John McKeown

Managing Director

John McKeown is a highly qualified Clinical Psychotherapist and Addiction Counsellor, who trained at the Guy’s, St Thomas’s and King’s School of Medicine in London. With over 38 years’ experience in the addiction and mental health recovery field, he has helped to develop many inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation clinics across the UK.

John ran a successful private practice in Harley Street, London, providing services to several premier league football clubs, working clinically and delivering education programmes. He was instrumental in setting up the first drug and alcohol rehabilitation project in the British prison system.

In 2007, John co-wrote a self-help autobiographical book with Paul Gascoigne (Being Gazza, my journey to hell and back). John, alongside actress Finty Williams, presents “The Wagon”, a podcast about mental health and addiction. Each episode has a special guest and is a unique story about what struggling with mental health can feel like, what being an addict means, what happens in treatment, and what recovery feels like.

More Articles

  • The link between chronic pain and mental health

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    Individuals struggling with chronic pain are at increased risk for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression; substance use disorders including alcoholism, drug addiction…
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  • Depression: one of the world’s leading causes of disability

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    Early 2020 saw the Covid-19 pandemic strike fast and furiously across the globe. Governments quickly imposed strict stay-at-home orders, nationwide lockdowns, and heavy restrictions on…
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  • Are anxiety and depression the same?

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    The terms anxiety and depression are frequently used when talking about mental health. Since these are two of the most commonly occurring psychological conditions in…
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  • Brain stimulation therapy for the treatment of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    In a recent study (December 2021) funded by the NIH (National Institute for Health), and published in the medical journal Nature Medicine, researchers captured over…
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  • Risky drinking – alcohol misuse in the over 50s

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    With the latest strains of the Covid virus being seemingly less ferocious, global governments are implementing strategies and health measures to enable a reopening of…
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  • Is alcohol a drug?

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    Alcohol is the intoxicating component in wine, beer, and spirits like vodka and whiskey. Yes,it is a drug. It is a psychoactive substance which means…
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  • Student life: alcohol and drugs

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    The school holidays are coming to an end. Following six weeks of having the kids at home, hanging around under your feet; after snacks and…
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  • Alcohol misuse: Why is binge drinking so dangerous?

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    Over 5% of all deaths worldwide result from the harmful use of alcohol. It is a factor in over 200 different illnesses, diseases, and injuries….
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  • Side effects of the UKs most popular illegal drugs (i.e., cannabis and cocaine)

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    Figures published earlier this year (2021), by the Home Office, show that cannabis and cocaine continue to be the most popular illegal drugs in the…
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  • Reasons to consider a rehab centre for depression

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    Residential rehab is typically linked with substance misuse and addiction. However, reasons to consider a rehab centre for depression, is also a practical and sensible…
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  • Understanding self-harm: Breaking the stigma

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    Each year, globally, March the 1st marks Self-Harm Awareness Day (also known as Self Injury Awareness Day); shedding light on a complex and often stigmatised…
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  • Why addiction recovery is called “an inside job”

    by

    John McKeown

    on

    “Nothing changes if nothing changes: Change is a process, not an event: Life on life’s terms:  Progress, not perfection.” If you are already in addiction recovery,…
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You’re not alone on this journey.

The path to recovery starts with a small first step.