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When You Work in Suicide Prevention and Someone Close to You Dies by Suicide: Interview with Dr. Dan Reidenberg | Episode 114

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When You Work in Suicide Prevention and Someone Close to You Dies by Suicide: Interview with Dr. Dan Reidenberg | Episode 114

I’ve lost two people close to me to suicide. In both situations, I saw the signs. We talked about their thoughts of suicide. They got help. And in both cases, their pain and suffering became too much. While I think the survivor guilt is always there — the “if only” thoughts that linger — I have mostly come to peace with my role in trying to support them. Sometimes despite all of our best efforts and resources, we might still lose people to addiction, overdose and suicide.

We often hold mental health professionals to the unrealistic standard of saving everyone. We don’t have this expectation for our oncologists or cardiologists. We expect them to do the very best job they can based on the very best science and tools that exist. And, while deaths from heart disease and cancer are very tragic, we often give grace and even gratitude to our loved ones’ care providers in these areas.

In this episode, I speak with fellow psychologist, Dr. Dan Reidenberg about his experience losing a friend and board member to suicide. We lift up a call to action to the mental health community to expand the conversation on how suicide loss impacts those of us in the field of suicide prevention.

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Impactful Ways Caring Adults and Youth Collaborate in Suicide Prevention: Interview with the Liv Project | Episode 113

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Impactful Ways Caring Adults and Youth Collaborate in Suicide Prevention: Interview with the Liv Project | Episode 113

How meaningful that this episode was recorded during the 18th anniversary of by brother Carson’s death by suicide. His expressed legacy was to help youth thrive and this episode is dedicated to empowering youth to help lead innovative approaches in suicide prevention.

The Liv Project was founded by the mother and sister of Olivia Ann Kunik, a 19 year old and shining light who died by suicide on January 19th, 2018. In honor of her life, the Liv Project strives to turn the tide of youth suicide through creative approaches such as:

Well-meaning caring adults who want to support youth, don’t always get this right. Sometimes they think their main role is about teaching and protecting, when what is often more impactful is EMPOWERMENT. In other words, let the youth lead. They know their challenges and strengths best. When youth take charge, the outcome is far more likely to be sticky with their peers.

The founders of the Liv Project understand this, and have enrolled countless youth advisors and ambassadors to lead the cause. By employing the creativity and passion of young people and collaborating with mental health professionals, they are able to reach their audiences effectively and with confidence.

Resilience Humor - Using Laughter to Heal from Pain: Interview with Mike Cotayo | Episode 112

Resilience Humor - Using Laughter to Heal from Pain: Interview with Mike Cotayo | Episode 112

They say laughter is the best medicine — why then, don’t we prescribe laughter? According to a study by the NIH, there are many health benefits:

  • laughter has an analgesic effect for pain without the negative side effects that comes with most other pain medications

  • laughter improves our mood impacting levels of depression, anxiety and stress by releasing endorphins and lowering cortisol

  • laughter reduces agitation in people experiencing dementia

What if we prescribed the following when people are going through tough times:

  • Frequency: Laugh at least once a day

  • Dose: A full belly laugh

  • Duration: Over the course of a half hour

In this episode, I interview comedian and mental health therapist, Mike Cotayo about how a little laughter goes a long way in healing.

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The Pause - Rebooting after Reflection | Episode 111

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The Pause - Rebooting after Reflection | Episode 111

I took a pause.

Sometimes life forces you to pause. In this episode, I talk about why I took this four month break from the podcast and what I have learned. Life threw a couple of challenges and transitions that I needed to be present for, and gave me an opportunity to recover, to create space so I could reflect and learn by asking myself key discernment questions:

  • ·What do I need to refuel the tank?

  • What am I learning in this moment? What am I avoiding? How would I like to grow?

  • When it comes to the work…What is missing? How can I help fill the gaps? Build bridges?

