The Parent Nobody - Sees Supporting Yourself While Your Child Is Struggling
Andrea Marsh
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: From £750 + travel. Virtual available. Enquire for tailored quote.
- Category:
- Health
- Updated:
- 1st September 2026
- Tagged:
- Mental Health | Parenting | Wellbeing | Resilience
When a child is struggling with their mental health, almost all of the attention understandably goes to the child.
But behind them is often a parent quietly trying to hold everything together.
The appointments. The worry. The guilt. The sleepless nights. The impact on relationships, work and the rest of the family while somehow still being expected to know what to say and what to do.
Drawing on her own lived experience of supporting her daughter through serious mental health challenges and an eating disorder, Andrea Marsh speaks candidly about the part of the journey that is rarely discussed: what happens to the parent.
This powerful, compassionate talk explores why supporting yourself is not selfish, how easily parents can lose themselves in their child’s struggle, and why resilience does not mean endlessly coping without support.
It is an honest conversation about fear, guilt, boundaries, connection and learning how to be there for your child without disappearing yourself in the process.
Key takeaways Understanding the emotional impact on parents and families Letting go of the belief that you should have all the answers Recognising guilt, fear and parental burnout Understanding what you can and cannot control Protecting your own wellbeing while supporting your child Building resilience for the journey, not just the crisis
Best for Parent groups, schools, colleges, charities, family-support organisations, healthcare audiences, NHS teams and organisations supporting parents and carers.
Views: 17 | Enquiries: 0About Andrea Marsh
Andrea Marsh is a multi-award-winning Mental Health, Resilience and High Performance Speaker who helps audiences understand what may really be happening behind the behaviour they see.
Combining professional training with powerful lived experience as a parent, Andrea speaks with honesty about young people’s mental health, eating disorders, parental resilience, difficult conversations, workplace wellbeing and the human impact of pressure.
Her approach is not about labels, jargon or telling people to simply “be more resilient”. She helps audiences recognise what can sit beneath withdrawal, anxiety, changing behaviour, burnout and emotional struggle and gives them greater confidence to respond with understanding, connection and practical action.
Andrea works with schools, colleges, parents, healthcare professionals, NHS teams, businesses and organisations, adapting her talks to the challenges facing each audience.
Her speaking combines storytelling, practical insight, humour and vulnerability, creating sessions that are thought-provoking without becoming clinical or overwhelming.
Andrea is a qualified professional coach, holds Level 2 qualifications in Self-Harm Awareness & Suicide Prevention and Mental Health in the Workplace, is Enhanced DBS checked, and is the author of Silent Struggles: Beyond the Behaviour.
She has received multiple awards for her work, including Business Woman of the Year 2025 and Best High Performance Coach & Mental Wellbeing Speaker 2026.
Her message is simple: when we stop reacting only to what we can see and become curious about what is happening underneath, better conversations and real change become possible.
Other Talks on SpeakerNet by Andrea Marsh
- “Invisible Battles: Breaking the Silence Around Mental Health & Eating Disorders”
- “Holding On While Letting Go: A Parent’s Journey Through Mental Health & Eating Disorders”
- Behind the Behaviour: What Young People Are Really Trying to Tell Us
- When “I’m Fine” Isn’t Fine: Spotting the Signs Before Crisis
- Strong Enough to Bend - Building Resilience Without Burning Out
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