Talks & Training for you.
Below is a summary of the speakers and trainers we work with. All talks and training can be tailored to your Parent Gap needs and interests.
Prices for a 1-1.5hr session start from £1000, please contact us and let’s have a chat.
Nikki Wilson
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Nikki Wilson is the CEO of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, co‑founder of Make Birth Better, and a leading maternal mental health campaigner. She is also a trained mindfulness coach and experienced facilitator. Nikki’s commitment to improving perinatal mental health is rooted in her own lived experience of postnatal PTSD.
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Nikki can deliver a one‑hour introductory webinar for any audience on perinatal mental health. This accessible, engaging session builds confidence and understanding, enabling attendees to explore:
why the perinatal period is a uniquely vulnerable time for mental health
the key signs and symptoms to look out for
where and how to access appropriate support
Dr. Krystal Wilkinson
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Dr Krystal Wilkinson is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management at the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity, Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research explores the work-life interface and women's health and wellbeing at work. Key research areas include solo-living staff, fertility issues, maternity management, mental health during and post-pregnancy, reproductive health, and the mental health of women in STEM.
Dr Wilkinson has published extensively in top academic journals and been featured in media outlets such as the BBC, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Management magazine. She also co-edited ‘Work-Life Inclusion: Broadening perspectives across the life-course’ (2024).
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1 hour.
Mental health issues in the perinatal period (pregnancy and post-birth) are very common – affecting at least one in five women and birthing people, and one in ten men/partners – and yet the issue is usually overlooked in HR policies and practices around transitions to parenthood, and also in strategies and resources on mental health and wellbeing.
In this session, you will learn key insights from research into the intersection between perinatal mental health and employment, and our work with employers to develop innovative and impactful workplace provisions.
Tailored for those in Leadership positions and HR, the session will include:
1. An introduction to perinatal mental health (prevalence, diagnoses, symptoms)
2. How perinatal mental health impacts the workplace, and vice-versa
3. What information and supports are useful for employees
4. The business case for developing HR policy and practice on this topic
5. Quick wins and longer-term best-practice provisions
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1 hour.
Mental health issues in the perinatal period (pregnancy and post-birth) are very common – affecting at least one in five women and birthing people, and one in ten men/partners – and yet the issue is rarely talked about in the workplace.
We know that line managers are often on the front line when it comes to supporting staff through parental transitions and wellbeing issues, and yet line managers face their own challenges and have their own needs in such instances too.
This session aims to equip you with the information and insights needed to better support affected staff, in the context of your broader responsibilities and own wellbeing. The session includes:
1. An introduction to perinatal mental health (prevalence, diagnoses, symptoms)
2. How perinatal mental health impacts the workplace, and vice-versa
3. What information and supports are useful for employees
4. The role of the line manager
5. How to balance support with other responsibilities and your own wellbeing needs
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1 hour.
Mental health issues in the perinatal period (pregnancy and post-birth) are very common – affecting at least one in five women and birthing people, and one in ten men/partners – and yet the issue is rarely talked about in the workplace, or explicitly included within the mental health and wellbeing agenda.
Mental health champions are often a first port of call when someone is struggling with their mental health, and so this session is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to support someone struggling in the perinatal period, or beyond. The session includes:
1. An introduction to perinatal mental health (prevalence, diagnoses, symptoms)
2. How perinatal mental health impacts the workplace, and vice-versa
3. How to talk about perinatal mental illness in the workplace
4. What information and supports are useful for employees
5. Signposting to internal and external support organisations
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1 hour.
Navigating pathways to parenthood – and specific challenges such as a complex fertility journey or perinatal mental health problem – in the workplace can be challenging. It is common to have concerns about whether or not to tell someone at work, how much to share, and/or what supports you can ask for.
This session is designed for any employee and will equip you with information and resources to better navigate these issues. The session will include:
1. The prevalence of different issues in the working age population: you are very much not alone!
2. Insights from research and practice – the intersection of pathways to parenthood and employment, and what people find helpful in the workplace
3. Understanding your entitlements (legislative and workplace policy)
4. Practical tips for advocating for yourself in the workplace and beyond
5. Signposting to useful resources
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1 hour.
1 in 6 people are affected by infertility, and many individuals turn to fertility treatment in a bid to have a family. Fertility journeys can be incredibly challenging for individuals - physically, psychologically, logistically, socially and financially.
