Inside the Mind

Ever wondered if cheese really can make you happier?!
In this talk, we’ll explore how the foods we eat shape the way we expect to feel, before we even take a bite! From comfort foods to “guilty pleasures,” discover how our emotional expectations influence what we choose to eat. We'll share some of the latest fascinating research and uncover how these food-mood connections work and how changing our expectations could help improve our health.

Imagine a horse - can you picture it in your mind's eye? Whilst some people see nothing at all, others become the horse! These people have 'extreme imagery', meaning their imagination is extra vivid. This talk will explore what it's like to imagine things so clearly they feel real, how those with vivid imaginations are rarely bored and how this affects their memories. Come along to discover how your own imagination works and how different it can be from someone else's.

Resilience has a PR problem. Once rooted in ancient philosophy, ecology, and physics, it’s now a buzzword - often wielded against ordinary people to blame them for their own suffering. But what if we’ve got resilience all wrong? Drawing on psychological research and lived experience, I argue that resilience isn’t a fixed set of traits you’re born with - it's something much more flexible and is influenced by ourselves, our relationships, and our environment. It’s time to reclaim resilience for what it is: a deeply human process that should be nurtured, supported, and ultimately celebrated.

Realising you are autistic, whether through diagnosis or self-identification, can be life-changing, but it is only the beginning. What happens next? This talk explores the often-overlooked period of making sense of identity. While some find clarity, others feel lost. The talk will explore why identification alone is not enough. Drawing on research, I will share what can help people thrive following diagnosis and identity realignment.