The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Dr Harry Barry On His Most Vulnerable Book Yet

5 snips
Oct 1, 2025
Dr. Harry Barry, an Irish GP and mental health author, shares insights from his personal memoir, 'Beneath the Surface.' He opens up about his own struggles and the importance of vulnerability. Dr. Barry discusses his work in Tanzania, where he developed a blood bank and trained midwives, even delivering his own child under challenging conditions. He emphasizes the significance of emotional resilience, social connections, and early mental-health intervention, arguing that teaching coping mechanisms is vital in combating loneliness and improving overall well-being.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

From Neuroscience To Practical Care

  • Harry combined neuroscience and CBT to form a simple, practical model for mental health.
  • He emphasizes lived experience as the basis for teaching emotional resilience, not just theory.
INSIGHT

The 'Skeleton' Method

  • Harry developed a 'skeleton' method: distill information into five core parts to reach essentials quickly.
  • This approach helped him simplify complex mental-health concepts and cut through noise.
ANECDOTE

Medical Work In Tanzania

  • Dr Harry Barry and his wife spent two years working in Tanzania and faced severe medical shortages.
  • They created a blood bank, trained midwives and reduced maternal/child mortality with simple practical solutions.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app