'I've opened the first Brain Gym in a new approach to help people with their mental health'

Also concerned about the statistics surrounding male suicide rates, she wanted to offer an alternative to traditional therapy.

In December, she opened the UK’s first Brain Gym, offering one-to-one mental fitness personal training (MFPT) sessions.

“Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 and men are three times more likely than women to die by suicide.

“Men are getting better at talking about their problems but there is less support available for men who can’t talk about it but know they are struggling. That’s the gap I’m trying to fill.

“The idea of training your brain to perform better and build mental strength seems to be accessible to men,” says Emily.

Spartannn Brain Gym, based at Lions Amateur Boxing Club in Brierley Hill, was the culmination of three years of planning.

Emily has devoted time to testing the method and techniques used with prisoners, police officers and army veterans.

The training sessions feature practical brain exercises that will get participants working different parts of their brain.

“Instead of a therapist, there is a mental fitness personal trainer and instead of talking, we have practical exercises to get the brain to perform better and think more positively,” explains Emily.

At the initial consultation, the trainer will explain how the brain works and how someone can understand how to use their’s better.

After finding out more about the person’s mental fitness goals and lifestyle, they will create a training plan.

The average personal training session lasts between 45-60 minutes.

It will begin with a ‘thinking exercise’, where the person is asked to list 12 things that have been good since the last session.

“It sounds simple but it can actually be quite hard if you’re struggling with your mental health,” says Emily, who lives in Kidderminster but hails from Kingswinford.

This will be followed by a scaling exercise where they are asked to rate their current happiness on a scale from 0 to 10.

“If somebody is a 3, for example, we will ask them to imagine that if they woke up tomorrow and they were a 4, what would be different.

“Then we consider what changes they could make or small actions they could take to make that happen,” explains Emily.

The second half of the session is devoted to non-sleep deep rest, also known as day-dreaming, which allows the brain to make new connections and better process emotions.

This cognitive process can lead to new ideas enabling people to make changes that are right for them.

Repetition of the exercises is a key part of the training sessions. “Repetition helps to build muscle and we can do the same with our brains to improve brain health, strength and functioning,” says Emily.

She says most people will start to notice improvements in their focus, confidence and motivation after four sessions.

Although Spartannn is targeted at men, that doesn’t mean women can’t also benefit from the training.

“It’s really for anyone who wants help to sort their heads out but doesn’t want to see a therapist or talk about their problems.

“Or they might have had counselling before but it didn’t work and they want to try something different,” says Emily.

“All of my experience has been in male environments and I’ve also got three boys so that’s why I have an interest in men’s mental health and reducing male suicide rates.”

When setting up the business, it was important to her to keep the services accessible to all.

Spartannn offers a free consultation and then each session after that is £25.

“Our pricing is more in line with personal trainer pricing,” says Emily.

She has a big vision for the company over the next 30 years and plans to grow the business into a nationwide chain.

“A Mental Fitness Personal Trainer (MFPT) is a new innovative idea we have created at Spartannn Brain Gym.

“You will not find MFPTs anywhere else at the moment,” explains Emily.

“In the future, I would like there to be many more MFPTs so that more people can get the help they need.”

For more information, see www.spartannn.com or visit www.facebook.com/spartannnpt

Heather Large