Speaker
Need an engaging, inspirational, credible, and pragmatic speaker for your next suicide prevention or mental health event? Book Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas.
Her experience as a psychologist, mental health advocate, and person with lived experience gives her many perspectives and a pragmatic approach that both inspire audiences and move their feet to action.
Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas is an internationally-recognized leader and in-demand speaker on topics of resilience, mental health, and suicide prevention. Working directly with communities, companies, professional organizations, and higher education institutions, she inspires, educates, and successfully challenges leaders to develop caring cultures that help people thrive.
She uses the power of stories, science, and humor (just enough!) to engage her audiences and inspire a passion for saving lives and promoting well-being.
AWARDS
Survivor of the Year from the American Association of Suicidology
Invisible Disabilities Association Impact Honors Award
Alumni Master Scholar from the University of Denver
Farbarow Award from the International Association for Suicide Prevention
Career Achievement Alumni Award from the University of
Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology
Leadership
Executive Board of Directors, American Association of Suicidology (elected positions, three terms)
Chair, Workplace Special Interest Group, International Association of Suicide Prevention
Chair, Lived Experience Committee, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
President, United Suicide Survivors International
Board President, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado
Keynote & Shorter Workshops
Sally designs each of her 45-120 minute presentations to inform and motivate the particular audience she is addressing. Some talks can be extended to half-day or full-day interactive workshops.
You Can’t Fix Your Mental Health with Duct Tape: A General Awareness Session on Workplace Mental Health
Re-igniting the Fire Within: Mitigating Burnout and Stress
Getting Unstuck: 10 Tips for Fighting Depression and Anxiety
Eye of the Survivor: The Power of Storytelling in Stigma Reduction
Up on a High Wire: Mental Resilience During Tough Times
Tsunami of Suicide: Understanding and Supporting People through Grief and Trauma
We've Got Your Back: Cultivating a Psychologically Safe Culture at Work
Taking a Broader View; Mental Health, Social Justice and Inclusion
It's Not What's Wrong with You, It's About What Happened to You; Understanding the Roles of Addictive Behaviors and Trauma Play in Mental Health Challenges
Two Darts: Understanding Pain and Suffering and Ways to Manage These Experiences
The Intersection of Health Conditions: Pain, TBI and Mental Health
Man Up! Innovative Approaches to Men's Mental Health
Women in Construction and Mental Health
Longer Workshops & Train-the-Trainer Sessions
These interactive workshops help participants develop skills and personal plans. They're half-day – multiday events best suited for groups of 10-35 people.
Workplace Wellbeing, Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention: How to Develop a Comprehensive and Sustainable Strategy
Eye of the Survivor: Storytelling Retreat for People with Lived Experience
VitalCog Train-the-Trainer Certification Course
New Programs and Services for the Construction Industry
What people are saying:
“Sally is a wonderful person who truly wants to make a difference in the world and has done that by working diligently to keep the suicide prevention movement going forward. She is an awesome speaker who knows how to connect with an audience.”
Michelle Linn-Gust, Past-President, American Association of Suicidology
“Sally’s message is compelling as she effectively blends personal passion with professional expertise.”
Bob VandePol, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Workplace Task Force
“When I heard Sally speak about her work on suicide in construction at IRMI [International Risk Management Institute] I immediately thought of my friend Eric who recently passed away - way too young. Sally and I met and I was taken with her passion for saving the lives of sons and daughters we do not know and she will never meet. There cannot be a more honorable way to live your life.”
TJ Lyons, Corporate Director, Health and Safety (Federal), Gilbane, Inc.
