with Olly from Angels United FC, a football-based support group formed by dads who found traditional therapy didn’t cut it. They used the pitch - not the couch - to process grief after losing a child during pregnancy. Olly bravely shares his heartbreak: losing twins Dottie and Poppy. But through the darkness, a rainbow baby arrived. His story? A reminder you’re never truly alone. Instead of sitting and mourning, Olly went to watch his beloved Gillingham FC play football, and a simple tweet changed his life! With an outpouring of love from supporters, players and even the manager! Football really is a language everyone can speak, and it spoke to Olly that day and showed him how powerful it can be.

About Angels United FC

• What they are: A peer-to-peer bereavement support group and football team formed in Manchester in 2020 by 13 fathers who all suffered the loss of a baby or child during pregnancy or at any age or stage. Football became their lifeline.
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• How it helps: They use football to #BreakTheSilence on baby & child loss, bringing together men from all backgrounds in a safe, no-judgment zone.
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• The pitch ritual: Players wear pink-and-blue kits - colours symbolizing infant loss - with their angels’ names on the back. They show up for each other, simply kick about, connect, and eventually talk.
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• Why it matters: Olly says football “saved me.” After his daughters’ funeral, attending a match - and seeing how strangers reached out - showed him that connection doesn’t need words to heal.
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• Recognition: In 2023, they won Manchester Community Sports Project of the Year, proving their impact reaches far beyond the pitch.
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• More than a team: Beyond football, they offer peer support over coffee, walks, and open chats. Everyone is welcome - no fitness requirement, no pressure.
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** Learn more or reach out here: [Angels United FC website]**
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Episode Highlights

• Olly’s snapshot: “We tried counselling, group sessions, coffee mornings - but it just wasn’t right for me. Football saved me.”
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• Raw truth: The club doesn’t interrogate your grief - with a ball at your feet and guys who’ve been there, conversation comes when you're ready.
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• Why sport heals: On grief’

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In my most honest moment yet, streamed live from London in front of an audience, I opened up about what landed me at rock bottom: the unbearable thought of losing time with my daughter, and never finding anyone who believes in me, ever again. Tears, vulnerability, and a microphone, because if I can post a video of myself completely broken for millions of people to see, you can absolutely reach out to just one person. That one moment of courage? It could save your life.

Spotlight: Andy’s Man Club (AMC)

• What is AMC?
  Andy’s Man Club is a men’s suicide prevention charity founded in 2016, offering free, peer-led support groups across the UK and online. Their simple mission: it’s okay to talk. AMC operates in over 240 locations and supports thousands of men each week.
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• The Origin Story
  It started in Halifax when nine men gathered simply to talk. They named the club after Andrew Roberts (Andy), who tragically took his own life at 23. His family, especially his mum, Elaine, and brother-in-law, Luke Ambler, went on to create this judgment-free space for men, built on authenticity and voluntary support.
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• How AMC Sessions Work
  Picture this: free entry, no booking, a biscuit, a brew, and a circle of blokes passing around a ball, inviting each person, voluntarily, to answer:
  1. How’s your week been?
  2. What’s something positive from your week?
  3. Anything to get off your chest?
     Then two variable questions, always ending on a hopeful note.
• Why It Works
  AMC thrives because it’s real. No clinical fluff. It offers raw, peer-to-peer connection. Guys from all walks of life including bosses, skint students, dads, newcomers. Come through those doors and find relief in being heard, not judged. Volunteers are often former attendees themselves; it’s community healing in motion.

Guest Spotlight: Lucas from AMC

I spoke with Lucas from Andy’s Man Club, who shared the tragic truth: he lost three close friends. All successful, all seemingly happy, all died by suicide. That’s a gut punch right there. His story underlines how silent suffering knows no status, and brings to light how vital it is to speak up, even when it feels like you're alone in the dark.

Core Messages from the Episode

• ** Vulnerability isn’t a weakness - it’s strength.**
  If I can go live from London, tears and all, you can reach out to one person -friend, family, helpline, or even a group like AMC.
• Just one ask from you could open the door to help.
  Reach out. Ask “Are you okay?” It could be the moment someone’s soul needed.
• Peer support saves lives.
  It’s not always about fixing things - but about being heard. AMC proves that every Monday night, thousands of men prove that to each other.
• 10 seconds of courage = infinite impact.
  One moment, one ask - that’s all it takes.

Resources & Helplines

• Andy’s Man Club — free, peer-led groups across the UK; no appointment needed.
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In this week’s episode of Definitely Not Therapy, I sit down with Dan - a man whose story shows the raw reality of loneliness, pain, and the power of finally being heard.

Adopted as a child and bullied throughout school, Dan carried a weight of silence that grew heavier as he got older. The loneliness became so consuming that he turned to self-harm just to feel something. His lowest moment came when his anger boiled over - violently pushing a car in rage and injuring one of his foster mums, damaging relationships and leaving him even more isolated.

Dan opens up about bottling everything up because, in his words, “nobody really cared.” But his story didn’t end there. Meeting his partner changed everything - she found the key to unlock his voice and helped him finally talk about his mental health.

Today, Dan has turned his pain into purpose, working for a railway company where he helps others and proves that healing and growth are possible, no matter how heavy your past feels.

💬 We talk about:

• The reality of feeling utterly alone and unheard
• How anger and violence masked years of unspoken pain
• The importance of communication in relationships
• How one person’s support can change the entire direction of your life
• Why speaking up about your mental health isn’t weakness, it’s survival

This is an honest, emotional conversation about struggle, survival, and the power of finally finding your voice.

