When I was 25 my father died very suddenly and far too young.  Overnight I went from a pretty carefree guy, following my passion for photography, to inheriting more than any human being should probably ever possess.

Obviously the shock of my father dying and all these major new responsibilities rocked my world. I put on a brave face but I got increasingly down and depressed – I felt terrible and so ashamed. To complain about my lot made me feel like the most spoilt brat in the world, so I just said nothing.

Feeling desperate I went to see my old doctor who advised me to go on anti-depressants and some other sort of happy pill. I don’t know why and although the idea of being able to take something to feel better was hugely appealing, I just didn’t want to take drugs in order to feel ok. I think I was scared of where that might lead and had come to understand that for years my father had been prescribed all sorts of things, which self evidently did not work.

One of the problems was I had so many people telling me what to do and how to do everything and offering no doubt great advice that I completely lost myself. What did I want? What did I think? Did it even really matter what I thought?

Eventually I talked to my mother and told her what was going on with me. She suggested that I call Mark, who was an old friend of hers and who I had met a few times as I was growing up.

That was a few years ago now.

What Mark says on his website is what he has done and does for me. I can tell him anything without feeling judged and whilst I don’t think he has ever told me what to do  - he has been there for me, listened to me endlessly and talked things through with me. Through having someone completely independent to talk I have discovered what makes me tick. I have been able to carry on with many of the passions of my life, including my photography, without being burdened down by all the other responsibilities that I am lucky enough to have.

It’s amazing because all we seem to do is talk and laugh a lot. There is no magic and it is not some happy pill but it seems like both of those things. It is so bizarrely simple, yet why at times is it sometimes just the hardest thing to do.

I will be forever grateful to Mark for all his continued help and support. The time I spend with him is never wasted and far from dull!

– Harry S