Did therapist’s daughter Meghan help Harry to confront his pain?

As he’s applauded for revealing mental turmoil...

PRINCE Harry chose to speak out about his mental health struggles after finding happiness with Meghan Markle.

He sought counselling four years ago but there is speculation his decision to talk now was influenced by his US actress girlfriend.

The prince has been dating Miss Markle, 35, since July, and now describes himself as being in a ‘good place’.

She has embraced the self-help culture of her home state of California, in part thanks to her social worker and ‘ yoga therapist’ mother, Doria Ragland. Until recently, Miss Markle ran a glossy lifestyle blog, The Tig, and frequently posts ‘ inspirational’ messages on her social media accounts.

One recent post included a photograph of her feet with the caption: ‘No bad energy... sending good vibes – always in all ways.’

Another said: ‘ In a society that profits from your self- doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act.’

Although Harry and Miss Markle have been dating for barely nine months, the prince is said to be besotted. One source who knows him well said: ‘Meghan has had a profound influence on his life. Everyone believes they will go the distance.’

Meanwhile, Harry was widely praised yesterday for his ‘incredibly brave’ decision to speak out. Charities said his frank interview will help to change attitudes across the world. The 32-year- old told how he sought counselling after struggling in his late 20s to come to terms with the death of his mother, Diana.

Harry said he endured two years of ‘total chaos’ and struggled with anxiety, which left him ‘ on the verge of punching someone’.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said: ‘Prince Harry speaking so candidly is a true turning point that shows that as a society we must no longer adopt a “stiff upper lip” attitude and that we need to talk openly about mental health.’

Harry’s interview was picked up by newspapers and radio around the world. Sir Simon Wessely, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the prince had done more to raise awareness in a 25minute interview than he had in a 25-year career. ‘He has a reach across the world that people like me can only dream of,’ he said.

Sue Baker, director of the Time to Change campaign, said: ‘Prince Harry sharing his experiences and the counselling he sought as a result of losing his mother will have helped change attitudes, not just at home but also overseas.’

In his interview with the Telegraph, Harry said it was his brother, William, who advised him to seek help for the problems caused by losing his mother aged just 12.

‘My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help?,’ he said. ‘(I thought) it’s only going to make you sad, it’s not going to bring her back.

‘And then (I) started to have a few conversations and actually all of a sudden, all of this grief that I have never processed started to come to the forefront and I was like, there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with.’ Asked about seeking help, the prince said: ‘It’s all about timing. And for me personally, my brother, you know, bless him, he was a huge support to me. He kept saying this is not right, this is not normal, you need to talk to [someone] about stuff, it’s OK.’

Harry admitted he was nervous about the interview, but said he wanted to make a difference while the younger members of the royal family were ‘still interesting’ to the public.

Singer KT Tunstall, who has spoken about her own problems with depression, wrote on Twitter: ‘Huge respect for Prince Harry speaking out.’

Dr Christian Jessen, presenter of Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies, added: ‘Prince Harry once again champions a much-needed cause, mental health, and shows there’s no shame in asking for help.’

ITV political editor Robert Peston, whose wife Sian died of cancer in 2012, said he hoped the interview would help ‘lessen the stigma of seeking help’.

It came as Prince William praised rapper Stormzy for his ‘incredibly powerful’ interview about depression.

The 23-year- old musician, real name Michael Omari, spoke out last month in an attempt to help others. William said: ‘The recent interview by Stormzy about his depression was incredibly powerful and will help young men feel that it’s a sign of strength to talk about and look after your mind as well as your body.’

‘You need to talk to someone’