In this session we discuss research exploring the intersection with work and employment, highlighting workplace factors can exacerbate these challenges, and also workplace factors that can be incredibly helpful for affected staff.
This session is for anyone and topics covered are:
1. Information on infertility, fertility tests and fertility treatments
2. How fertility journeys intersect with work and employment
3. What information and supports are useful for employees
4. Quick wins and longer-term best practice workplace provisions
5. How individuals can advocate for themselves in the workplace
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1 hour.
Employers are increasingly recognising the unique health and wellbeing needs of different demographics in the workplace. Following the launch of the UK Government Women’s Health Strategy in 2022, which included a focus on the workplace as a site for information and support, more and more employers have started introducing bespoke policies and provisions around women’s health issues, most notably menopause. Some employers are going even further, launching bespoke wellbeing strategies addressing women’s health across the life-course.
This session is for those in Leadership positions and HR and shares insights from research and practice, including:
1. The prevalence of women’s health issues amongst the working age population
2. The impact of women’s health issues in the workplace
3. The business case for developing a women’s health strategy
4. Insights from developing a Well Women Strategy in a large NHS Trust
Julianne Boutaleb CPsychol AFBPsS
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Julianne is the Clinical Director and Founder of the Parenthood In Mind practice. She is a passionate and highly experienced perinatal psychologist who has worked for over 24 years in the NHS and private practice with parents and parents-to-be and their babies (and bumps) who have needed support with a wide variety of issues including anxiety and depression during and after pregnancy, miscarriage and reproductive loss, attachment issues, re-emergence of childhood issues and couples issues.
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1 hour.
Thousands of expectant parents go on maternity leave every year in the UK excitedly preparing for the birth of their baby. But a significant number of women increasingly experience birth as traumatic.
The recently published Birth Trauma Enquiry (2024) reported as many as 1 in 3 women and birthing people find some aspect of the experience traumatic. Whilst up to 6 % may go on to develop PTSD symptoms, there is also increasing evidence that partners may be traumatised by witnessing their child's birth.
It is estimated that thousands of women and their babies also suffer life changing birth injuries (Masic Foundation, 2022).
In this hour long online webinar, attendees willExplore what factors may result in birth being traumatic
Learn how birth trauma physically and psychologically impacts women, their partners and family
Look at how these experiences may impact parents as they return to work
Examine how trauma manifests in the workplace
Via real life case studies, examine how they can support colleagues experiencing birth trauma
Learn what internal and external supports are available to support parents in the workplace
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1 hour
Unfortunately almost 42% of marriages and civil partnerships now end in legal separation or divorce in the UK (ONS, 2023). Whilst there may undoubtedly be positive consequences for those who leave abusive or coercive relationships, it is also true that divorce results in multiple negative impacts - not just on one's financial and physiological wellbeing, but also on the psychological health of parents, their partners and children.
After the death of a spouse, divorce has been consistently rated as one of the most stressful life events employees may have to face in their work lives (Holmes & Rahe, 1967). And yet despite its commonality many choose not to disclose their situation in the workplace. In the Divorce in the Workplace Study (2021) 79% of employees stated that relationship breakdown contributed to poorer productivity at work, and 60% cited it as a main reason for poorer mental health citing increased anxiety, depression and stress. Employees with children may need specific help and understanding to transition from family breakdown and divorce to co-parenting and supporting their children's mental health.
This hour long webinar will attempt to explore the common scenarios faced by those deciding to leave a relationship and the potential impacts on their mental health, behaviour and wellbeing in the workplace. It will also explore how colleagues and managers can best support team members experiencing these issues and help them towards a greater understanding of what support is available.
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This session offers a compassionate and practically grounded introduction to pregnancy loss and what it means for the people around you at work. Whether you are a manager, a colleague, or someone with your own experience of loss, you will come away with a clearer understanding of why this topic matters and how to respond with greater confidence and care.
You will gain insight into the many forms that pregnancy and fertility loss can take and why these experiences are so often suffered in silence. The session explores the psychological weight of loss and how loss shows up in the workplace, often in ways that are invisible to others, and it pays specific attention to partners and non-birthing parents, whose experiences are frequently overlooked.