If you would like to come and share your journey with Dan in your own episode of Definitely Not Therapy, then please email me at onlydanlawrence@gmail.com or DM me on my Instagram page, either @DanLawrenceComedy or @DefinitelyNotTherapyPod

Your story might just save someone's life.

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In this episode of Definitely Not Therapy, I sit down with Ian — a man who’s been to the darkest places life can take you and somehow found a way back, not just for himself, but for others too.

Ian’s mental health began to unravel after several failed relationships and the crushing pressures of fatherhood. Feeling like he wasn’t good enough, his struggles led him into addiction and self-harm. For a long time, the belief that he’d never measure up was his constant companion.

But Ian’s story doesn’t end there. Through brutal honesty and a determination to change, he’s rebuilt his life — and now spends his days helping others who’ve stood where he once stood. As a driving instructor for people on the spectrum, he’s learned the power of patience, empathy, and showing up for those who need it most. He’s even taken his story to the stage, speaking openly about men’s mental health in the hope of inspiring others to speak up before it’s too late.

We talk about:

• The hidden weight of failed relationships and single fatherhood
• How addiction and self-harm became a coping mechanism
• What finally made him turn his life around
• Why helping others became his lifeline
• The importance of speaking openly — even when it’s uncomfortable

This one’s raw, honest, and proof that you can take back the wheel of your life, no matter how far off track you’ve gone.

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Ever looked in the mirror and thought, “I can’t do this anymore”?

Alan did – and then he proved himself wrong.

Once over 20 stone and struggling with addiction, alcoholism and his mental health, Alan woke up one day and did what most addicts think is impossible! HE QUIT! It took incredible will power, cutting life long friends out of his life. He had to lose his old friends to save himself. Alan purposely went from sociable to completely isolated, but he found a lifeline in Andy’s Man Club. What started as just “turning up” turned into completely turning his life around, having gone on to become a facilitator for Andy’s Man Club. Now he’s smashing marathons, crawling through Tough Mudder, raising thousands for charity, and helping other men break the silence on mental health.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The moment Alan knew something had to change.
• How Andy’s Man Club gave him the accountability and support to keep going.
• Why losing weight wasn’t the hardest part – facing his own mind was.
• The power of community, charity, and getting outside your comfort zone.
• What running through ice-cold mud teaches you about resilience.

This isn’t a “look at me now” story – it’s a no-BS conversation about hitting rock bottom, clawing your way out, and why helping others might be the best therapy there is.

🎧 Press play – because if Alan can do it, there’s hope for anyone.

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In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant and brutally honest Steve Williams – a man whose story reads like a movie script, only it’s painfully real. From managing one of Coronation Street’s biggest stars to producing a stage play about depression, Steve has lived multiple lives. But behind the accolades and the applause was a man on the edge.

After three suicide attempts, Steve found himself broken but still breathing. What came next was nothing short of remarkable – a journey of healing, purpose, and resilience. He went from planning his own death to running a marathon the following year. Not for medals, but for meaning.

His book became an international bestseller, helping thousands of men redefine their purpose and confront their demons head-on. In this raw conversation, we talk about the lows, the lies men tell themselves, and the light at the end of the darkest tunnel.

🧠 Topics we cover:

• Why success doesn’t equal happiness
• Mental health in the spotlight
• The power of purpose
• Turning pain into creativity
• And what it really takes to keep going when you’ve got nothing left

This one’s unfiltered, emotional, and inspiring. Whether you’re in the thick of it or climbing out, Steve’s story will remind you: you’re not alone, and it’s never too late to rewrite your own script.

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This week on Definitely Not Therapy, we’re bringing you a powerful, emotional, and incredibly honest mental health conversation with Steve, a man I once worked with—but who’s walked one of the hardest journeys imaginable.

At one point, Steve was living in complete isolation—alone in a cramped bedsit, struggling with depression, no family or friends to lean on, and no hope for tomorrow. Like many men battling mental health issues, he didn’t have the language to describe his pain, let alone ask for help.

But this episode isn’t about hopelessness.
It’s about healing, recovery, and the strength it takes to fight back.

Today, Steve is engaged, thriving in a career he’s passionate about, and actively supporting others through ManSpace—a safe mental health support group for men who need a place to talk, share, and just be real.

This episode is for anyone who’s felt stuck, broken, or invisible. It’s raw, it’s unfiltered, and it’s exactly the kind of men’s mental health story we need to amplify.

🧠 In This Mental Health Podcast Episode, We Cover:
The loneliness epidemic affecting men today

How Steve survived his lowest point—and what kept him going

The importance of peer support spaces like ManSpace

What real-life recovery looks like (spoiler: it’s not linear)

How community, conversation, and connection change lives

⚠️ Trigger Warning
This episode includes open discussions about suicidal thoughts, depression, and emotional trauma. If you're struggling with your mental health, please know you're not alone. Help is always available.

📱 Listen & Subscribe
Stream this episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
🔔 Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share if this episode resonates with you or someone you love.

🔗 Resources & Support
Learn more about ManSpace via Instagram & Facebook: @manspace

Mental Health Support in the UK:

📞 Samaritans – Call 116 123 (Free, 24/7 helpline)

🌐 Mind UK – www.mind.org.uk

💬 Got a Story to Share?
This podcast is built on real talk, real stories, and real people.
DM me or get in touch—we’d love to hear your journey.

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