Lived Experience Informed Workplace Mental Health Strategies - Part 2: Interview with James Hill | Episode 110

Lived Experience Informed Workplace Mental Health Strategies - Part 2: Interview with James Hill | Episode 110

In this “Part 2” episode, he talks about his work helping the energy sector develop a comprehensive mental health promotion and suicide prevention strategy — through the lens of his lived expertise.

In the previous “Part 1” episode James Hill shared his story of surviving suicidal intensity and becoming a national change agent for workplace wellbeing.

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Lived Experience Informed Workplace Mental Health Strategies - Part 1: Interview with James Hill | Episode 109

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Lived Experience Informed Workplace Mental Health Strategies - Part 1: Interview with James Hill | Episode 109

How do we improve our workplace mental health programs?

Listen to the people who have lived through mental health emergencies.

In this episode James Hill shares his story of surviving suicidal intensity and becoming a national change agent for workplace wellbeing.

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Strengthening Suicide Prevention Efforts through Caring for the Caregivers: Interview with Johanna Louie | Episode 108

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Strengthening Suicide Prevention Efforts through Caring for the Caregivers: Interview with Johanna Louie | Episode 108

Did you know?

More than half of all adults know someone who has fought suicidal intensity (Harris Poll). When it comes to caregiving - suicide is different. Ample research about caregiving stress exists, but often this is underestimated when the caregiving role is about suicide. Thus, there is a gap in awareness, support and resources.

Our guest, Johanna Louie and her co-founder Daniela Zanich sought to fill that gap with www.SuicideIsDifferent.org — free digital resources that put the needs of the caregiver at the center of the conversation.

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Opportunities in Intersectionality - Race, Gender, Sexuality, Ability & Mental Health: Interview with Emily Unity | Episode 107

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Opportunities in Intersectionality - Race, Gender, Sexuality, Ability & Mental Health: Interview with Emily Unity | Episode 107

We all have multiple identity markers that make us uniquely us and that shape our lives and experiences. When it comes to understanding our experiences with mental health, appreciating these influences helps us better understand our strengths in well-being, our disparities in exposure to harm, and differences in barriers to and opportunities for support. When we see mental health in this context, new frameworks and needs emerge:

  • Intersectionality is an identity strength rather than being an “other” or “not being enough” of one identity

  • Representation in and accessibility to mental health services and supports matter greatly>

  • Exploration and self-investigation into identity is often key to personal and community resilience.

  • When people identify as “bi” (e.g., biracial, bisexual) or “multi” or are moving in between identities (e.g., immigrants, refugees, gender transitioning) can also have unique challenges and opportunities to well-being. When they sometimes find themselves in a “betwixt/between” state, they find they are not fully embraced by one identity or even rejected outright. This experience of disconnection can cause distress.

In this podcast, Emily Unity invites us to sit in the in between and get comfortable being uncomfortable.

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People with Disabilities and Suicide Prevention -- A Human Rights Conversation: Interview with Sheryl Boswell and Lisa Morgan | Episode 106

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People with Disabilities and Suicide Prevention -- A Human Rights Conversation: Interview with Sheryl Boswell and Lisa Morgan | Episode 106

People who live with disabilities (e.g., physical, intellectual, mental health and neuro-divergent) often face a range of social and economic adversaries including discrimination and prejudice that impacts their ability to work, get educated, and live in safe homes and communities. These disadvantages consequently impact the mental health and well-being of this diverse community. In this episode I interview two international leaders in the conversation on suicide prevention among people living with disabilities. Sheryl Boswell, from Toronto, is the Director of Youth Mental Health Canada and Lisa Morgan is the Co-Chair of the Autism and Suicide committee of the American Association of Suicidology.

