Dr. Simon Lee Maryan is a distinguished psychological therapist, researcher, and international speaker with a unique career trajectory that spans military intelligence, trauma-informed care, and neuroscience-based intervention development.

A former Royal Marines Commando and Human Intelligence Officer, Simon operated globally in high-risk, high-stress environments. These experiences—coupled with surviving three kidnappings—formed the foundation of his expertise in resilience, emotional regulation, and trauma recovery. Today, he translates this hard-won insight into evidence-based psychological strategies for individuals and organisations worldwide.

Simon is the creator of the Somato-Limbic Metacognitive Process (SLM Process)—a neurobiologically grounded framework integrating somatic psychology, metacognitive theory, and modern neuroscience. His research explores the interaction between bodily responses, emotional regulation, and cognitive recovery in those affected by trauma, including military veterans, first responders, and survivors of extreme psychological distress.

His work is particularly known for:

• Investigating the role of interoception and somatic markers in shaping threat perception and resilience.
  Applying metacognitive awareness to down-regulate limbic system hyperarousal.
• Creating structured interventions that reset neurophysiological patterns using breathwork, pattern disruption, and embodied awareness.
• Simon’s book, The Immediate Care Process, offers a step-by-step psychological first aid model designed for acute crises such as panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and dissociative states. This trauma-informed and non-pathologizing approach is being trialed in clinical and crisis-response settings across sectors, and underpins the psychometric resilience assessment tool currently under development.

He has trained over 3,000 individuals globally and estimates his interventions have positively impacted over 11 million lives. His services have been sought by organisations such as the UK Military, FBI NY Counter Terrorism Unit, NYPD Hostage Negotiation Team, major energy companies, global banks, and UK Government departments.

Simon is also the founder of Icarus (2017–2021), a charity supporting UK veterans and uniformed services in mental health. His broader mission is to advance mental health access and reform by promoting proactive, self-regulation-based tools as the foundational step in psychological care.

He recently took over as Chairman of Mental Health in Energy, an organisation founded to “Challenge the status quo and actively support the energy industry in delivering a legacy of change in how Mental Health is viewed and managed across the energy industry workforce"

His recognitions include being a finalist in the Scottish Ex-Forces in Business Awards (2022) and the Soldiering On Awards (2023).

🔗 LinkedIn
🎥 YouTube
TikTok: @simonleemaryahphd
🎙️ The SLM Podcast, featuring leading voices in resilience, trauma, and diplomacy
📚 The Immediate Care Process (2021, Amazon)
📊 SLM Resilience Inventory (2025, peer review)