Hope Illuminated Podcast: Helping the Helpers Bring Light to Life’s Darkest Moments
by Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas · 172 episodes
HealthFitnessMental
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.
Latest episodes
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46 min
Beyond Recovery: What Mental Health Can Learn from the Disability Rights Movement with Dr. Mark Salzer
I first heard about Mark Salzer from a cluster of colleagues I deeply trust. We were all at a conference in Vermont, and more than one person pulled me aside and said, "You have to…
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1 h 07
The Addiction No One Saw: Gambling, Suicide Risk, and Finding a Way Back with Saul Malek
I have seen gambling addiction up close in my own family, and I know how hidden, how isolating, and how dangerous it can become. That is exactly why I was so grateful when our mutu…
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37 min
Zero Overdose: Why Overdose Safety Planning Needs to Become the Standard of Care with Dr. Virna Little
When I think about the parallels between suicide prevention and overdose prevention, nobody articulates them better than my guest in this episode. I first met Dr. Virna Little at t…
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45 min
The Invisible Veteran: Why "Thank You for Your Service" Is Not Enough
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I'm joined by Alicia Scovill, Air Force veteran and founder of Scovill Consulting, whose work sits at the intersection of veteran well-being, c…
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46 min
Depression as a Love Letter: Human Connection, Life Transitions & Scaling Peer Support with Nick Freud
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I'm joined by Nick Freud, entrepreneur, deep thinker, and founder of Fellow Humans, a platform being developed to match people navigating life…
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1 h 03
Suffering Is Disconnection: Co-Regulation, Real Conversations & Going Toward the Pain with Mitch Wallis
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I'm joined by Mitch Wallis for one of the most intellectually rich and personally moving conversations I've had on this podcast. Mitch arrives…
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42 min
The Invisible Sacrifice: Mental Health and Well-Being in Construction with Aaron Witt
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I'm joined by Aaron Witt - founder and CEO of Buildwitt, the fastest-growing media and workforce development platform dedicated to the "dirt wo…
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43 min
Who Are You When You're Not Performing? Identity, Burnout & High Achievement
What happens when the identity you built over two decades inside one of the world's most demanding companies suddenly has nowhere to go? In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I sit…
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59 min
The Text That Saves a Life: Caring Contacts, Peer Support & Suicide Prevention
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I'm joined by Brandon Wilcox, peer support specialist, community crisis innovator, and suicide attempt survivor, from Rocky Mountain Crisis Par…
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30 min
How Well-Being Multipliers Create a Mental Health Tipping Point at Work with Laura Putnam
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I welcome Laura Putnam, author, speaker, and founder of Motion Infusion, for a rich conversation about what it actually takes to change mental…
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47 min
Healing Trauma Beyond Words: Brain, Body, and Spirit with Julia Hassall
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I sit down with Julia Hassell to explore what it really looks like to heal after profound loss.Julia’s story is both heartbreaking and deeply i…
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33 min
How Men’s Groups Help Men Make Meaning in Dark Times with Rabbi Baruch HaLevi ("Dr. B")
Many men struggle silently with grief, loneliness, identity loss, and moral injury. Social expectations often teach men to stay strong, stay productive, and stay quiet about pain.I…
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34 min
Leadership Under Assault -- Caring for People and Institutions in a Polarized Age with Jeff Gorter
In today’s polarized social and political climate, leadership has become not only emotionally demanding but, in some cases, physically and psychologically dangerous. From targeted…
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45 min
Inside the Black Box: What Digital Clues Reveal Before Suicide with Kim Burdett Bartlett
What if the warning signs of suicide were present but invisible to everyone around us?In this powerful and deeply human episode of Hope Illuminated, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas sits d…
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34 min
After the Unthinkable: Workplace Suicide Postvention, the First 48 Hours & Peer Support with Dr. John Gaal
When a suicide, overdose, or traumatic death happens in the workplace, the response in the first 48 hours can either stabilize the organization or unintentionally increase harm.Yet…
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19 min
A Year in Review: Mental Health, Healing, and Hope
In this special year-in-review episode, I reflect on a year of global travel, impact, and learning across workplace mental health, suicide prevention, clinical training, and lived-…
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55 min
When the Hits Don’t Heal: Athletes, CTE, & Suicide Risk with Dr. John Gaal
We tell athletes to “shake it off,” “tough it out,” and “get back in the game.”But what happens when the injury is inside the brain, quiet, cumulative, and deadly?In this episode o…
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46 min
Transforming Grief Into Meaning: How Stories and Art Support Children After Suicide with Ryan Abramowitz
What happens when a child loses someone to suicide — and the adults around them are silent because they don’t know what to say? In this episode, we explore that question through ar…
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46 min
Sowing Hope in Rural America: Tackling the Farm Mental Health Crisis with Monica Kramer McConkey
In this powerful and deeply compassionate episode, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas talks with Monica Kramer McConkey, one of the nation’s leading voices on rural and agricultural mental h…
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47 min
Tech for Transformation: Building Mental-Health Skills with AI Tools that Work – with Alex Willis
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…