Apr23153 Mental Health Trainer of the Year 2023: Amanda Whitlock Based in the village of Yetminster in Dorset, licensed Wellbeing and Mental Health Trainer Amanda Whitlock provides tailor-made training and consultancy. Through her company Total Wellbeing Matters, Amanda’s mission is to make talking about mental health as easy as talking about physical health. We chat with her to find out more. In recent years, we’ve seen a necessary shift towards prioritising mental health awareness. Our growing understanding of how to navigate this complex subject is having a positive impact on individuals, workplaces and society as a whole. Fostering a society in which psychological and emotional wellbeing is paramount is something that mental health professionals in the UK are actively working towards. After almost 10 years spent working in the charity sector, in March 2020 Amanda Whitlock founded her own company, Total Wellbeing Matters. Licensed by Mental Health First Aid England, Amanda offers services designed to help people maintain and improve their wellbeing and mental health. She tells us, “Total Wellbeing Matters provides training and toolkits to enable people to have meaningful conversations about mental health and wellbeing. We also help business owners and managers looking to provide support for their staff.” Amanda’s company offers both online and in-person training courses. She also provides consultancy services to walk companies through the implementation of policies and procedures designed to help staff and foster a healthy and supportive workplace environment. Once trained, Amanda offers further supervision and support to workplace Mental Health First Aiders. This ensures they have everything they need to succeed in their new role. Amanda says, “We all need to talk more about our feelings. It’s only by being more open about our mental health that we can begin to reduce the stigma and discrimination that surround the subject. More and more companies are beginning to recognise the impact of mental health on their employees. They are keen to support their staff where possible. They want to improve staff retention, reduce absences and be an employer of choice. By providing mental health training and support they can save money and improve staff morale.” With a desire to reach and help as many people as possible, Amanda has assembled a team of associate trainers licensed to deliver the company’s CPDaccredited courses. She also works with recruitment business partner, MASH group, as their resident mental health expert. Amanda tells us about her values, “First, to be kind and to always try to see the other person’s viewpoint. Treating everyone with dignity and respect is so important, as well as being non-judgmental. Second is to be authentic and third, to be ethical – I ensure my business practices are sustainable and follow the Good Business Charter. Finally, to offer consistently great customer service – I always aim to go above and beyond expectations. My values flow through all the work I deliver, and I don’t work with clients who are not aligned with them.” So what does the future have in store for Amanda and Total Wellbeing Matters? She says, “I’m looking to deliver my CPD course abroad, and I’m developing Welsh language versions of our courses for our trainers living in Wales to deliver. Throughout 2023, I plan to work with more organisations, educating them on the importance of investing in mental wellbeing.” Contact: Amanda Whitlock Company: Total Wellbeing Matters Web Address: www.totalwellbeingmatters.com
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