Hope Illuminated Podcast: Helping the Helpers Bring Light to Life’s Darkest Moments cover art

Hope Illuminated Podcast: Helping the Helpers Bring Light to Life’s Darkest Moments

Hope Illuminated Podcast: Helping the Helpers Bring Light to Life’s Darkest Moments

By: Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas
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 Welcome to the Hope Illuminated Podcast, your source for the stories, science and strategy of suicide prevention, mental health promotion and resilience where we live, learn, and work. I’m your host, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, and I am on a life mission to empower communities with solutions that help people overcome isolation and despair and rekindle a passion for living. Each episode we’re joined by international experts who inspire hope and offer real guidance. Welcome to the show! I am so grateful you are here.Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Tech for Transformation: Building Mental-Health Skills with AI Tools that Work – with Alex Willis

    Tech for Transformation: Building Mental-Health Skills with AI Tools that Work – with Alex Willis
    Sep 30 2025
    Ever wondered how to partner with AI tools without losing the human element, or how to integrate mental health skills into daily workflows? This episode delivers.A former NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneer who once battled the silent pressure of “lonely at the top,” Alex Willis now helps construction leaders build safety cultures where both bodies and minds are protected. Alex shares his personal turning point -- how experiencing depression and isolation during his NFL years shaped his mission to protect what matters most: people.In this episode of Hope Illuminated, Alex and I explore how AI-powered tools -- used wisely, not as a replacement for human care -- can spark more effective conversations when mental health concerns arise at work.Hear how one innovator is proving that technology, blended with empathy and evidence, can move us beyond awareness into real skill-building. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/154
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    47 mins
  • Healing the Healers: Moral Injury, Privacy, and Pathways to Hope with Corey Feist

    Healing the Healers: Moral Injury, Privacy, and Pathways to Hope with Corey Feist
    Sep 9 2025
    Healthcare workers give their all, but too often, the system gives little back when it comes to protecting their mental health. In this Hope Illuminated episode, I sit down with Corey Feist, Co-Founder & CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, to talk about moral injury, systemic solutions, and the strategies that actually work.Together, we unpack how confidential peer support, equal privacy protections in mental health care, and humane re-entry pathways can restore dignity and safety to those who care for us. Corey’s work has helped drive landmark federal legislation, shift national culture, and spark movements that reach over 1.5 million healthcare workers.This episode isn’t just for healthcare leaders. If you care about building psychologically safe workplaces —in medicine or beyond — you’ll walk away with actionable strategies for protecting wellbeing, reducing stigma, and honoring the humanity of workers everywhere. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/153
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The Youth Suicide Prevention Breakthrough We’ve Been Waiting For: The Sources of Strength Story

    The Youth Suicide Prevention Breakthrough We’ve Been Waiting For: The Sources of Strength Story
    Jul 29 2025
    In this powerful episode, Scott LoMurray, TIME100 Health honoree and CEO of Sources of Strength, shares how his organization has transformed youth suicide prevention through peer leadership, strength-based storytelling, and community-driven culture change. We unpack the evidence, the vision, and the movement that’s shifting suicide prevention from reaction to resilience. for mor einformation on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/152
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    45 mins
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