Episodes

  • The High Cost of Silence: The Business Case for Workplace Suicide Prevention

    The High Cost of Silence: The Business Case for Workplace Suicide Prevention
    Dec 10 2025
    Silence around suicide and mental health in the workplace carries a steep price -- measured not only in human suffering, but also in productivity loss, legal exposure, reputational harm, and missed opportunities for early intervention.In this episode of Headspace for the Workplace, I sit down with Canadian guest Tara Adams, a leading voice in workplace suicide prevention, to unpack the business case for proactive, skills-based suicide prevention at work. Drawing on research, lived experience, and real-world implementation, Tara explains why organizations that invest in connection, competence, and care build stronger, more resilient workplaces.This conversation moves beyond awareness to action, exploring how everyday workplace relationships can become protective bridges to help -- earlier, more often, and with less fear. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/81
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    16 mins
  • SPECIAL EPISODE: He Carries the Business, We Both Carry the Weight: How Job Strain Impacts Families and Fuels Work-Related Suicide Risk

    SPECIAL EPISODE: He Carries the Business, We Both Carry the Weight: How Job Strain Impacts Families and Fuels Work-Related Suicide Risk
    Dec 2 2025
    In this emotionally resonant episode of Headspace for the Workplace, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas talks with Dr. Colleen Saringer, a psychologist, speaker, and spouse of a construction business owner, about one of the most overlooked realities of workplace mental health: the spillover of job stress into family life. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/80
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    34 mins
  • Beyond Zero Injuries: How Positive Reinforcement Creates Psychologically Safer, Mentally Healthier Workplaces with Bill Sims Jr.

    Beyond Zero Injuries: How Positive Reinforcement Creates Psychologically Safer, Mentally Healthier Workplaces with Bill Sims Jr.
    Nov 25 2025
    Most workplaces measure safety by one number: injuries. But what if some of the real drivers of safety are invisible?In this episode, I sit down with Bill Sims Jr., one of the National Safety Council’s “Top 10 Global Keynote Speakers” and the author of the widely acclaimed book Green Beans & Ice Cream: The Remarkable Power of Positive Reinforcement. Bill has spent more than 30 years designing more than 1,000 behavior-based positive reinforcement systems for companies like Coca-Cola, Disney, DuPont, Siemens, Orkin, and many others. Together, they explore how “Zero Injuries” is the wrong target and how shifting to Zero At-Risk Behaviors can transform both physical safety and psychological wellbeing in high-risk industries.This conversation connects the dots between behavioral science, recognition, culture change, and mental health, offering leaders a roadmap for building workplaces where both bodies and minds are safe. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
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    23 mins
  • Mental Health on the Frontlines: How Situational Awareness Builds Resilient Leaders with Alex Willis

    Mental Health on the Frontlines: How Situational Awareness Builds Resilient Leaders with Alex Willis
    Nov 18 2025
    In safety-focused industries, leaders are trained to identify physical hazards before they cause harm. But what if those same situational awareness skills could be used to support mental well-being? In this energizing episode of Headspace for the Workplace, I sit down with Alex Willis, a former NFL player and founder of Leadership Surge, to explore how organizations can apply the core principles of safety awareness—such as real-time assessment, micro-adjustments, and field communication—to improve team well-being, reduce burnout, and build trust. For mor information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/78
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    20 mins
  • Heroes Are Also Human: Mental Fitness and Culture Change in High Intensity Industries with Brandon Evans

    Heroes Are Also Human: Mental Fitness and Culture Change in High Intensity Industries with Brandon Evans
    Oct 14 2025
    What if we trained for mental fitness the same way we train for physical fitness?In high-intensity jobs like firefighting, healthcare, and construction, resilience is a survival skill. But the cultural story of “toughness” often silences the very people we count on to save lives.In this powerful episode, I chat with retired firefighter and mental health researcher Brandon Evans, founder of Fire to Light, to explore what it really takes to turn workplace wellness from just awareness into daily action. Using lived experience and global best practices, Brandon helps us rethink what it means to be strong, how to build psychological safety, and why incorporating mental health into our training routine—rather than just reacting to crises—must become standard practice. For more information on this episode go to sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
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    27 mins
  • Meeting People Where They Are -- Adapting Mental Health Strategies to Workplace Culture with Monica Kramer McConkey

    Meeting People Where They Are -- Adapting Mental Health Strategies to Workplace Culture with Monica Kramer McConkey
    Oct 8 2025
    Ever wonder why some workplace mental-health campaigns land flat even when the intention is in the right place?In this episode, I sit down with Monica Kramer McConkey, an agricultural mental-health specialist who has spent three decades helping rural and blue-collar communities thrive. Together they unpack a truth many leaders miss: mental health efforts fail when we ask workers to enter our world instead of meeting them in theirs.Monica grew up on a Minnesota farm and knows the invisible weight carried by farmers, construction crews, and shift workers who rarely see themselves in corporate wellness brochures. She shows us that if leaders really want culture change, they need to slow down, listen first, and meet people where they already live, work, and gather. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/76
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    17 mins
  • Lorna Breen’s Legacy: Why Policy Change Saves Lives at Work with Corey Feist

    Lorna Breen’s Legacy: Why Policy Change Saves Lives at Work with Corey Feist
    Sep 23 2025
    When it comes to workplace mental health, culture and self-care matter, but policy is the game-changer. In this episode, I sit down with Corey Feist, a healthcare leader who turned personal tragedy into national reform. After losing his sister-in-law, Dr. Lorna Breen, to suicide, Corey co-founded the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, leading a movement to remove systemic barriers that keep workers from seeking mental health care.Today, their advocacy has reached more than 1.5 million healthcare workers nationwide, influencing laws, licensing, credentialing, and insurance practices across the country. Corey shares why changing applications and legal protections is a matter of life and death.Policy is prevention. Listen in as Corey Feist makes the case that changing systems saves lives and learn how your organization can take the first step this quarter to remove barriers and protect your workforce. for more information on this episode go to sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/75
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    16 mins
  • What Executives Can Learn from the 12 Steps About Healing, Humility, and Hope at Work with Brad Anderson

    What Executives Can Learn from the 12 Steps About Healing, Humility, and Hope at Work with Brad Anderson
    Sep 16 2025
    In this episode of Headspace for the Workplace, I sit down with Brad Anderson, executive at IMA and proud leader in long-term recovery, to explore how the wisdom of recovery can transform workplace culture.Brad opens up about breaking through bias, navigating the paradox of anonymity, and showing how qualities like humility, accountability, and service to others are just as essential in boardrooms as they are in recovery rooms.The conversation digs into the leadership lessons embedded in the 12-Step model. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/74
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    24 mins