Dr. Phil Hopley on Stress and Success in High-Pressure Worlds

In today’s episode I sit down with consultant psychiatrist and former elite rugby player Dr. Phil Hopley to explore the mental health challenges we face in high-pressure environments — from boardrooms to Formula One pits. With decades of experience supporting top performers in sport, law, and finance, Phil shares how his own journey from the rugby field to psychiatry led to a passion for building resilience and emotional recovery.


From founding Cognacity, a trailblazing mental health consultancy, to coaching professionals on navigating burnout, anxiety, and perfectionism, Phil breaks down how to shift from reactive to proactive care. He reveals what elite athletes, CEOs, and everyday professionals can do to regulate stress, avoid cognitive traps like catastrophising and rumination, and take back control. Plus, he speaks candidly about the mental toll of retirement, and why connection and purpose are essential to sustaining wellbeing.


Find Phil: https://www.cognacity.co.uk/team/dr-phil-hopley/


Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hurt-to-healing

Substack: substack.com/@hurttohealing

Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the Hurt to Healing podcast with me, Pandora Morris. I’ve been fighting an uphill battle with my mental health for years and it’s only now that I’ve started to see some glimmers of light. It’s almost unbelievable to think I am starting this podcast considering my incessant compulsions would normally try to talk me out of it. But here I am, continuing to fight my invisible bullies one day at a time. 


As part of my own recovery, I’ve made it my mission to support as many of you as possible on your own healing journey. I’ll be speaking to wonderful people from all walks of life who will open up about their own invisible struggles in the hope that it will provide a bit of solace and comfort for some of you. I’ll also be speaking to leading experts and doctors about different disorders and therapies that might help each of you expand your knowledge on the world of mental health.  


Visit my website www.hurttohealing.co.uk to learn more about me and the work that I do.


Produced by Rutherford Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.