Hope Illuminated Podcast
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.
Episodes
February 17, 2024 • 33 mins
Each year, the sobering statistics remind us of the heartbreaking reality: autistic individuals are six times more likely to die by suicide than their non-autistic counterparts.In our latest episode, we delve into a conversation with the author of "Find Him Among the Living," a poignant memoir by Dr. Jessica Revill. Through her deeply personal account of her son Gregory Chew's life and tragic loss to suicide, Dr. Revill sheds light...
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Sarah Gaer, my soul sister on a mission, has been talking about “soul exhaustion” and its connection to suicide and poor mental health and about “soul care” as a pathway to healing. Our research on people’s perception of “the soul” revealed that many people think about their soul as “the essence of who we are and that things that happen to us can wear down this essence until we feel so lost and isolated our “soul” loses the energy ...
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November 21, 2023 • 43 mins
For many mental health providers clinical training around suicide — if we received any at all — was rooted in fear and was focused on trying to mitigate risk for the clinician rather than on how to help the person in despair. In this podcast, I interview Dr. David Jobes, a clinician-researcher who has dedicated his life’s work to finding an evidence-based approach to helping people through their suicidal suffering. Here we discuss ...
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In a world where societal pressures and media influence often focus on women's body image, it's crucial to shed light on a less-discussed but equally pressing issue: men, body image, and eating disorders. Research on men's culture and body image reveals a complex interplay of factors influencing how men perceive and engage with their bodies. Societal expectations, media representations, and peer influences play significant roles in...
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“Kenergy” is all the rage. Why? Because men are ready to modernize masculinity. If you’ve watched the movie “Barbie” released this week, you may understand that Kenergy can be understood as a positive framing of masculinity, which challenges toxic portrayals of traditional male traits. The term draws inspiration from the character Ken, who plays a supportive role in his relationship with Barbie. Ken’s character stands in contrast t...
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Many of us bereaved by suicide find ourselves as Frank Campbell describes in a “Canyon of Why”. Our world assumptions are shattered.What happens to a family with multiple losses by suicide?
In this interview I speak to Juliet Patterson, a poet and the author of the book “Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide.” Juliet grew up in the shadows of multiple family members deaths by suicide and wondered too — “Will I die this way?” Instead, she ha...
In this interview I speak to Juliet Patterson, a poet and the author of the book “Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide.” Juliet grew up in the shadows of multiple family members deaths by suicide and wondered too — “Will I die this way?” Instead, she ha...
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Sara Easterly, the author of “Searching for Mom” once said “I entered a long period of death ideation in adolescence when I began wondering about my birth mother almost constantly. The losses due to adoption began to feel overwhelming, but it didn’t feel like there was room to grieve.”According to a research study published by the journal of Pediatrics, adoptees are four time more likely to report a suicide attempt than non-adopte...
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TRIGGER WARNING! This episode shares details of a child’s experiences with domestic violence and suicide and may be activating for some listeners.
The research on ”Adverse Childhood Experiences” is clear — The CDC Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study has identified ten types of childhood trauma that can affect people later in life. Five types of trauma are personal, such as physical abuse or neglect, while the other five are re...
The research on ”Adverse Childhood Experiences” is clear — The CDC Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study has identified ten types of childhood trauma that can affect people later in life. Five types of trauma are personal, such as physical abuse or neglect, while the other five are re...
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Anyone who has been a teacher knows the work is hard, and at the same time — when work is working well — immensely rewarding. The work can be purposeful and filled with close relationships a vibrant communities. No one enters the teaching profession to become rich and famous — they enter for the difference they will make.And yet, our nation is facing a mental health crisis among our educators; one of burnout and demoralization. Man...
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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 p...
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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, is a non-profit organization founded by the mother and sister of Olivia Ann Kunik, a 19 year old and shining light who died by suicide on January 19th...
The Liv Project, is a non-profit organization founded by the mother and sister of Olivia Ann Kunik, a 19 year old and shining light who died by suicide on January 19th...
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November 17, 2022 • 41 mins
About Mike Cotayo
Mike knows how to handle difficult people because he was one! Surviving a traumatic brain injury, he overcame his own addiction to drugs. He then went on to devote over 20 years of his professional life as a clinical social worker servicing the needs of the mentally ill and chemically addicted. As an expert in treating patients with borderline personalities, he has delivered keynotes internationally, including spea...
Mike knows how to handle difficult people because he was one! Surviving a traumatic brain injury, he overcame his own addiction to drugs. He then went on to devote over 20 years of his professional life as a clinical social worker servicing the needs of the mentally ill and chemically addicted. As an expert in treating patients with borderline personalities, he has delivered keynotes internationally, including spea...
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November 7, 2022 • 17 mins
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 momen...
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 momen...
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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.
About James Hill
James Hill is a passionate Mental Health Advocate, by using his ow...
In the previous “Part 1” episode James Hill shared his story of surviving suicidal intensity and becoming a national change agent for workplace wellbeing.
About James Hill
James Hill is a passionate Mental Health Advocate, by using his ow...
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About James Hill
James Hill is a passionate Mental Health Advocate, by using his own lived experience and education he has influenced positive change regarding mental ill-health and suicide prevention in both the workplace and broader community. His background was in the electricity industry before he changed his life direction to follow his passion, developing and successfully implementing a workplace Mental Health Advocate role. H...
James Hill is a passionate Mental Health Advocate, by using his own lived experience and education he has influenced positive change regarding mental ill-health and suicide prevention in both the workplace and broader community. His background was in the electricity industry before he changed his life direction to follow his passion, developing and successfully implementing a workplace Mental Health Advocate role. H...
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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.Suicide...
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.Suicide...
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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:
Int...
Int...
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Mental Health, Social Justice, Suicide Grief, Suicide Prevention, Well-Being
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 ...
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 ...
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February 8, 2022 • 46 mins
Burnout - Causes and Cures
Burnout is costly to employers in several ways:
Employee turnover
Increased risk of worker injury or error
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 a...
Burnout is costly to employers in several ways:
Employee turnover
Increased risk of worker injury or error
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 a...
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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 ...
In this conversation, Candace Opper talks about her experience losing a childhood acquaintance to suicide and ...
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