Podcast with Karen Bashford

If anyone would like to hear my latest podcast please use the links below.

It was an honour to be a guest on Karen Bashfords The Empowered Women Life Leaders podcast series.

This is what Karen had to say:

Some conversations stay with you long after the microphone is turned off.

In this episode of The Empowered Women Life Leaders Podcast, to be released on the 2nd February, I’m joined by Sally Panks, a woman whose life changed forever after a phone call from her daughter’s primary school.

Her daughter was 11 years old.

That call revealed something Sally didn’t even know existed at the time: self-harm.

What followed was not just a family crisis, but a journey that exposed the reality many parents, professionals, and communities still struggle to talk about.

The waiting lists.

The lack of support.

The shame and silence.

And the ripple effect on the whole family.

In this conversation, Sally shares:

• What self-harm actually looks like (and how often it’s hidden)

• Why neurodivergent children are at higher risk

• The reality behind “coping strategies” that hurt

• How her daughter is now

• And how her lived experience led her to create practical kits that are already helping children, families, and schools across the UK.

This is not an easy listen - but it is an important one.

If you’re a parent, educator, business owner, or simply a human who cares about mental health, this episode matters.

Because awareness saves lives.

And kindness really does start with conversation.

Listen to the full episode here:

How much do you know about self-harm?

https://open.spotify.com/show/32gWxTdAW6kqSnX3yBiVjX