How to Be Your True Self: Family, Sexuality & Mental Health – Hilton da Silva

This episode contains discussion around mental health in the family, bipolar disorder, coming out, and psychosexual therapy.

Join us for a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation with psychosexual and relationship counsellor Hilton da Silva as he shares his journey from Brazil to London, navigating family mental health challenges, and finding freedom to be his authentic self.  This honest and inclusive discussion explores how early experiences with mental health in the family shaped Hilton’s path to becoming a specialist in psychosexual and relationship work, offering  valuable insights for people in relationships of all kinds. 

In this compelling episode, Hilton openly shares:

• Growing up in Brazil and experiencing mental health problems in his family from a young age
• How his brother’s bipolar disorder and erratic behaviour impacted the entire family
• Moving to live with a relative as a teenager due to family circumstances
• Finding his way as a queer person and the challenges of growing up LGBTQIA+
• His decision to move to London where he felt freer to be his true self
• Training to become a therapist and specialising in psychosexual and relationship work
• Supporting clients with sexual dysfunction, shame, intimacy, and communication issues
• Working as Team Leader for Wandsworth Talking Therapies

This essential conversation offers inclusive and sound advice for people in every sort of relationship, however they identify, and valuable insights into how personal experiences can inform therapeutic specialisation.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The impact of family mental health challenges on young people
• Navigating cultural and family expectations around sexuality and identity
• Finding freedom and authenticity through geographical change
• How psychosexual and relationship therapy works in practice
• Supporting clients with sexual dysfunction and intimacy issues
• Addressing shame and communication problems in relationships
• Conflict avoidance and its impact on relationships
• Creating inclusive therapeutic spaces for all relationship types
• The connection between personal healing and professional calling 

A full transcript of this episode is available here.