Clarke Carlisle Brought His Psychiatric Report On A First Date

He brought his psychiatric report to a first date. Fresh out of hospital, Clarke Carlisle met a woman who'd later become his wife. Before their second date, he handed her his diagnosis and said, if you want this, you need to know what you're getting into. She read it. She called him back. In this clip from The Dad Project, Clarke talks about meeting Carrie, starting therapy for the first time, and rebuilding a relationship with his eldest daughter after years of being absent from her life. He gets honest about what he thought fatherhood meant for years, the stuff, the holidays, the presents, and what he learned it actually takes. Watch the full episode with Clarke Carlisle here: [INSERT FULL EPISODE LINK] The Dad Project is a space for honest conversations about identity, fatherhood and what it actually means to be a man. You don't need to be a dad to be here. What did Clarke Carlisle do on his first date with his wife Carrie? He brought his psychiatric report and told her that if she wanted another date, she needed to understand what she was getting into. She read it and called him to arrange the next one. How did Clarke Carlisle rebuild his relationship with his eldest daughter? After being absent from her life for 7 to 8 years, Clarke reconnected with her more as a friend than a father figure, and deliberately built a different kind of relationship through honesty rather than authority. What did Clarke Carlisle learn fatherhood actually means? For years he believed fatherhood meant providing, gifts, holidays, material things. Through therapy, he realised what his children needed most was his presence, not his provision.