The duo have been receiving a great response.
What began in the corner of a living room with a tripod and an iPhone has grown into a grassroots movement that is opening up conversations about mental health across the Highlands.
Headspace Highlands, founded by Carly-Skye Fraser in October last year, is giving people a space to share recovery stories, build community and challenge stigma.
“I started Headspace after my own struggles with mental health,” said Carly.
“There was nobody really speaking openly about mental health recovery and what that looks like.
“I wanted it to be a stepping stone between feeling lost and reaching out for services. When you are in that dark place, it can be so hard to imagine getting back to yourself. Hearing recovery stories can give people hope.”
Carly started the grassroots movement from her own experience.
Not long after Carly launched the project, she was joined by Shaun Matheson, who first reached out hoping to share his own experience.
“At the time I wasn’t able to talk about what I was going through, but Carly and I became friends,” he explained.
“We realised each other’s skill set and I came on board as podcast editor. From there we decided to really make a go of it and self-fund so we could grow Headspace Highlands.”
In its early days, Headspace Highlands was filmed in Carly’s father’s living room.
As the project developed, it moved from home recordings to producing both podcasts and street interviews that quickly gained traction online.
“We decided to try these simple videos where we put a microphone on the high street and asked people one question,” said Shaun.
Shaun came on board when he was looking to share his own experience.
“Those videos blew up. We have nearly a million views across seven or eight clips, which shows that people are engaging.
“It’s not about the numbers, but it does mean people are recognising what we are doing and wanting to take part.”
The podcast remains at the heart of their work, now recorded at local venues such as the Milkbar in Croy.
“Recovery stories are at the centre of what we do,” said Carly.
“It is not about people going through something in the moment, because there are services for that.
“We focus on what recovery can look like and the hope that comes from sharing.
“Even working with Shaun, I can say if I am anxious today, and that openness is something I never did before. That is what we want to encourage.”
Carly and Shaun form Headspace Highlands.
While Headspace Highlands has already become a familiar presence in Inverness, Carly and Shaun are determined to expand further.
“At the moment we are limited to Inverness because this isn’t a paid role,” said Carly.
“We would love to get funding so we can represent more of the Highlands. People in places like Caithness often feel left out, and we want them to be heard.”
Part of their vision involves offering media services to businesses to help fund the project.
“We would love to be the Highlands’ mental health content creators,” Shaun said.
“At the moment, companies often bring people up from Glasgow.
“We want to bridge that gap and keep it local. That way we can sustain the passion project side of Headspace while also creating income.”
They are also planning documentary-style projects exploring mental health in rural workforces such as farming, fishing and gamekeeping.
“These are really lonesome jobs,” Carly explained.
“We want to shine a light on what life looks like in those spaces.”
They had the opportunity to interview artists and locals at Belladrum.
For both Carly and Shaun, Headspace Highlands is rooted in personal experience.
“What helped me recover was realising that being open with my experience made conversations easier,” said Shaun.
“The more I spoke, the more normal it became. Meeting Carly and being part of Headspace came at the perfect time for me.”
Carly added: “For me, recovery was about accepting that I wasn’t weak.
“Now when I speak to others who are struggling, I tell them they are brave. Headspace Highlands has empowered me as much as it has others.”
The project has already attracted attention from festivals such as Belladrum and continues to grow in both reach and recognition.
But at its heart, Headspace Highlands remains what it was at the start: a space for honest conversations, created by two people who know first-hand the value of being heard.
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