My journey into expert contributions to the media began in 2021, shortly after setting up The Travel Psychologist, a blog focused on the psychology of travel and well-being. I attended a ACP-UK workshop for clinical psychologists hosted by BBC journalist James Waterhouse. His message to us as a professional group was compelling; there is a huge increase in appetite for psychological information from the general public, and if we as psychologists don’t step up and meet this demand, those without our expertise will.
It was a call to action that has stayed with me ever since, quietly fuelling the writing and reaching out to journalists that would eventually lead to recognised expertise in psychology applied to travel. This is a good point to add that I never believed that I was the best writer, but I did feel that I had insights and a worthwhile perspective to share. Committing to a focused side project slowly and surely enabled me to build up a level of expertise on the topic, and to improve my writing. Not only that, my expertise and confidence in working with the media slowly built. It takes time to understand what works, to provide the right level of detail, to build relationships and importantly, when to say no to stories that feel misaligned or misguided.
Fast forward five years, and I’m at the point where my mission to add a credible psychological voice to the conversation is paying off. The last year has included contributions to BBC Travel, Conde Nast Traveller, The Sydney Morning Herald, Vogue, and National Geographic. Receiving thoughtful and curious questions to my inbox consistently energises me and applying psychological in new and creative ways is always a highlight to my week.
There are many other psychologists stepping up to provide media contributions to TV, radio and print media, and this is encouraging to see. The challenges, however, are the lack of a clear pathway, training, and sources of opportunities. It can be daunting, and colleagues often feel intimated, unsure where to start, and fear misrepresentation. To reassure you, my experience is that most journalists writing about mental health and well-being are collaborative, thoughtful and psychologically minded. With our skillset it’s possible to discern and decline a request that is likely to be sensationalist or in a misaligned tone.
Another barrier I’ve noticed is around expectations: While psychological training provides a strong foundation, contributing effectively to the media is a craft in its own right. It takes time to develop the clarity, pace, and framing that work well in public‑facing contexts, so it’s natural that opportunities build gradually rather than arriving all at once. My advice would be to recognise this as normal and natural, and to give yourself time to grow and learn.
So why does this matter now? In 2021, James Waterhouse was indeed correct when he highlighted the growing need for psychological information. In 2026, there is now an alternative and not-always-grounded source of such information, namely AI. What concerns me about this, is that AI writing tools can enable those without the right expertise to sound expert. For me, this only amplifies the call to action for those of us with the right training and expertise to step up. In my view, qualified psychologists have a responsibility to shape public understanding, and doing so requires skill, practice, and intentionality.