Guy Rands
What happens when we stop replying and start listening?
Guy Rands is a psychotherapist, educator, and facilitator with a unique background in science, education, and mental health practice. As a former scientist and headteacher, he brings rigorous thinking and deep understanding to his work. Guy creates safe spaces where autistic people and their families are heard, understood, and valued. Working in person, online, and outdoors with individuals, parents, families, and teams, he helps people notice patterns, strengths, and stories they might not otherwise see.
Guy teaches practical relationship-building skills, recognising that the quality of our relationships shapes our lives. He demystifies therapy, making it feel like an everyday, accessible, and proactive choice for people seeking guidance. He supports clients, developing practitioners, and training organisations, keeping things human, useful, and doable, so that insight can become action and build lasting, positive changes through small, meaningful steps.
About the talk
Guy’s talk asks whether, in a world overflowing with noise, yet starved of connection, the key to transforming relationships lies in how we listen. He will invite audiences to cross the space between speaker and listener, uncovering what happens when we resist the urge to reply and instead choose to listen deeply. Through practical insights and reflection, Guy will challenge the audience to examine their own listening habits and recognise the power of genuine attention. Attendees will leave with a renewed understanding of listening as a radical act and a practical tool for deepening connections in all their relationships.
Interesting Facts
Interesting thing about you that people won’t know
I’m a Grade 8 pianist and Grade 8 singer.
What achievement makes you most proud?
My 25-year career as a Teacher, Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher. I always aimed to provide the best possible experience of learning and personal development for children aged 4 to 18 across all aspects of school life, working collaboratively with colleagues and in close partnership with parents.
What do you get up to in your spare time?
Watching rugby union, singing in a mixed-voice choir, playing competitive tennis, hill-walking with friends, skiing in the mountains, cycling along roads and riverways and reading in the garden.
If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what would you be doing instead?
I would love to be a musician, singing professionally in a choir or a close harmony group.