Redefining Mental Health Solutions Challenging outdated mental health systems with innovative, body-focused solutions, this entrepreneur shares her journey of disrupting traditional therapy models and offers empowering advice for female founders.

Caroline Strawson is shaking up the mental health world, turning her own trauma journey into a powerful tool for healing. As the host of the Trauma & Narcissism Redefined podcast and founder of The Mental Wellbeing Company, she's challenging old-school mental health approaches and empowering female entrepreneurs with fresh, transformative insights.

What inspired you to start your business?
When I started my business, I wasn't just building a company, I was challenging outdated systems, breaking stigmas, and offering real solutions where traditional methods had failed. My work in trauma and domestic abuse wasn't inspired by textbooks, it had come from lived experience.

When I was struggling with trauma, I did what most people do, I turned to the traditional routes, talk therapy, counselling, cognitivebehavioral therapy (CBT). But none of it truly shifted the trauma because it was all focused on talking about the past rather than healing what was happening in my body. It wasn't until I discovered nervous system education and somatic work that I experienced real change, and I knew then that I had to bring this approach to others because if I didn't realise this, I knew many others would not know either.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in the early stages?
Building a business hasn't been easy especially as a woman stepping into a space that challenges traditional mental health models and outdated beliefs about healing. I wasn't just starting a business, I was disrupting an industry that often resists change. Many people believe trauma can only be healed through talk therapy and traditional psychology, but I knew from experience that true healing happens in the body, not just in the mind.

Pushing against the norm meant facing scepticism, doubt, and the challenge of proving that a somatic, nervous system and trauma informed approach was not only valid but transformational. There were moments of uncertainty, but I kept going because I knew that if it worked for me, it would work for others. People needed this approach, even if they didn't yet realise it. That belief kept me moving forward, turning resistance into momentum and challenges into opportunities for impact.

How has the UK's economic environment impacted your business decisions?
Today, with the UK's economic landscape making people more mindful of how they spend their money, businesses need to stand out, not just by offering a service, but by providing something truly transformative. For me, that means ensuring everything I create delivers real results, real value, and real change.

What's a belief you held early in your career that you no longer agree with?
I used to think that working harder meant success, that hustle culture, pushing through exhaustion, and never switching off were the keys to making it. But I've learned that burnout doesn't build businesses, strategy does. It's not about working endlessly, it's about working effectively. Now, I focus on alignment, efficiency, and scaling in a way that supports me, rather than drains me.

What advice would you give to a female founder thinking about starting a business in the UK today?Own your space. Don't shrink yourself to fit what's expected. Women bring something unique to the business world such as intuition, emotional intelligence and resilience. The landscape is changing globally, and we need more women leading, innovating, and proving that success isn't about following outdated rules and patriarchy, it's about creating your own path. If you have an idea, a vision, a passion,back yourself, because if you don't, no one else will.