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Poetry as an Antidote to Burnout - A Nurse's Perspective on Healing Practices: Interview with Susan Farese | Episode 105

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Poetry as an Antidote to Burnout - A Nurse's Perspective on Healing Practices: Interview with Susan Farese | Episode 105

Burnout is costly to employers in several ways:

  1. Employee turnover

  2. Increased risk of worker injury or error

  3. Deteriorating culture as energy becomes misdirected toward scapegoating

Contrary to conventional wisdom, burnout is not solely related to workload, it’s also related to feeling like “a cog in a machine.” When an unsustainable workload becomes even more stressful due to a lack of clarity, lack of control and an effort-reward imbalance, relationships become strained and people become siloed.

According to leading researchers, burnout is identified when three psychological states exist:

  • High levels of cynicism: an indifference, negative perspective

  • High levels of exhaustion: emotional, spiritual and physical

  • Low levels of professional efficacy: the belief in ones ability to make a difference.

Burnout can creep into a workplace and worsen over time. It often starts with an erosion of engagement. Work shifts from important, interesting and meaningful to exhausting. Next comes the erosion of emotions, where cynicism, anger, anxiety and depression start to surface. Finally, burned out workers comes to experience a mismatch between themselves and the organization. They lose faith that the organization has their best interests at heart.

In this episode, I have a delightful conversation with Susan Farese, RN - a healthcare worker and mentor, a Veteran, a poet and photographer and the owner of PR firm “SJF Communications.” We talk about how burnout is taking its toll on our healthcare teams, and how she uses poetry, among other tools to cope.

Shoebox of Memories -- Reflections on Hierarchies of Grief, Decades after Losing a Classmate to Suicide: Interview with Candace Opper | Episode 104

Shoebox of Memories -- Reflections on Hierarchies of Grief, Decades after Losing a Classmate to Suicide: Interview with Candace Opper | Episode 104

What do we mean by “disenfranchised grief.” It’s when your experience of grief is different than the general cultural attitudes about “justified” pain regarding death and loss or “acceptable” mourning practices. Being out of “the norm” in your grief experience often tend to exacerbate the pain as people can feel very alone.

In this conversation, Candace Opper talks about her experience losing a childhood acquaintance to suicide and how this event stayed with her for decades.

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Workplace Violence Prevention - A Holistic Approach: Interview with Faith Kohler | Episode 103

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Workplace Violence Prevention - A Holistic Approach: Interview with Faith Kohler | Episode 103

In this conversation Faith Kohler talk about a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to mitigating and preventing workplace violence and our belief that trust and psychological safety are essential in any effective process.

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A Different Drummer -- Mental Health, Diversity and Inclusion and Corporate Wellness: Interview with Mike Veny | Episode 101

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A Different Drummer -- Mental Health, Diversity and Inclusion and Corporate Wellness: Interview with Mike Veny | Episode 101

Did you know?

9 our of 10 employers are investing more in mental health benefits than they ever have before (source: https://www.aihr.com/blog/workplace-wellness-trends/).

Concerns about burnout, employee churn, and psychological emergencies have led workplaces to developing a more comprehensive and proactive mental health and suicide prevention strategy.

Benefits like coaching, tele-mental health, personalized wellness plans and stress management tools are becoming increasingly popular for large employers.

In addition, workplaces are starting to shift away from reactive, downstream approaches to more proactive prevention. They are focusing on building caring cultures and psychological safety and they are connecting the dots between DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) work and mental health.

In this conversation, I speak with Mike Veny, a man who has been living these connections and is now training workplaces on how best to support their workers.

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Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Allison Milner: Interview with Professor Tony LaMontagne | Episode 100

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Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Allison Milner: Interview with Professor Tony LaMontagne | Episode 100

For this milestone episode of the “Hope Illuminated” podcast, I wanted to celebrate a hero to many of us: Dr. Allison Milner. Allison was a fierce and mighty leader whose work in suicide prevention and social justice was shifting the world’s views when she died tragically in an accident on April 12, 2019. In this episode Professor Tony LaMontagne and I share stories about her global impact in the areas of:

