Sea of Mind: Yacht Crew Mental Health & Therapy | The Crew Car

Yacht crew mental health is talked about more than ever. But talking about it is not the same as making support easy to access.

In this episode of The Crew Car, Captain James Battey, Founder of the Yacht Workers Council, speaks with Nick Hayward-Young, known as The Superyacht Psychotherapist, about therapy, stigma, mental health support, and why yachting needs to treat the mind with the same seriousness as the body.

Nick shares his route into yachting, his background around boats and superyachts, and why working with yacht crew requires an understanding of the pressures, privacy issues, schedules, and realities of life onboard.

This conversation looks at why crew may still feel uncomfortable asking for help, why therapy is not a sign that something is wrong, and why speaking with someone outside friends, family, or the vessel can be so valuable.

James and Nick also discuss the difference between mental health awareness and practical action, the stigma that still exists onboard, how therapy sessions can work around yacht crew schedules, and why therapy should be as normal as going to the dentist, seeing a physio, or going to the gym.

Yachting is built on people working under pressure, often far from home, in confined spaces, with limited privacy and high expectations. If the industry wants stronger crews, safer vessels, and healthier careers, mental health support cannot remain hidden, awkward, or treated as a last resort.

Connect & Learn More:

Nick Hayward-Young | The Superyacht Psychotherapist
 https://thesuperyachtpsychotherapist.com/

Yacht Workers Council
 https://yachtworkerscouncil.com

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