The Psychology Mum: From NHS Clinician to Global Mental Health Creator

In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, I’m joined by Dr Emma Hepburn, Clinical Psychologist and creator of The Psychology Mum, to explore burnout, shame in mental health professionals, creativity in clinical psychology, and what happens when your body forces you to stop. We discuss how Emma’s illustrations began in NHS brain injury groups, how her “capacity cup” drawing went viral during the pandemic, and how social media traction unexpectedly led to publishing opportunities.

We unpack the psychology of burnout, emotional exhaustion, stress overload, shame narratives, and why even clinical psychologists are not immune to mental health difficulties.

Emma also introduces her fourth book, The Anti-Burnout Book, and explains how visual metaphors like the match, the teeny tiny thing, Brian the Brain, and the tortoise help bring psychological theory to life.

This episode is relevant for clinical psychologists, aspiring psychologists, NHS staff, teachers, parents, creators, and anyone interested in burnout recovery, stress management, shame resilience, emotional regulation, and sustainable wellbeing.

Timestamps

1. 00:00 – The quiet phase before burnout
2. 02:35 – How The Psychology Mum began in NHS brain injury groups
3. 05:20 – When Emma’s illustrations started to snowball
4. 07:18 – Co-creation and why her work resonated during the pandemic
5. 09:45 – Writing her first book just before lockdown
6. 14:07 – Introducing her fourth book: The Anti-Burnout Book
7. 16:42 – The Edinburgh weekend that became a turning point
8. 20:35 – When your body says “stop”
9. 22:09 – Burnout, shame, and being a clinical psychologist
10. 24:32 – Externalising shame and the “negative ninja takeover”
11. 28:45 – The “teeny tiny thing” that tips you over
12. 30:07 – Why slowing down increases long-term achievement
13. 33:06 – Technology, social media and burnout
14. 34:43 – Where to find The Anti-Burnout Book

Links:

📲 Follow Dr Emma Hepburn on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologymum/

📚 Check out Emma's books here: https://amzn.to/4rvh6GI

🫶 To join my podcast membership to get early access to episodes and / or exclusive weekly content head to: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support or to the Apple Podcasts App: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-aspiring-psychologist-podcast/id1605628278 or to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwjrIP_jatiqlAivJE2mgQ/join

📚 To check out The Clinical...