Who the Hell Am I to Talk About This Stuff?
If you’ve ever felt like the world expects you to be fine when you’re anything but, you’re not broken. You’re just human. In a world that’s not exactly built for emotional honesty.
I’m Stuart Welbourn. I’ve been helping people unpick the mess in their heads since before “mindset” was a hashtag. Former Navy man. Hypnotherapist. Filmmaker. And I’ve spent the last 30 years learning how to stay sane without losing my sense of humour.
Why I Do This Now
This isn’t some midlife pivot. It’s the through-line of my entire life.
Whether I was serving in the Royal Navy during the First Gulf War, helping people quit smoking in a private health centre, or creating indie films that blend dark themes with dry wit — I’ve always been trying to answer one question:
How the hell do we live with ourselves and each other… without going mad?
I don’t have all the answers. But I’ve collected enough tools, stories and scars to offer something real. That’s what this site is for.
Short Version of the Long Story
Born on an Army base in Germany. Raised on a council estate in Derby. Failed at school. Joined the Navy at 17. Medically discharged at 25 after double knee surgery.
Used the resettlement money to train in hypnotherapy and hypnoanalysis. Opened a practice. Helped people. Got burned out. Became a nightshift OSG in a prison. Wrote a self-help book for veterans. Took up acting. Got a Master’s in Film without ever doing A-levels. Made short films — often blending horror, karmic retribution, and the Jungian shadow. Put one on Amazon Prime.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, I broke down. And started figuring out how to rebuild something better.
Oh, and I live with a dog named Beowulf who understands presence better than most people I’ve met.
Things I’d Tattoo on a Bar Mat
- You’re not your past. Unless you keep treating it like your landlord.
- Mindset isn’t magic. It’s emotional strength training with a lot of grunting.
- Emotions don’t vanish. They just change outfits and show up uninvited.
- Success isn’t always about money. But neither is failure.
- Self-help shouldn’t feel like a lecture. Or a punishment.
This site is where I share what I’ve learned — and unlearned — about staying afloat, staying grounded, and occasionally, actually thriving.
What This Site Is (and Isn’t)
It’s not therapy. It’s not coaching. It’s not some cult of positive thinking. It’s a place for people who want to think deeper, feel honestly, and laugh at themselves without losing the plot.
No gurus. No glitter. Just grounded truth, served dry.
🎁 Want the Deleted Chapter from My Book?
This chapter didn’t make it into It’s Not OK to Be Not OK — not because it wasn’t valuable, but because I thought it might be too provocative or too long for the final book.
The title?
“Do People Really Piss You Off?”
Yeah. That one. It’s raw, possibly too honest for polite company — but if you’re ready for the blunt stuff, the unfiltered stuff, the stuff that actually helps… it’s yours.
Just pop your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox:
Your Map, Not a Manifesto
🔹 Read the Blog – Weekly essays on mindset, emotional control, and the weirdness of being human
🔹 Listen to the Podcast – Straight Talk Sacred Pathway, where I interview Indigenous elder Wa-Na-Nee-Che
🔹 Book Me to Speak – No fluff. No death by PowerPoint. Just honest, human talks about mental health and meaning
🔹 Say Hello – Questions, comments, odd ideas — I’m listening
Last Words (for Now)
If nothing else, I hope this site gives you one honest moment in a world that rarely does.
And if it makes you laugh once along the way? Even better.
Welcome aboard.