I tried Heavy Metal Therapy - there was no head banging and it was surprisingly relaxing

We sent our reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin to try it out.

I’m more of an R&B, latin or pop music kind of person, and definitely not a heavy metal fan.

The thought of heavy metal therapy sounded pretty dark.

When I need a pick me up and I ask Alexa to play feel good music, it’s never heavy metal she plays.

That said, I was intrigued to try to get some help for my head while I would be perhaps head banging to some tunes.

The groups run all over the country from Bristol to Castleford.

I went to my first group on a Wednesday evening at Throwback Coffee Shop in Wakefield. This is an independent plant-based foodie haven with pretty tattoo style art decorating the walls.

On the surface it looks too trendy for someone like me. Inside however you’ll find incredible matcha lattes with plant based milk and stacked pancakes. Tonight however I was there after hours.

I burst in out of the rain and was welcomed by a handful of people. Three facilitators and a couple of participants. It was all very casual. There were snacks out on the table, fidgets to play with, stickers and a few information sheets.

There was also some talking point sheets with prompts.

I was offered a drink which there’s no way I would refuse at this coffee shop.

Normally at groups I've attended I’m in a community centre where you’re lucky to get an urn with boiling water and some instant coffee.

The atmosphere felt relaxed with music quietly playing in the background. People could request a song of choice from the heavy metal genre.

The volume was on low so people could chat, read and pretty much do whatever they fancied.

One of the facilitators, Tom Stein, said: “It’s not about the music as much as it is about the community. “We jumped on an established community. We all need community. It gives us a sense of belonging.”

Music was the common ground but really this group thrived off of finding connections.

Ironically it wasn’t heavy like some therapy groups I've been to. You could chat about trivial stuff or deep issues, better still you could just sit and drink coffee while listening to music.

“The group is whatever the people in it want,” said Tom.

I guess the same can be said about music.

Some people resonate with soft melodies while others enjoy the powerful beats heavy metal music employs. The thing is music taps into our souls at a much deeper level than talking.

“I listen to all genres but metal makes me feel well,” added Tom.

There was something refreshing about this group because the common ground for people wasn’t purely because everyone had mental health problems but everyone shared a love of heavy metal music.

It was my kind of group - alcohol free, come as you are, enjoy good coffee and chat if you want to while listening to your favourite tunes. I could get used to AC/DC in this environment.