Dr Maryhan Baker
Dr Maryhan Baker is a world-renowned parenting expert and psychologist. Her globally charting How Not to Screw Up Your Kids podcast has been named one of the top 5 parenting podcasts by The Guardian. Consistently charting in the Top 10 Parenting Podcasts, Dr Maryhan is the voice of wisdom for parents worldwide. As a speaker, Dr Maryhan is available to talk on subjects ranging from emotional wellbeing to managing parenting and a work life balance.
About Dr Maryhan Baker
Dr Maryhan Baker is an experienced speaker and commentator and is regularly featured in the national press and radio; asked to comment on a range of topics related to mental health and wellbeing. Dr Maryhan is also the figurehead behind the One Million Moments campaign; aiming to reduce the number of children struggling with a mental health challenge from 17% to 10% by 2025.
Dr Maryhan Baker, the middle of three children, was born near Cairo in Egypt. Her father, an anaesthetist, accepted a job at a hospital in Sussex and the whole family emigrated to England when she was five years old.
At the age of 11 years old her father died suddenly leaving her 41-year-old mother widowed raising three children aged 8, 11 and 18 years. Dr Maryhan believes this experience, and how she navigated it, not only shaped her profoundly, but it is also the reason why she does what she does today.
Yet her journey was not a straightforward one. Educated at a selective grammar school in Wiltshire, she failed to live up to her academic potential and left school at 18 years of age with only six O-Levels; having failed all three of her A-Levels.
A very successful 10 years in industry managing sales teams fuelled a curiosity around business and work psychology. Particularly in the areas of teams, people, and motivation.
At 28 years of age Maryhan left her corporate career and embarked on an 8-year long full-time academic journey before being awarded her Doctorate in 2006.
She combined her studies with motherhood, having her son in the final year of her Psychology degree, and her daughter in the second year of her PhD. Motherhood changed her focus and her interests changed to child development and how play can positively impact children’s learning. Her research was published in 2008 and is now being used globally to further advance our knowledge of child development.
A passionate advocate of positive mental health, not only for children but parents and adults too. For over 20 years, Dr Maryhan has been supporting children with anxiety and helping parents raise confident, resilient children.
Her practical approach has been hailed by parents, schools and organisations and earned her a reputation for straight-talking, non-judgemental, and real advice.
Dr Maryhan is a fount of parenting knowledge. She provides oodles of non-judgemental, practical, and realistic advice, based on years of experience of working with parents and children, in an upbeat and positive manner.
In 2022, Dr Maryhan spearheaded her One Million Moments Campaign with the ambitious mission of reducing the number of children struggling with a mental health challenges from the current levels of 17% to 10% by 2025.
Her aim is to positively impact 1 million lives, one moment at a time.
- Positive emotional wellbeing is good for business
- Why work-life balance doesn’t work; we need to be talking about counterbalance
- How to parent the child you have, and not the child you want
- The importance of a reflective practice for optimising performance in all areas of life
- Why we need to be talking to our children about pornography; and earlier than you might think!
- Emotional Intelligence; the single biggest predictor of success
- Female entrepreneurship and leadership