  • Workplace suicide

  • Unemployment and mental health

  • Psychosocial job hazards

  • Interventions that help people live through suicidal intensity

  • Socio-economic determinants of suicide

  • Women in research

  • People with disabilities and social justice

  • Indigenous people and social justice

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What if Suicide Prevention is Simple? Crisis Response Planning: Interview with Dr. Craig Bryan | Episode 99

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What if Suicide Prevention is Simple? Crisis Response Planning: Interview with Dr. Craig Bryan | Episode 99

Mental health providers — often well-intended and fearful — have made suicide prevention complicated. “Clipboard counseling,” interrogation approaches and highly restrictive interventions have not worked. What if a 5-step, 30-minute intervention made a huge difference? What if we could train peers to help with firearm safety counseling? In this interview I speak with Veteran and psychologist Dr. Craig Bryan about his evidence-based “Crisis Response Planning” intervention…

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High Potency Marijuana, Cannabis-Induced Psychosis and a Mother's Nightmare: Interview with Laura Stack | Episode 98

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High Potency Marijuana, Cannabis-Induced Psychosis and a Mother's Nightmare: Interview with Laura Stack | Episode 98

In this episode, I interview Laura Stack, a well-known “Hall of Fame” speaker for the National Speakers Association. Before November 20, 2019, the speaking topic she was best known for was productivity. After that day, however, her focus shifted. It was on that day, she lost her son Johnny to suicide after he became psychotic from dabbing high-THC concentrates. In this conversation she shares her story, the science behind her work to prevent youth marijuana use, and the strategies she and “Johnny’s Ambassadors” are using to change these concerning trends.

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Empowering Young People, Strengthening Schools & Mobilizing Communities: Interview with John MacPhee | Episode 97

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Empowering Young People, Strengthening Schools & Mobilizing Communities: Interview with John MacPhee | Episode 97

Suicide rates for our youth and young adults have been climbing since 2001. The reasons for this trend is complex but experts suggest it is a perfect storm of historical events, easy access to distressing information, an unhealthy screen time to outside and social time ratio, and compromised sleep, among other things. The good news is, young people are extraordinary. They have lower mental health bias, they have a desire to help others, and they will change the word.

In this episode I speak with John MacPhee, Executive Director for The Jed Foundation about his thoughts on best practices for engaging young people and schools in the work of suicide prevention and mental health promotion.

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Meet Them Where They Are At -- Social Media and Suicide Prevention for Youth: Interview with Dr. Jo Robinson | Episode 96

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Meet Them Where They Are At -- Social Media and Suicide Prevention for Youth: Interview with Dr. Jo Robinson | Episode 96

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people in many places around the globe, and many countries are seeing increasing rates of suicidal despair among our teens and young adults. How do we develop a more “youth friendly” suicide prevention strategy?

We listen to them and empower them to lead.

Come hear about the incredibly ground breaking work led by A/Prof Jo Robinson at the University of Melbourne in Australia. She is co-designing youth suicide research and prevention programs like “Chat Safe” with youth as her active partners. Their shared mission is to help young people feel better equipped to communicate safely about suicide on-line.

Tell a More Powerful Tale -- Shifting the Narrative of Suicide Prevention by Engaging People with Lived Experience: Interview with Bronwen Edwards | Episode 95

Tell a More Powerful Tale -- Shifting the Narrative of Suicide Prevention by Engaging People with Lived Experience: Interview with Bronwen Edwards | Episode 95

Storytellers in suicide prevention have the power to shift culture and change the world in ways other stakeholders are not able to do. Our “voices of insight” have influence and shape others’ understanding on a deep level. People with lived experience seek to stand in solidarity with our research colleagues, policy champions and mental health professionals to embed our deep wisdom in a processes of partnership. In this podcast, I speak with the world renowned Bronwen Edwards, a global authority on the power of lived experience to drive large scale change in suicide prevention. We talk about how we can approach our partners — who may have different values, priorities and points of view — with “compassionate curiosity” so we can “collaborate the big collaboration” (instead of “fight the good fight”).