Our hope is that you will leave with practical guidance on how to support a colleague who has experienced loss or who is pregnant after loss. This includes how to have sensitive conversations, how to think about language and boundaries, and what kinds of support, both formal and informal, tend to make a real difference and how to ask for what you need, if you are going through this.
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Item description
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A session to support those on LGBTQ journeys, parents who have experienced donor conception, surrogacy and adoption.
Chris Britton
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Chris is an author, podcast host, keynote speaker, father and learning expert. Chris leads all the employee lifecycle activities at employee benefits and engagement company, Reward Gateway Edenred. From attraction & recruitment, through to learning & performance, DE&I and wellbeing, Chris makes sure that all current and prospective RGER employees have the best possible experience.
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1 hour.
Our modern day workforce are demanding more from businesses than ever before. It is no longer enough to just see people as employees. They instead are expecting to be seen as human beings first.
Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and some ground breaking research which links the impact of appreciation to positive business performance, this webinar will dig into the importance of helping employees feel like they belong in your organisation and why that will help ensure they perform at their very best for you.
In just 1 hour, learn about the role that business leaders, managers and HR teams play in helping people be their authentic selves and why they will repay you through longer tenure and higher productivity.
We turn the theory into practical takeaway actions to help build a culture of appreciation in your business so everyone can flourish. Seeing people for who they are, not just what they do is the future of work.
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1 hour.
Men’s physical and mental health is on the decline. That is despite years of attempting to normalise the conversation around men’s feelings and behaviours. Some of the statistics on men’s health- men live less than women. 87% of homeless people are male. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50. The majority of addicts are male. 50% of men below 25 do not have a best friend.
This webinar will dig into the stats around men’s mental health, shine a light on some common male health concerns and share some practical tips of improving the health of the men in your organisation. Created and for everyone, this 1 hour webinar will combine the research with the reality to further the conversation around men’s health which in turn will help all sides of society benefit.
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1 hour.
Has traditional workplace wellbeing run its course? All the data and evidence is pointing towards us working in a complex world. But are employees more complex than ever before?
The truth is, simple workplace wellbeing offerings like EAP and yoga just do not cut it for an ever demanding talent pool. Despite lots of money and effort going into things like mental health support, we are seeing a worrying trend of absenteeism, presenteeism, burnout and long term sickness.
This webinar explores the research which tells us people are not suddenly more complicated. Instead, they are just more willing to be overtly complicated with what they want and need for their employer. Whether you are a business leader, a line manager responsible for people or an HR professional leading on the strategy, this webinar will help you understand the link between employee wellbeing and commercial performance with some simple actions to go away and implement.
Dr. Frankie Harrison
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Dr. Frankie Harrison is a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist, the Co-Founder of Miracle Moon and has been supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing for over 13 years. Frankie's passion for helping parents who have been through neonatal care started after having her son prematurely due to Pre-eclampsia at 31 weeks in 2019. Frankie decided to use her skills as a Clinical Psychologist and her unique position of having combined lived experience to support other parents in a similar situation.
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1 hour.
Birth trauma doesn’t end when you leave the hospital. Whether you’re still on maternity leave or navigating your return to work, the impact can be overwhelming, isolating, and unpredictable.
Many parents feel pressure to "move on" and be grateful, but trauma doesn’t work that way. This webinar provides practical, trauma-informed strategies for employees who’ve experienced a difficult birth, neonatal care, or medical complications, helping them manage their mental health both at home and in the workplace.
This webinar is aimed at employees who have experienced birth trauma, working parents, Wellbeing and Employee Support teams.
Topics discussed are:
Understanding birth trauma, PTSD, and why your brain feels different
How to manage anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and medical PTSD at work
Navigating triggers, flashbacks, and workplace overwhelm
The impact of guilt, self-doubt, and feeling "not like myself"
How to communicate your needs at work while protecting your energy
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1 hour.
For many parents, returning to work after maternity leave isn’t just about leaving their baby—it’s about managing anxiety, self-doubt, and an identity shift that no one talks about.
And if you’ve experienced a traumatic birth, a NICU stay, or ongoing medical challenges, that anxiety can feel even more intense. Many return-to-work policies focus on logistics but ignore the mental load, leaving employees feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and guilty.
This webinar gives employees practical tools to manage return-to-work anxiety so they can transition back into their role with more confidence, clarity, and control.
