Headstraight
A teen mental health podcast hosted by Mark Taylor that offers straight talking and practical support for teens who want to understand what’s going on inside their head.
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*Conversations* That Make a Difference
Headstraight is a teen mental health podcast hosted by Mark Taylor, offering genuine conversations and practical insights tailored for young people seeking to understand their emotions and enhance their well-being.
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13
Oct. 7, 2026
Why Does Everyone Else Get to Decide What Happens to Me?
Everyone says they want you to make your own decisions. Until you make one they don’t agree with. This episode looks at what it actually means to have a say in your own life when parents, carers or professionals still have some responsibility for what happens to you. We explore the difference between being listened to and getting your own way, when protection can start to feel like control, why making your own choices also means dealing with what follows, and why wanting more freedom doesn’t m
12
Sept. 30, 2026
I Feel Like The Parent In My Family
Do you ever feel more like the parent in your family than the child? You’re the one calming people down, looking after younger siblings or trying to keep things together when the adults around you are struggling. Everyone sees how capable you are, but they may not see what carrying that responsibility is doing to you. In this episode, we explore how a young person can gradually become the emotional grown-up at home, why being needed can feel important as well as exhausting, and why stepping bac
11
Sept. 23, 2026
Why Do I Always Need People To Like Me?
Do you ever feel like you’re slightly different depending on who you’re with? Maybe you’re louder with one group, quieter with another, funnier with some people, more careful with others. That’s normal. We all adapt. But what happens when you start changing yourself because you’re scared people won’t like you if you don’t? In this episode, we look at the exhausting habit of constantly checking how you’re coming across, trying to read everyone else’s reactions, and quietly wondering whether you
10
Sept. 16, 2026
People Only Care Because They Have To
What if people do care about you, but you still can’t quite believe it? Someone checks in. They stay. They tell you they care. And yet your mind is already looking underneath it, trying to work out why. Was it guilt? Responsibility? Habit? Did they really mean it? In this episode, I look at what happens when care starts to feel like something you have to investigate. When watching turns into testing, and even the response you hoped for still doesn’t quite settle the doubt. Trust rarely comes
9
Sept. 9, 2026
Will I Always Feel Like This?
What if “I’ll always feel like this” only feels true because right now it's so loud? When you’ve been low, anxious or overwhelmed for a while, the future can start looking like more of the same. You might know you’ve felt differently before, but somehow that version of you can feel miles away. In this episode, I look at why the present can become so convincing that it starts shaping what you believe about the future. We explore why old struggles look different once we know how they ended, why
7
Aug. 26, 2026
I Can Tell What Mood You're In Before You Even Speak
Some people can tell that someone’s mood has changed before a word’s even been said. A different look, a change in tone, a shorter message, a slightly different atmosphere, and immediately there’s a feeling of, I know what’s going on here. And sometimes you’re absolutely right. But noticing that something has changed isn’t quite the same as knowing what that change means. In this episode, I look at what happens when being good at reading people starts to feel like certainty, how past experience
6
Aug. 19, 2026
Maybe I’m Not Just Being Difficult
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t what you’re doing. It’s trying to understand what’s going on underneath it. Maybe you’ve lost your temper, walked away, shut down, refused something, or ended up in another argument. Everyone else can see the behaviour, but that doesn’t mean they understand what’s behind it. And sometimes, if you’re being honest, you might not completely understand it either. So what if you’re not just being difficult? In this episode, I explore what can happen when behaviour
5
Aug. 12, 2026
I Don't Want To Be Ill, I Just Don't Want To Be Invisible
What happens when getting better starts to feel like you might lose something too? For some young people, being unwell can become the point where people finally notice. Family check in more. Friends stay closer. School takes things more seriously. People make time, ask questions and seem to care in a way that perhaps they did not before. So when things begin to improve, there can be another feeling sitting underneath the relief. If I'm no longer the person everyone is worried about, will they
About the Host
Mark Taylor
Creator, author and host.
I’m a Qualified/Certified Mental Health Nurse with over 35 years of experience supporting young people and their families. I’ve worked in secure hospitals, eating disorder units, and CAMHS crisis teams—walking alongside adolescents during some of their toughest moments.
My focus has always been on helping young people in emotional distress—especially those who struggle to engage or are finding it hard to stay safe.
I also teach at universities and train professionals across health, education and social care to better understand what young people really need from us.
Headstraight brings all of that together. Just real conversations, grounded advice, and ideas that might actually help. That’s the goal: make it easier to understand, easier to talk about, and more useful to you in real life.
Reviews
This will help me.
I can't wait to get started on this. Going to listen to it all on my commute to work. This guy really sounds like he knows his stuff
- Beth Alice
- July 17, 2025
Such a great find..!
I'm a parent and was desperate to find something for my son to look at. I've tried to encourage him to seek support but he is worried about talking to someone about how he feels. This podcast was just what he needed to find the courage to speak to someone. Now he is talking to his counsellor in school and is noticeably brighter. Thank you so much... !
- Anon
- July 28, 2025
Always something helpful
I found this clear and straightforward. Something to learn for practitioners and young people alike, both professionally and personally as we all go through stuff! Going to listen to the 'confidence' track with a young person who struggles with low self esteem as I'm struggling to communicate with him!
- Elsie
- Oct. 11, 2025