The Invisible Weight: Coaching, Mental Health, and the Power of Movement with Stuart Edwards

In this episode, I sit down with rugby coach Stuart Edwards for an honest and timely conversation about coaching, vulnerability, and mental health. We explore what it really means to support coaches in high pressure environments and why connection, not invincibility, is the foundation of effective leadership and wellbeing.Stuart challenges the long held belief that coaches must carry everything alone. He speaks openly about the stigma around asking for help, particularly among men, and reframes vulnerability as a professional strength rather than a weakness. Throughout the conversation, we return to one central idea: support should not be reactive or crisis driven, it should be built into coaching cultures from the start.This episode is about normalising honest conversations, reducing stress through connection, and putting practical wellbeing frameworks in place so coaches feel supported, heard, and valued. Sometimes support is not complicated. Sometimes it is just a question, an answer, or a phone call that reminds someone they are not alone.Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/444SeysKJU43i15ml66o9O?si=Py4YDQi_QlG62VjmmW3DowApple - https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/trauma-training-transformation-with-dr-james-alder-exploring-how-movement-heals-the-mindAmazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trauma-Training-Transformation-Exploring-movement/dp/B0FZXX52T2/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qxK5fnwiETtEZ0Hr8A1d28IU-WdrdRHADI-hpAqvknI.O_djCZa5YsGLY9KPZy1U72OrNBEfYTkWoZ4L9hSwFfs&dib_tag=se&keywords=trauma%2C+training+%26+transformation&qid=1764495920&s=audible&sr=1-1YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@JamesAlder-003Substack - https://substack.com/@traumatrainingtransformationBuy Me a Coffee orSupport Me – https://buymeacoffee.com/jamesalder003