Lessons in Psychological Stability with Kidnapping Survivor Dr. Simon Lee Maryan

Simon Lee Maryan is a former Royal Marines Commando who went on to serve as a specialist Human Intelligence Officer, operating globally in hostile and high-stress environments. Drawing on these experiences, alongside many years of formal training in psychology and psychotherapy, he now works internationally as a speaker, coach, trainer helping individuals and organisations prepare for, manage, and recover from stress, trauma, and extreme pressure.Simon is a survivor of three separate kidnappings. These experiences profoundly shaped his understanding of psychological resilience and informed the development of practical, evidence-informed approaches to self-regulation and recovery, which he now shares through training programmes and speaking engagements worldwide.He delivers keynote, motivational, and specialist talks internationally to a wide range of clients, including the UK Military, FBI New York Counter Terrorism Team, New York Police Department and NYPD Hostage Negotiation Team, energy sector organisations, global financial institutions, and UK Government departments.In 2017, Simon co-founded the mental health charity Icarus, providing voluntary support to serving military personnel, veterans, and uniformed services. He stepped away in 2021 to extend his work beyond the veteran sector.Between 2007 and 2010, Simon developed the Immediate Care Process, a practical therapeutic approach to managing stress and trauma. This later evolved into the Somato-Limbic Metacognitive (SLM) Process, designed to build emotional and psychological resilience and reprocess distressing memories. A 2019 clinical record review of 100 cases conducted by Emeritus Professor David Alexander indicated an 88% improvement rate.Over the past 15 years, Simon has trained more than 5,000 individuals, with his work estimated to have positively impacted over 10 million lives. He published his book on the Immediate Care Process in 2021.This podcast is hosted by Jessica Buchanan, a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, survivor and founder. Her latest book, How to Survive Survival: A Guide for Turning Life’s Hardest Moments Into Meaningful Contribution for the World was released in 2025.  Jessica is also the author of Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six, published in 2014, which became a New York Times Bestseller. Jessica is the founder of Soul Speak Press, a boutique non-traditional publishing company focused on stories from women who have been through something, now they know something and can teach us something.When she’s not writing or speaking, Jessica is traveling the world with her Swedish husband and two “half Vikings.” She aims to lead a life shaped by curiosity, culture, and a deep appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit.