The Recovery Letters

In 2012, The Recovery Letters was launched to host a series of letters online written by people recovering from depression, addressed to those currently affected by a mental health condition. Addressed to 'Dear You', the inspirational and heartfelt letters provided hope and support to those experiencing depression and were testament that recovery was possible.

Now for the first time, these letters have been compiled into an anthology for people living with depression and are interspersed with motivating quotes and additional resources as well as new material written specifically for the book. This powerful collection of personal letters from people with first-hand experiences of depression will serve as a comforting resource for anyone on the journey to recovery.

James Withey is a trained counsellor who worked in social care for 20 years. In 2011, James was diagnosed with clinical depression, attempted suicide and spent time in psychiatric hospital and crisis services where he developed the idea for The Recovery Letters. James writes and speaks publicly about depression and has twice featured on BBC Radio 4's 'All in the Mind' programme.

Olivia Sagan is Head of Psychology & Sociology at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. A chartered psychologist and former counsellor Olivia is the author of Narratives of Art Practice and Mental Wellbeing: Reparation and Connection (Routledge 2014) and Narratives of Loneliness: Multidisciplinary perspectives from the 21st Century (Routledge, 2017).