Sound and vision: how gongs are bringing inner peace to city dwellers

Harmonies in the boom of a gong are transporting busy brains into a meditative state

Sound advice: why rockstars are my guiding light

Therapy helps in a crisis. But when it comes to lessons in life, music has most of the answers, says Ted Kessler

What happens to your life after you accidentally kill someone?

I’m an accidental killer – and thousands of Americans share this secret shame. How can you recover from the trauma of accidentally killing someone?

How dealing with past trauma may be the key to breaking addiction

Opening up to past trauma is difficult but self-awareness is key to addressing issues that leave us vulnerable, says Gabor Maté

Matt Haig: ‘I wanted to end it all, but surviving and thriving is the lesson I pass on’

At 24, he wanted to kill himself. Now a novelist, he teaches the readers of his books – and his children – how to get through when the future looks bleak

Does being a doctor make me a better parent?

It’s bizarre to think that doctors make good parents – in fact, the opposite may well be true

How the world smiles – uncovering the secret to collective happiness

Optimism is more necessary than ever, and understanding how other cultures approach life’s trials and joys may help us achieve contentment, says Helen Russell

Is gratitude the secret of happiness? I spent a month finding out

It has become a hugely popular concept in positive psychology and self-help, but is feeling grateful really a panacea? One writer sets aside her scepticism and opens up her gratitude journal

The lost art of concentration: being distracted in a digital world

We check our phones every 12 minutes, often just after waking up. Always-on behaviour is harmful to long-term mental health, and we need to learn to the hit the pause button