Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health — Join Our Online Conference!
A Unique Counselling Hub in Lincoln
Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health — Join Our Online Conference!
In an era where social media is deeply woven into the fabric of everyday life, its influence on mental health has become a topic of pressing importance.
From opportunities for connection and community building to concerns about loneliness, comparison and anxiety, the role social platforms play in our wellbeing is complex and multifaceted. That’s why we’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Social Media and Mental Health Online Conference — a thought-provoking and informative virtual event designed to unpack this subject.
📅 Event Details
- Date: Thursday, 7th May 2026
- Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm
- Format: Online via Zoom (link to follow upon registration)
- Location: Virtual – join from anywhere!
This half-day conference brings together researchers, practitioners, professionals, educators, and anyone with an interest in mental health and digital wellbeing to explore how social media shapes our psychological landscape.
🌐 Why This Conference Matters
Social media isn’t going away — and its impact on mental health is both positive and challenging. Platforms can foster connection, provide peer support, and democratise mental health conversations. But they can also amplify unrealistic comparisons, expose users to harmful content, and contribute to stress and negative self-perception. Our conference offers a nuanced look at this evolving landscape.
Whether you’re a clinician, educator, wellness advocate, parent, researcher or simply someone passionate about mental wellbeing, this event will equip you with insights, tools, and evidence-based perspectives to take away and apply in your work and life.
🧠 What to Expect
At this online conference, thought leaders and expert speakers will dive into themes such as:
- Emerging research on social media and psychological wellbeing
- Practical strategies for navigating digital life in a healthy way
- Understanding both risks and benefits of social platforms
- How professionals and communities can support positive digital engagement
Across engaging talks and discussions, you’ll gain fresh perspectives and actionable takeaways that help make sense of a digital world where the lines between connection and comparison are increasingly blurred.
Talks will be lead by:
Graham Cann
Counsellor at NW Counselling Hub
A Counsellor’s Perspective on Client Relationships with Social Media.
Drawing on his experience in the therapy room, Graham will explore how our relationship with social media affects how we view life, others, and ourselves.
Graham Cann is an integrative counsellor who offers a safe and supportive space for anyone willing to take steps into counselling. He works with a wide range of clients, many of whom present with complex difficulties.
Graham is particularly drawn to supporting men who have been involved with the criminal justice system, offering guidance to help build understanding, resilience, and practical tools for managing current and past challenges. These tools may also help deal with issues in the future.
Graham also has a growing interest in early developmental experiences and how our younger years can shape emotional well-being later in life.
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Detective Sergeant Dave Thomason KPM
Cheshire Constabulary – Harm Reduction Unit
From Connection to Coercion: Stalking, Social Media and the Future of Risk
Social media has transformed how people connect, but it has also fundamentally changed how stalking is perpetrated, experienced, and managed.
This session explores emerging trends in digitally facilitated stalking, including surveillance, fixation, impersonation, and platformenabled stalking. Drawing on frontline policing and multiagency practice, the talk examines the mental health impacts on victims, the opportunities social media creates for early identification and disruption, and the challenges practitioners face in a rapidly evolving online environment.
The session concludes by looking ahead: what a futurefocused, harmreduction approach to stalking must look like in the age of social media.
Detective Sergeant David Thomason KPM leads the Harm Reduction Unit at Cheshire Constabulary, a multiagency stalking risk management service spanning police, NHS and probation.
A former trustee of Protection Against Stalking, he helped drive stalking law reform in England and Wales and has over 18 years’ specialist policing of stalking experience.
David has trained thousands of professionals and previously served as Staff Officer to the national police stalking lead. He is a member of the NPCC National Stalking Tactical Working Group, holds a postgraduate research degree which looked into Stalking Protection Orders, and has received multiple awards, including the King’s Police Medal.
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Sarah-Jane Butler
Farringford Legal
When Social Media Causes Harm: Practical Legal Tools for Protecting Mental Health
The session will explore the legal and practical tools available when social media activity causes harm to mental health. It will cover the types of online behaviour that can give rise to legal protection, the use of protection orders and reporting mechanisms, and the options available for responding to untrue or damaging online posts. The talk will focus on practical guidance for individuals and organisations, including early steps, evidence preservation, and realistic expectations of both legal remedies and platform-based responses.
Sarah-Jane Butler is an award-winning lawyer and serial entrepreneur. Along with fellow directors, she launched Farringford Legal in September 2021. It was in response to spotting a gap in the market for a new breed of law firm, one focused on delivering exceptional personalised service to SMEs which was not widely available at a price which reflected the budgets of many SME owners.
She is a passionate advocate for female founders and actively campaigns for more support to help their businesses grow. She has won awards including SME businesswoman of the year, is a WeAreTheCity Rising Star Champion and was nominated for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year. She has participated in the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme, of which she is a highly active alumni.
💬 Who Should Attend
This conference is ideal for:
- Professionals supporting members of the community
- Educators and school leaders
- Digital wellbeing advocates
- Parents and carers
- Students and young adults
- Anyone interested in how technology and mental health intersect
You don’t need to be an expert to benefit — just curious and committed to learning more about how we can promote better mental wellbeing in our digital age.
