Born in 1953, he went on to complete a degree in Social Anthropology at Cambridge University and trained as a child clinical psychologist at Nottingham University. He then worked as a Research Fellow at Brunel University and then as a clinical psychologist in the Cassel mental hospital for six years, before becoming an author, journalist (he has had columns in six national newspapers), TV producer, radio broadcaster and television presenter.

He is the author of They F*** You Up – How to survive family life (2002), Affluenza – How to be successful and stay sane (2007) and The Selfish Capitalist, (2008) and Contented Dementia (2008). He has also written Britain on the Couch – How Keeping Up With The Joneses Had Depressed Us Since 1950 (1997) and Juvenile Violence in a Winner-Loser Culture (1995).

He has contributed articles to scientific journals in recent years, including the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and The Psychologist.

He has acted as an adviser to both New Labour and the Tories.