Bird Therapy

The story of how birdwatching helped Joe Harkness recover from a breakdown

‘Fabulously direct and truthful, filled with energy but devoid of self-pity . . . I was impressed and enchanted’ Stephen Fry

When Joe Harkness suffered a breakdown in 2013, he tried all the things his doctor recommended: medication helped, counselling was enlightening, and mindfulness grounded him. But nothing came close to nature, particularly birds. How had he never noticed such beauty before? Soon, every avian encounter took him one step closer to accepting who he is.

The positive change in Joe's wellbeing was so profound that he started a blog to record his experience. Three years later he has become a spokesperson for the benefits of birdwatching, spreading the word everywhere from Radio 4 to Downing Street.

In this groundbreaking book filled with practical advice, Joe explains the impact that birdwatching had on his life, and invites the reader to discover these extraordinary effects for themselves.

‘Succeeds – triumphantly – in articulating with great honesty what it is like to suffer with a mental illness, and in providing strategies for coping’ Mail on Sunday

‘I can't remember the last book I read that I could say with absolute assurance would save lives. But this one will’ Chris Packham

‘Harkness quietly, but very persuasively, makes the case for birdwatching (and wildlife-watching) as a counter to the stresses of modern life, and as a way of connecting with something larger than ourselves’ Bird Watching Magazine

‘A life-changing book’ Countryman

‘A heartfelt account of one man's return to wellbeing, and his love of nature shines through’ Herald Scotland

Paperback: 304pp

Published: Wilton Square Books (December 2025)

ISBN: 9781783528981