How Childhood Experiences Shape Mental Health | Tana Macpherson-Smith

What if the way we speak to children today shapes their mental health for life? In this powerful and deeply human episode of Being Human: Hidden Depths, host Gill Tiney, Founder of Collaboration Global, is joined by educator, author, and mental health advocate Tana Macpherson-Smith for an unforgettable conversation about childhood experiences, emotional wellbeing, and healing. Tana shares the story behind her book There’s a Monkey on Your Shoulder, a moving metaphor for the subconscious “inner voice” that forms in childhood and silently influences our beliefs, behaviours, confidence, and mental health well into adulthood. Together, Gill and Tana explore:

• How early childhood experiences shape lifelong mental health
• The hidden impact of everyday words, comparisons, and “small” moments
• Why prevention, not crisis management, is the future of mental health
• Trauma, invisibility, resilience, and emotional survival
• The role of parents, teachers, and society in raising emotionally healthy children
• Practical ways to quiet the inner critic and build self-compassion
• Why mental health education must start before birth

Tana also shares her own extraordinary journey—from teacher and housemistress to a life-changing mental health breakdown—and how that experience reshaped her mission to transform how we understand emotional development, trauma, and healing. This episode is essential listening for:
✔ Parents and caregivers
✔ Teachers and educators
✔ Mental health professionals
✔ Leaders and coaches
✔ Anyone exploring healing, self-awareness, and emotional growth