Part of what makes Higham so valuable, in our eyes, is the potential we have to improve the lives of those involved with us. Seriously – 100 percent sincerity here – we recognise the importance of simply having a safe place to go and spend time in. In one respect, every single course we offer has the potential to combat solitude in each of the physical, emotional and intellectual senses.

Simply sharing experiences in a sympathetic environment can be reassuringly life-affirming and enriching. It is because of this general awareness of the human condition that we employ some Tutors who are especially gifted at supporting people. Tutor and Psychotherapist Lina Mookerjee has a deeper understanding of what makes us tick, and her Higham sessions focus on making sense of life in all its wonderful and bamboozling complexity.

Lina has recently made it onto the BBC Radio 4 programme Positive Thinking and she recently made her debut as an expert therapist on a panel discussing AI’s place in tackling loneliness.

According to a recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation, as many as one in four UK adults admit they feel lonely either some or all of the time.

The episode asks if one solution could be a chatbot – Artificial Intelligence (AI) which can act like a friend to help people feel better. The ethical and emotional consequences are debated.

Could a virtual friend solve Britain’s loneliness epidemic?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001b44n