PAST Speaking/Training Events
International Speaking Engagements
International Association for Suicide Prevention 2023 World Congress, Slovenia
International Association for Suicide Prevention World Congress – Bay of Islands, New Zealand |Tokyo, Japan | Montreal, Canada | Oslo, Norway | Beijing, China | Montevideo, Uruguay | Killarney, Ireland
European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behavior – Ghent,
Belgium | Tallinn, Estonia | Rome, Italy
Invited Keynote Speaker, Canadian Mental Health Association
Annual Conference, Ontario
Invited Plenary Addresses, 4th Contact International Suicide Prevention Conference: What Works? Titanic Conference Center, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Invited keynote address at Ireland’s National Suicide Prevention Conference in Dublin, Ireland
Keynote speaker at Inaugural Construction Industry Mental Health Conference. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Keynote speaker at Sunshine Coast workplace forum, “On the Job: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace” Caloundra, Queensland, Australia
Keynote speaker at "Shifting the Dial on Suicide Prevention" Noosa, Queensland, Australia
Keynote speaker at the Western Australia workplace forum, “Suicide Prevention in the Workplace: Whose Responsibility is It?” Perth, WA, Australia Postvention Training, Joint Defense Base in Alice Springs, AustraliaWorkplace suicide prevention, OzHelp, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Invited Plenary EAPA World Conference, Chicago, ILInternational Conference on Stigma, San Francisco, CA
State/College Speaking Engagements
Arizona’s state suicide prevention conference
Bowdoin College
Colorado State Fire Chief’s Conference
Colorado EMS Conference
Colorado Winter Symposium on Behavioral Health and
Addiction
Colorado Behavioral Health Council Conference
Colby College
Idaho State Conference
Kentucky Adanta Behavioral Health Conference
Kevin's Song, Detroit, MI
Lines for Life, Portland, OR
Georgia State Suicide Prevention Conference
NAMI Utah State Conference
NAMI South Dakota State Conference
NAMI Maine State Conference
Norcal Carpenters Union VitalCog Training
UHS, Wyoming
Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Conference
Missouri’s Partners in Prevention Conference
Suicide Prevention of the Inland Northwest (SPIN)
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network’s 10th Anniversary Symposium
Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium San Marcos, TX
University of Colorado, Boulder
Mississippi State University
National/Corporate Speaking Engagements
AGC of Colorado - Future Leaders Forum February Event
AGC Oregon
Alliant Insurance
Allan Myers
Associated Builders and Contractors VitalCog Training
Encore Electric
Hallen 27th Annual DCA Safety Congress
Keller North America 5/10
Gilbane
M.J. Electric
MIC Conference
Memorial Health Conference Event
Summit Line Construction
Invited Speaker: The White House Forum on Men’s Health
Suicide and Law Enforcement Conference, FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia
Keynote Speaker DoD/SAMHSA Suicide Prevention in the Workplace Conference for Veterans
Southwest Airlines
International Pilots Peer Conference
Office of National Resources Revenue
Construction Financial Management Association annual conference
Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation Union national and regional, national and international conferences
LendLease Summit on Mental Health, Chicago
Sundt
Quanta Services
Hensel Phelps
MCAA Safety Directors Conference, Jacksonville
Rail Industry Summit on Suicide Prevention, Union Pacific, Omaha
Keynote speaker at the American Association of Suicidology -
conference in Austin, TX
Keynote speaker at the Navy’s Suicide Prevention Conference
Workplace suicide prevention training for the U.S. Department of Energy
Plenary panel presentation at the 30th Annual National Conference on Law and Higher Education in Orlando, FL
Keynote speaker at the Active Minds Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrator’s Annual Conference
Fire-Rescue International Conference, Denver, Colorado
National Council on Behavioral Health
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Mental Health America
Dad 2.0 Summit
United Contractors
PESI - Psychotherapy Networker Symposium
Rocky Mountain Health Plans
Saunders
Consultation Clients
Colorado School of Mines (strategy)
Colorado Depression Center (training)
Denver Fire Department (training)
Heathy Men Michigan (research SME)
IRMI (International Risk Management, Inc) (writing)
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (training)
RK Construction (strategy)
State of Oklahoma (training)