This is ideal for employees returning from maternity leave, working parents and Wellbeing teams.
What We’ll Cover:
Why returning to work feels so overwhelming (it’s not just you!)
The link between birth trauma, NICU experiences, and return-to-work anxiety
How to manage guilt, fear, and self-doubt about leaving your baby
Practical coping strategies for handling workplace triggers and emotional overwhelm
How to communicate your needs and boundaries without fear of judgement
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1 hour.
When an employee’s baby is in neonatal care, they aren’t just dealing with logistics—they’re dealing with trauma. The shock, uncertainty, and emotional toll can have long-term effects on their mental health, engagement, and ability to return to work feeling like themselves.
Many employers want to offer support but don’t know what to say or do—and, in turn, employees often feel misunderstood, pressured, or even invisible. This webinar explores how businesses can provide the right psychological support during and after a NICU stay, in ways that make employees feel seen, valued, and able to function at work again.
This webinar is ideal for HR Professionals, Leadership teams, Managers, Wellbeing and DEI teams and will cover:
Understanding the mental health impact of neonatal care on employees
How NICU trauma affects cognitive function, anxiety, and workplace performance
The importance of language & communication—what helps and what doesn’t
How workplaces can foster psychological safety without overstepping
A brief look at how the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act will shape future support
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1 hour.
Workplaces often think that returning parents just need flexible hours and childcare support. But the transition into parenthood—known as matrescence—is actually one of the biggest identity shifts a person will ever go through.
Many new parents return to work feeling like a different version of themselves, struggling with confidence, career fears, and balancing their evolving identity with their professional role. But instead of acknowledging this shift, most workplaces expect them to "bounce back" to their old selves, leading to stress, disengagement, and even career stagnation.
This webinar explores what matrescence really is and how workplaces can support employees through this transition without making assumptions or imposing rigid expectations.
HR leaders, Managers, DEI teams and employees navigating parenthood will learn about:
What is matrescence? Why the transition into parenthood changes everything
How parenthood impacts identity, ambition, and confidence at work
The emotional load of "who am I now?" after having a child
How workplaces can support employees through this shift without outdated narratives
Why understanding matrescence improves retention, wellbeing, and career satisfaction
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1 hour.
For employees who’ve had a traumatic birth or a NICU stay, returning to work isn’t just about balancing childcare—it’s about navigating PTSD, anxiety, medical triggers, and an identity shift that changes everything.
The workplace often expects them to come back as they were before, but that’s impossible. Many struggle in silence, afraid of being seen as weak or incapable, leading to burnout, disengagement, or even leaving their job altogether.
This webinar helps HR teams and managers understand the psychological impact of birth trauma and how to create an environment where returning employees feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.
In this webinar, HR professionals, Managers, Leadership and Wellbeing teams can learn about:
How birth trauma and NICU stays affect confidence, cognition, and stress levels
Why some returning employees struggle with intrusive thoughts, dissociation, or anxiety
The biggest misconceptions about resilience and performance after birth trauma
How managers and teams can provide psychological support without prying
The role of flexibility, phased returns, and workplace culture in recovery
Dr. Orin Onabanjo
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Dr Orin is a chartered counselling psychologist with a huge passion for delivering psychological therapy, perinatal mental health consultations, and perinatal wellbeing workshops to mums experiencing a range of mental health challenges during the perinatal period.
She is also passionate about training health care professionals and and organisations on perinatal mental health awareness. As a black mother herself, Dr Orin is also deeply passionate about working with the unique range of intersectional issues experienced by black mothers as they navigate postpartum including re-entering the working world.
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From 90 mins
This webinar covers the psychological and professional impact of new parenthood. It will cover:
Core tenets of Compassion focused therapy and its evidence base
Benefits of CFT on parental mental health and work performance
How CFT can support parents to cultivating their professional identity
Why CFT is beneficial for the workplace on a cultural and individual level
Managing parental mental health that emerge at work using compassion focused therapy principles
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From 90 mins
This webinar will help with understanding the mental health and work-related needs of new parents/parents of young children
Topics covered include:
Why being a trauma informed workplace is necessary to adequately support parental mental health
Importance of psychological safety for new parents returning to work
Psychological and professional benefits of trauma informed and psychologically safe workplaces
How to design a workplace culture that embeds these principles
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From 90 mins
This webinar will focus on understanding the unique challenges faced by ethnic minority mothers during the perinatal and postpartum period and how these experiences influence the transition back into the workplace.
