Sharon May
I grew up in a rural community in Gloucestershire, and after a stint of city life in Salford, and town life in Newbury, I finally moved back to the countryside in 2008 after marrying my fourth generation farming husband Tim.
Following a career in physical healthcare, my love of people and their stories led me to shift my focus to emotional healthcare and retrain as a counsellor whilst bringing up our three children. I set up my own practice on the farm 8 years ago, which has now grown into a multi-therapist counselling hub providing face to face mental health support to the rural community in which we live. I love my job, and particularly enjoy working with small business owners, life stage issues and women’s health. I am passionate about tackling stigma and normalising the conversations around mental health and wellbeing.
My awareness of the mental health challenges within agriculture led to me choosing that as an area of focus whilst completing my Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice, culminating in a research study on the mental health of farm wives.
I am very grateful to The Farming Community Network and Len’s Light for their generous sponsorship.
No farmer is an island - Supporting the Mental Health of Farm Families.
The Farming Community Network
Study Overview
I have been heartened by the increase in conversations around mental health in farming over the last few years, but am acutely aware there is still a long way to go.
Farming is an industry which has family at it’s heart, and when things are tough, it can have a significant impact not just on an individual but also on those around them. Often those that support need support themselves but fall under the radar. I believe that we need to approach mental health support in agriculture from a broader perspective that includes not just farmers, but their families and their communities, so that they can continue to be there for one another.
Through this amazing opportunity, I am hoping to gain a greater understanding of what support is needed, what challenges those who provide that support to rural and agricultural communities face, and how resilience can be cultivated in order to not just survive but thrive in the face of adversity. Farming is an incredible industry to be a part of but I believe in order to protect it’s future we need to protect the mental health of farmers and their families.