A Shift in Perspective: From ‘Over-Diagnosis’ to Representative Diagnosis
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) The narrative that children’s mental health issues are being ‘over-diagnosed’ and that this undercuts ‘grit and resilience’ is a harmful oversimplification. It places the blame on individuals and the mental health profession, rather than on the complex societal and cultural factors that have created this vulnerability. Instead of seeing this […]
Harmless Shortlisted at the VAL Awards
Harmless was thrilled to be shortlisted as a finalist for the Social Enterprise of the Year at this year’s VAL Awards. 2025 was Voluntary Action Leicestershire (VAL)’s 60th anniversary of supporting communities across Leicester and Leicestershire, and we were honoured to have been nominated at this year’s event. Last Friday, our Service Leads Lisa and Laura attended the awards […]
Learning with Purpose: How Self-Directed Study is Empowering the Third Sector
By Ash Botes (E-Learning Lead) In a sector where budgets are stretched and impact is everything, third sector organisations are increasingly turning to new ways of building knowledge within their teams. Self-directed E-Learning isn’t just a trend – it’s becoming a lifeline for organisations looking to increase resilience and scale impact. Why Self-Directed Learning Makes […]
FREE Online Life-Saving Training in Nottingham & Nottinghamshire – Now With Increased Eligibilty
The Academy at Harmless is delighted to announce its 2025–2026 timetable of free online training courses for those working or volunteering in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We are also pleased to confirm that eligibility now extends to those working in justice services, private sector organisations and faith or community groups. Commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham […]
More Than Just Clean & Tidy: The True Reality of OCD
By Tom Coyle (Clinical Support Worker) Have you ever heard someone say something like ‘Gosh my desk is so tidy, I’m so OCD!’ or ‘I like to clean my flat once a week – I must have OCD’? Many of us can probably think of someone in our office, classroom family or friendship group who […]
Understanding Grief Through the Lens of Ethnicity as a South Asian Queer Woman
By Simran Dhillon (Clinical Support Worker) Grief is an emotion and experience that is universal, yet also individual to all. Intersectionality as a framework highlights how multiple social identities such as gender, ethnicity, age and class can create unique experiences of oppression and discrimination. In the context of grief, ethnicity and intersectionality play a crucial […]
Rewiring with Compassion: How Positive Neuroplasticity Helps Heal Self Harm and Trauma
By Dylan Thomas (Therapist) As a therapist trained in Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), who works daily with clients navigating trauma and self harm, I often witness how deep shame, fear, and threat-based patterns shape people’s inner worlds. But healing is possible – not just emotionally, but neurologically. Drawing on the science of positive neuroplasticity, and the […]
Emotional Understanding
By Fiona Kinsey (Clinical Support Worker) Since ancient times, poets have used metaphors to evoke emotions in the reader. This enables the expression of abstract ideas by relating them to familiar or everyday objects. Layers of meaning are captured in words that can be open to interpretation depending on the readers life experience. With their […]
Celebration Event Sponsorship Opportunities
Each year, Harmless hosts its Celebration Event – the organisation’s flagship annual fundraiser. This special evening brings together our incredible community of staff, supporters, stakeholders and friends to reflect on the past year, celebrate our achievements, and raise vital funds for our life-saving work. The event takes place at Nottingham’s Village Hotel and includes a […]
Boys Don’t Cry – Rethinking Masculinity and Mental Health
By Tom Coyle (Clinical Support Worker) Did you know that reserach has found that women cry on average around 5.3 times a month, while men cry an average of around 1.3 times per month (Frey et al., 1983; Bylsma et al., 2019)? As a boy growing up in England, it’s all too common to be […]