Justine Hardy

Justine Hardy – Founder of Healing Kashmir

Justine Hardy is an internationally recognised psychotherapist, journalist, and author whose career spans over 25 years at the frontlines of conflict and recovery. Specialising in South Asia, and Kashmir in particular, she has chronicled the psychological cost of war, natural disasters, and displacement while actively rebuilding communities in their aftermath. Following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, she founded Healing Kashmir, a pioneering mental health initiative that continues to transform lives. Combining clinical expertise with powerful storytelling, Justine has become a leading global voice on trauma, resilience, and the pathways to healing in fractured societies.

Credentials and Impact

Justine began her career as an international journalist over 25 years ago, specialising in South Asia and building her reputation for fearless reporting from conflict zones. Her work in Kashmir during the 1990s and early 2000s highlighted the psychological cost of war and displacement, and in 2005, after the devastating Kashmir earthquake, she shifted from documenting recovery to actively leading it. She helped rebuild schools, homes, and medical centres, which revealed the urgent need for trauma-focused mental health support.

In 2008, she founded Healing Kashmir, a mental health programme offering counselling, psychiatric services, suicide helplines, training, and community outreach. From its beginnings in Srinagar, the initiative grew into a state-wide model of care, transforming mental health access in one of the world’s most fragile regions.

Alongside this, Justine has dedicated over 20 years to New Bridge, a rehabilitation foundation, applying psychotherapy to support individuals rebuilding their lives. She also serves as Advisory Director of NGO India, guiding projects to build schools in underprivileged areas, combining education with wellbeing.

Recognised for her innovation and leadership, she has lectured at institutions including the NHS Confederation Conference and Tufts University, while her work continues to inspire awards and international acclaim.

Publications and Media

Justine is the author of seven acclaimed books, beginning with ‘The Ochre Border’ and ‘Scoop-Wallah’, the latter shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. Her works include the international bestseller ‘Bollywood Boy’, the novel ‘The Wonder House’, shortlisted for the Author’s Club Best First Novel, and ‘The Valley of Mist’, selected as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. Most recently, she published ‘Dust’, a powerful novel continuing her exploration of resilience and conflict. She also contributes to Vanity Fair and The Financial Times, and presented the BAFTA-nominated Urban Jungle.

Why Book Justine?

Justine brings a rare combination of frontline experience, therapeutic expertise, and compelling storytelling to every event. Having spent over two decades in South Asia, she has seen firsthand the psychological cost of conflict and recovery, and she translates these experiences into powerful lessons on resilience, leadership, and healing. Her talks provide practical strategies for addressing stress and trauma, relevant to workplaces, communities, and individuals alike.

She has delivered keynote addresses across international stages, earning recognition for her clarity and empathy. Whether discussing her mental health initiatives, her journalism, or her books, she engages listeners with authenticity and authority. Booking Justine ensures audiences leave with renewed perspective, practical tools, and a profound sense of hope.

To book Justine to speak at your event, call SpeakOut on +44 (0) 20 8914 8966. Alternatively, complete our contact form to begin your enquiry

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