Sophie in her own words:   “I am a GP and mental health trainer practising in West London. My exposure to diverse pockets of humanity has taught me that social struggles, such as loneliness, don’t discriminate and that the resulting emotional distress is real and reaching pandemic levels. My heart lies in challenging perceptions of these problems and how we support those suffering.   I am striving to increase awareness and education around responding to distress within the current UK system through my work with the organisation 4MentalHealth, while seeking out ways to change the system through the undertaking of research into the root causes of distress and alternative approaches to healing globally.   My growing interest in the relationship between mental health and community led to the creation of 'The Patient's Voice Project' in 2016. I'm delighted this year to expand the project and focus in on cultural influences on mental health and healing through a Winston Churchill Fellowship exploring the potential translation of indigenous traditional practice elements to western society as alternative forms of therapy.    I've also had the opportunity to relay my work more widely; engaging with corporate audiences through talks on community at the Airbnb London Headquarters and contributing to policy change through work with the Jo Cox Foundation and the ‘Campaign to End Loneliness’ .   My work has also fostered a growing awareness of the transformative potential of the natural environment on psychological well being.    I enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible in the role of Expedition Doctor and most recently accompanied a group of young people to the Scottish Highlands with the British Exploring Society.   When not working you will usually find me Scottish country dancing, falling off a surfboard or practising the ukulele.”   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show notes Who is Sophie Being based in London and working as a GP Her Special interests Doing mental health research Being an expedition doctor Her love of travel and expeditions Her early years growing up in the Yorkshire Dales Where her love of travel and adventure came from  Being inspired by her Grandfather Going to Kenya and doing her first expedition at 17 Trekking across the States on the Lewis & Clark Trail  Going to medical school at St. Andrews Getting into expedition medicine Being afraid of taking the next step Going on a trip to Antarctica in January 2020 How the trip on a tall ship changed her life The mental side of adventures and challenges Stress Anticipation and preparation Coping strategies for extreme environments  Creating your own safety plan The emotional kit list Why strategies are very personal  Having a safety plan for general life Creating your own Safety Plan Heading to the USA in 2019 for research Winning a Winston Churchill Fellowship Talking circles  Going on a tall ship in Costa Rica Personal boundaries and looking at your own mental health Keeping expedition fit  Having to want to be on the expedition Visiting Antarctica and getting free vodka Being an emerging film maker and what that means The Patients Voice Project - 2016 Looking to do a Masters later on in 2022 Connect with Sophie Final words of advice Be curious about the world   Social Media   The Patients Voice - A global project researching and collecting patients’ stories from around the world to enhance our collective wellbeing.   Website: www.thepatientsvoiceproject.com    Instagram: @drsophieredlin   Twitter: @DrSophieRedlin