Owen O’Kane

Owen has an incredible gift when it comes to making complex psychological and mental health information accessible and understandable, speaking regularly at wellness festivals and conferences. In addition to talks, Owen runs a number of corporate workshops for senior management teams, working across a range of sectors.

He is an experienced media contributor and communicator, having clocked-up hundreds of hours across TV, Radio and Podcasts, appearing regularly on both live and pre-recorded shows. Owen is the resident therapist on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Gordon Smart show, helping people manage their Sunday Night ‘Fear’ ahead of the working week.

Owen has worked with over 30 big global corporates, from keynotes through to workshops, helping their leaders and teams avoid work-place stress and burnout. His broad approach and extensive experience means he can talk to a variety of subjects and challenges, but he has a particular passion towards helping people understand why flexible thinking is the key to success rather than ‘positive thinking’.

He grew up in Northern Ireland during ‘the troubles’ which he describes as a great training ground for understanding trauma and anxiety. He has a down to earth and humorous approach to his work, with no hesitation in sharing his own challenges and normalising human struggle.

Owen spent the first half of his career working with the dying as a palliative care specialist, which significantly influences how he works today. His mission is to help people get the best from their lives and work, especially those who may not ordinarily seek help. He regularly supports and collaborates with charities including Hospice UK, The Princess Trust, and a host of others, to help their campaigns for better mental health. He is an active voice on LGBTQ+ rights and a former columnist for Attitude Magazine.

In 2024 Owen is working on a new content series for the popular High Performance Podcast platform, a mental health series with Fearne Cotton for her Happy Place YouTube channel and a 4th book with Penguin which will make this a busy and exciting year for Owen.