The greatest journey is the journey in

Hi there - We’re Hazel and Ellie, co-creators of a choose-your-own-adventure mental health app/game called Betwixt.

For several years, we’ve been on a quest to combine psychology and play, and this is where we share it all – lessons learned, distilled and delivered straight to your inbox once a week. 

Here, you’ll find:

• Surprising science-based insights about mental wellbeing and emotional resilience
  For example, how and why the human mind is built for story; the power of dialectical thinking; lessons from decades of studies on emotion regulation, and more. 

• Actionable steps to turn insights to outcomes in your real life

  For example, how to self-reflect without reinforcing negative emotions; how to set healthy boundaries if you worry about hurting your relationships; how to avoid the traps of happiness pursuit and goal-setting, and more. 

Who are we?

Hazel Gale is a former kickboxer and boxer with multiple World, European and National titles. Her outward success, however, had a dark side: the stress of competition and relentless self-doubt drove her into an emotional and physical burnout that led to years of chronic illness.

Hazel’s eventual recovery inspired her to qualify as a therapist and coach, and for over a decade she worked with high-level athletes, business executives and others as a master practitioner of cognitive hypnotherapy – an evidence-based approach that combines elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and traditional hypnotherapy with theories of modern neuroscience. Hazel’s 2018 book "The Mind Monster Solution" was published internationally and became an Amazon bestseller in both mental health and psychology. 

Ellie Dee is a mental health entrepreneur, former science writer in psychology (Guardian, Aeon) and editor of the anthology “What Doesn’t Kill You: 15 Stories of Survival”. While doing field research for a project, she discovered that many people cope with challenges by playing video games. This insight sparked an interest in the role of play and storytelling in mental wellbeing and resilience, which she has been pursuing as a product manager at mental health game Betwixt.

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