Topics covered will include:
1. Why intersectionality is key to effectively supporting ethnic minority mothers in the workplace.
2. The importance of employers taking a trauma informed approach to supporting ethnic minority mothers in light well evidenced disparities in maternity care outcomes experienced by this group of mothers.
4. The role and importance of peer support/ creating emotionally safe spaces within workplaces that facilitate a sense of belonging and give voice to the experiences of ethnic minority mothers
5. Creating awareness about the adaptations black mothers often feel forced to make in workspaces that negatively impact their mental health.
6.Deconstructing common stereotypes placed on black mothers and identifying forms of discrimination often experienced by black mothers in the workplace
7. The mental health impact of systemic inequalities and racism on ethnic minority mothers, recognising symptoms of depression within this group of mothers and practical steps that can be taken to help these mothers thrive in the workplace.
Dr. Tuesday Watts-Overall
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Dr. Tuesday is a coach and speaker dedicated to helping mothers navigate life’s biggest transitions with clarity and confidence. Her work focuses on supporting women through the profound changes that come with this stage of life - both personally and professionally.
As a mother of three, she brings a rare blend of lived experience and professional expertise to her webinars. With a doctorate in Psychology, years of lecturing in higher education, and specialised training in key areas of personal and professional development, she seamlessly combines academic depth with real-world insight.
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1 hour.
One of the hardest things to wrap your mind around as you move toward and through early parenthood is the almost constant state of transition you find yourself in. It can feel like the ground is constantly moving beneath your feet - like you can barely come up for air before another wave comes crashing in. It’s disorienting, overwhelming, and at times, completely exhausting.
In moments like these, we cling to what’s familiar - our anchors, our sense of self. And for many, career plays a huge role in that.
In this session we will explore the challenges that come with these profound life transitions, as well as the opportunities for growth and self-discovery. We’ll also talk through practical tools to support yourself - or your employees - through one of life’s biggest transformations.
Naomi Glover MSc, FRSA, FRSPH
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Naomi Glover MSc, FRSA, FRSPH is a specialist in applied neuroscience and brain health training, she has delivered expert keynotes, consultancy and training internationally for organisations including: Google, Amazon, Funnel, the NHS, Serco and Westminster Insight. Naomi translates brain science into practical training, tools and strategies that work in the real world.
Naomi provides consulting, training, coaching and bespoke brain health gyms to public and private sector organisations and is a faculty member at the ARPF (USA), teaching on their Brain Longevity Training Course.
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1 hour 15 mins.
This cutting-edge webinar brings the latest neuroscience insights to the workplace, focusing on perinatal mental health and cognition. Designed for leaders, HR professionals, L&D specialists, and managers, this session provides a unique opportunity to understand the neurobiological changes during the perinatal period and their impact on work performance.
By the end of this webinar, participants will have a foundation in applied neuroscience related to perinatal mental health, enabling them to implement key evidence-based strategies in their organizations. This session bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and practical workplace applications, offering immediate actionable insights to enhance support for employees throughout their journey to parenthood.
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1-1.5 hours.
Your brain is the command centre of your body, shaping your thoughts, emotions, and overall well-being. Learn how to help it function better at any age or stage! Join us for an empowering session on brain health and learn practical, science-backed strategies to address common challenges and put them straight to work.
By the end of this session you will:
Discover new research about your remarkable, adaptable brain
Learn how to create a more inclusive, brain-friendly work environment for all
Explore some science-based quick tips and strategies to use straight away at work and beyond that can help
Enhance your mental health, cognitive performance and emotional flexibility
Boost your brain health at any age or stage
This workshop is designed for everyone, regardless of role or experience level.
Anyone looking to learn about their brain health, cognitive performance or mental wellbeing.
Managers and leaders seeking to support the brain health of their teams
Individuals navigating specific challenges, such as:
Hormonal changes
LGBTQ+ colleagues managing stress and identity
Employees with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions
Those affected by illness or caring for loved ones
Those experiencing challenges relating to diversity, ethnicity, equity, inclusion or belonging at work
People juggling work with caring and other life responsibilities