Marnie Merrilees, Psychologist.

21/11/2025

Newcastle Thunder is delighted to announce that Keith Christie has been appointed Honorary President of the club in recognition of his long and outstanding service to rugby league in the North East.

READ IN FULL > https://www.thunderrugby.co.uk/article/839/keith-christie-appointed-honorary-president

18/11/2025

🗣️ “So many women have lost their lives. Some of these perpetrators are still hiding behind the guise of su***de. It isn’t su***de.”

📩 Read our latest newsletter from Jackie Long:
https://channel4news.substack.com/p/the-fight-to-recognise-domestic-abuse

16/11/2025

10/11/2025

10/11/2025

“After he shot me, Jim probably thought I was dead. I mean, who wouldn’t? After all of that? But I wasn’t dead. I am not, it turns out, easy to kill.”

Christy Martin, former world champion boxer, married her trainer in 1992.

In November 2010, he tried to kill her.

Read the full story: playerstribu.ne/ChristyMartin

📸: Jed Jacobsohn

Content Warning: This essay contains strong language about, and detailed descriptions of, violent activity, domestic abuse, drug use, and su***de.

19/10/2025

🚨 New Podcast release soon 🔜 with the incredible Andrew Jenkins, severe brain injury survivor and mental health advocate & Traitors finalist. It’s a fantastic story of resilience and one I’m sure will all find informative You can listen or watch on YouTube, Apple 🍏, Spotify and other platforms.

Find me on all social media

12/10/2025

Proud to support and sponsor professional boxer 🥊Jordan Barker-Porter, an inspiring example of local female talent and determination. Wishing you every success for fight night on 22nd November 2025 at Rainton Arena. Looking forward to seeing you in action 🥊💥

Huge thank you to Marnie Merrilees high performance psychologist for sponsoring my upcoming fight on 22nd November 🤝🏽

Extremely grateful to have people back and support the journey. End the year with a bang.

22.11.25 | Rainton Arena | Tickets £60pp

10/10/2025

Hope is emerging from an unexpected source: psychedelics.

A new study has shown that psychedelic-assisted therapy can bring lasting relief for people battling depression. Unlike traditional antidepressants, which often take weeks to work and require daily use, psychedelic therapy involves just a few guided sessions, yet the effects can endure for months, sometimes even longer.

The treatment works by pairing carefully administered psychedelic compounds with professional therapy. During these sessions, patients experience a deep shift in consciousness that allows them to see their thoughts, emotions, and memories from a new perspective. This “reset” effect seems to break the rigid cycles of negative thinking that fuel depression, giving the brain a chance to rewire itself in healthier ways.

For many patients, the difference is life-changing. Instead of being trapped in a constant fog of sadness, they report clarity, connection, and renewed hope. Early trials have found that even people with treatment-resistant depression—those who have tried every medication without success, are showing remarkable improvements.

What makes this discovery even more powerful is the durability of the results. While standard antidepressants must be taken indefinitely, psychedelic therapy may require only occasional sessions to maintain its benefits. This could revolutionise mental health care, reducing dependence on daily medication and offering a more holistic, life-restoring approach.

Of course, researchers stress that this is not about casual use but carefully controlled therapy guided by trained professionals. Still, the potential is enormous. We may be entering a new era where psychedelics are no longer dismissed as counterculture relics but recognised as powerful tools for healing the mind.

This breakthrough is more than science, it is a reminder that even in the darkest places, new light can be found.

24/09/2025

16/09/2025

A young woman sadly took her own life after "experiencing extreme trauma" when armed cops raided her home and arrested her partner in a case of mistaken identity 😢

Cherry Turner became obsessed with officers coming back to the home and feared they had 'bugged' the property she shared with her fiance Craig Jackson, a court heard.

The 31-year-old sadly took her own life on July 1, 2022, "as a consequence of the ordeal" after spiralling into depression, a jury at South Tyneside Coroner's Court ruled. The incident led to the loss of both their lives as Craig could not bear to be without his childhood sweetheart, reports the Chronicle Live.

Craig, who received a kidney from dad Ian, 62, in a 2017 transplant, stopped taking his anti-rejection drugs and tragically died in January this year. He told his family that he was unable to live without 'the love of his life'.

Squad cars, riot vans and armed cops scrambled on the home which Cherry and Craig shared in Denton, Newcastle on December 12, 2021. Craig had been mistaken for another man of the same name who was allegedly involved in a gun offence on Tyneside.

Full story: https://crnch.it/MUk9jSHy

15/09/2025

🧡 It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay not to be okay 🧡

If you ever find yourself experiencing extremely difficult thoughts or at risk of self-harm or su***de, please know there are services and people ready to support you right now.

👉 The next step is to utilise helplines and crisis numbers immediately if and when you feel triggered. These services are here to help you through the moment, calm overwhelming feelings, and remind you that you’re not alone.

📍 For UK residents:�📞 Samaritans – Call 116 123 (free, confidential, 24/7)�💬 Text SHOUT to 85258 (free, confidential, 24/7)
👥 Andy’s Man Club – Peer support groups for men, run by men. Check online for your local group.
�🚨 If you are in crisis, please call 999 or go to your nearest A&E 🚨�
🌍 For those outside the UK:�Search for your local mental health crisis services and make a note of the numbers.

Marnie Merrilees | High Performance Psychologist

✨ Reaching out for help is not weakness its strength. There are services to help supprt you during this difficult period.
🙏 Remember this too shall pass ;

31/07/2025

BPS Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology 🤓