THE last two weeks' columns have focused on the deep psychological scars that many Scottish people bear. I believe that by the loss of a sense of real nationhood, we have become a nation afraid of its own shadow, a whole people in a Svengali relationship with a Westminster parliament that focuses almost exclusively on the needs of London and the South East and not on Scotland's wellbeing.

That poverty of attention and power leads to economic poverty and drives our ongoing crisis of confidence. It's ironic that the root cause of people's doubts about Scotland regaining its independence is the disastrous job of delivering Scotland’s economic and social priorities that UK governments of all colours have been doing for generations.

It's a values thing.

For me, independence has never been anything other than a means to an end, a tool to build a better Scotland. Every decision made after independence will be for the betterment of the people of Scotland.

Scotland needs the authority to break away from the death-grip that right-wing neoliberal economics has on the UK’s heart and soul. Adopting a wellbeing economic approach that places equal (if not higher) emphasis on equality, fairness, health, happiness, the environment and localism will match Scotland's future economy with the values of the Scottish people and not the value of the City of London.

So how do we raise Scotland’s self-confidence?

How would you help a friend in a Svengali relationship? How can you take those concepts and apply that to a nation?

Supporting someone going through a crisis of confidence or helping them accept that they are trapped in a Svengali relationship requires a sensitive and non-judgmental approach and I see almost no role for political debate.

Maybe the trick here is to understand that it's not a political issue but more similar to a national mental health intervention so let's see how that might play out.

Firstly, it's about engagement – listening and making people feel heard. In times of economic hardship brought on by failures of the UK Government, people feel voiceless. We need to provide a safe space for people to express their feelings and experiences and be heard.

The second stage I would suggest is to encourage self-reflection. Let's talk about the nation's relationship with Westminster and how it impacts various aspects of national and personal wellbeing. People are bored by politics – they see it as manipulation and control, so how do you convince them that this isn't more of the same? Again, keep the politics out of it.

Thirdly, we should ask them to share their dreams and aspirations, their hopes for Scotland, to tell us what they would do if they had the power to enact real change.

One campaigner recently told me that he had found this approach a powerful and eye-opening experience. Instead of arguing about who people should vote for or explaining political policies, just ask people what their hopes for the future would be if they could change anything.

The response was basically: “Wow, no one has ever asked me that before!”

All the answers required independence to implement them – funny that.

Don't lead with data and policy.

Then you need to be available to answer questions, because when people's eyes are open to the true potential they will want to know how it will come about.

At the moment, the independence message is led by political policy initiatives and arguments over data. That is important but if you lead with it people feel attacked. No one wants to be sold independence but they do want to buy.

Be an independence and wellbeing ambassador.

Creating a safe space to talk without political argument, with true engagement from those wary of how a wellbeing economy would work in an independent Scotland is vital. That will empower people to take control of their own life and make political decisions that prioritise their nation’s wellbeing.

An ambassadorial approach is one that recognises that leaving a Svengali relationship is complicated – frightening even – so patience, empathy, understanding, and respect for their position is vital as the nation takes these last few steps towards reclaiming its independence.

We need a Convention on Independence and Wellbeing.

It's a massive job to host that national conversation: to capture, understand and plan to deliver against the hopes, dreams and aspirations of a nation. It certainly can't be led by a political party, or even combination of parties – nor can any organisation deliver independence on their own.

Independence is about securing Scotland's wellbeing by basing our new plan for the nation on the values and needs of the nation. It's about empowering the people who live in Scotland to recognise that they can aim for a higher purpose than just surviving and that our efforts to secure it should reflect the diversity of our country.

The road to independence now seems to lead through a mandate from the people of Scotland to begin the process of Scotland becoming an independent nation at the UK General Election.

Then, the convention should take the lead and move the debate out of politics, which requires Holyrood 2026 to be a de facto referendum, representing the final and unstoppable will of the Scottish people. The sooner the politicians broadcast that message clearly to the nation, the sooner we can start that journey.

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp is the chief executive of Business for Scotland, the chief economist at the think tank Scotianomics, the founder of the Believe in Scotland campaign, and the author of Scotland the Brief.