Sally Spencer-Thomas
@sspencerthomas.bsky.social
Psychologist, Keynote, Podcaster, Pres United Suicide Survivors #ZeroSuicide #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #ConstructionWorkingMinds #SuicidePrevention #SuicideGrief #HOPECertification #WorkplaceSuicidePrevention #HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #psychsky
Pinned
Stopping Suicide With Story | Sally Spencer-Thomas | TEDxCrestmoorParkWomen
YouTube video by TEDx Talks
youtu.be
My @TedxCPark "Stopping Suicide with Story" youtu.be/BE428HoKoLk #suicideprevention #zerosuicide #mentalhealth #constructionworkingminds #hopeilluminated #headspacefortheworkplace #podcast #suicidegrief #recovery #peersupport #livedexperience @iaspinfo.bsky.social @roryoc.bsky.social
A year in review feels like a good moment to pause.
Some honest personal reflections on burnout, aging, and what it really takes to keep prioritizing mental health when you’re surrounded by suffering.
Grateful. Humbled. Still hopeful.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
Some honest personal reflections on burnout, aging, and what it really takes to keep prioritizing mental health when you’re surrounded by suffering.
Grateful. Humbled. Still hopeful.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
A Year in Review: Mental Health, Healing, and Hope — Dr. Sally
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-experience storytell...
www.sallyspencerthomas.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:42 PM
A year in review feels like a good moment to pause.
Some honest personal reflections on burnout, aging, and what it really takes to keep prioritizing mental health when you’re surrounded by suffering.
Grateful. Humbled. Still hopeful.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
Some honest personal reflections on burnout, aging, and what it really takes to keep prioritizing mental health when you’re surrounded by suffering.
Grateful. Humbled. Still hopeful.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
“Leave the industry better than you found it.”
That means building systems that allow people to rest, not just endure.
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #Leadership #Recovery #Burnout
That means building systems that allow people to rest, not just endure.
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #Leadership #Recovery #Burnout
December 27, 2025 at 7:09 PM
“Leave the industry better than you found it.”
That means building systems that allow people to rest, not just endure.
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #Leadership #Recovery #Burnout
That means building systems that allow people to rest, not just endure.
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #Leadership #Recovery #Burnout
“When you take PTO, take PTO.”
Science agrees.
Mental detachment (not location) is what restores health.
LISTEN HERE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #Burnout @jbsinger.bsky.social @thementalelf.bsky.social
Science agrees.
Mental detachment (not location) is what restores health.
LISTEN HERE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #Burnout @jbsinger.bsky.social @thementalelf.bsky.social
December 27, 2025 at 7:01 PM
“When you take PTO, take PTO.”
Science agrees.
Mental detachment (not location) is what restores health.
LISTEN HERE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #Burnout @jbsinger.bsky.social @thementalelf.bsky.social
Science agrees.
Mental detachment (not location) is what restores health.
LISTEN HERE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #Burnout @jbsinger.bsky.social @thementalelf.bsky.social
It’s Dec 24 -- and many of us are heading into PTO.
Science reminder:
Vacation helps only if you mentally detach.
Thinking about work = stress, not rest.
New episode with Daniel Oates:
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #MentalHealth @jbsinger.bsky.social
Science reminder:
Vacation helps only if you mentally detach.
Thinking about work = stress, not rest.
New episode with Daniel Oates:
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #MentalHealth @jbsinger.bsky.social
December 24, 2025 at 6:07 PM
It’s Dec 24 -- and many of us are heading into PTO.
Science reminder:
Vacation helps only if you mentally detach.
Thinking about work = stress, not rest.
New episode with Daniel Oates:
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #MentalHealth @jbsinger.bsky.social
Science reminder:
Vacation helps only if you mentally detach.
Thinking about work = stress, not rest.
New episode with Daniel Oates:
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/82
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #PTO #MentalHealth @jbsinger.bsky.social
“How many deaths are we calling mental health problems when brain injury may also be part of the story?” ~Dr. John Gaal
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
John lost his son to suicide at 24. Later, he learned that his son’s brain showed signs consistent with CTE.
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
John lost his son to suicide at 24. Later, he learned that his son’s brain showed signs consistent with CTE.
December 22, 2025 at 10:51 PM
“How many deaths are we calling mental health problems when brain injury may also be part of the story?” ~Dr. John Gaal
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
John lost his son to suicide at 24. Later, he learned that his son’s brain showed signs consistent with CTE.
PODCAST: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
John lost his son to suicide at 24. Later, he learned that his son’s brain showed signs consistent with CTE.
We tell athletes to “shake it off,” “tough it out,” and “get back in the game.”
In this episode of #HopeIlluminated, I sat down w Dr. John Gaal, whose son died by suicide @ 24. After his death John learn that his son’s brain showed hallmark signs of #CTE.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
In this episode of #HopeIlluminated, I sat down w Dr. John Gaal, whose son died by suicide @ 24. After his death John learn that his son’s brain showed hallmark signs of #CTE.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
December 22, 2025 at 10:31 PM
We tell athletes to “shake it off,” “tough it out,” and “get back in the game.”
In this episode of #HopeIlluminated, I sat down w Dr. John Gaal, whose son died by suicide @ 24. After his death John learn that his son’s brain showed hallmark signs of #CTE.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
In this episode of #HopeIlluminated, I sat down w Dr. John Gaal, whose son died by suicide @ 24. After his death John learn that his son’s brain showed hallmark signs of #CTE.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
Reposted by Sally Spencer-Thomas
Join Dr Sally Spencer-Thomas @sspencerthomas.bsky.social, and guest Dr Colleen Saringer as they explore how job strain impacts families and contributes to work-related suicide risk in the latest episode hosted by the IASP Suicide and the Workplace Special Interest Group.
Listen: bit.ly/4iQ63o2
Listen: bit.ly/4iQ63o2
December 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Join Dr Sally Spencer-Thomas @sspencerthomas.bsky.social, and guest Dr Colleen Saringer as they explore how job strain impacts families and contributes to work-related suicide risk in the latest episode hosted by the IASP Suicide and the Workplace Special Interest Group.
Listen: bit.ly/4iQ63o2
Listen: bit.ly/4iQ63o2
When Work Stress Comes Home: Understanding the Spillover Effect in Work-Related Suicide with Dr. Colleen Saringer
NEW PODCAST EPISODE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/80
In partnership with @iaspinfo.bsky.social
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #WorkRelatedSuicide @jbsinger.bsky.social
NEW PODCAST EPISODE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/80
In partnership with @iaspinfo.bsky.social
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #WorkRelatedSuicide @jbsinger.bsky.social
December 9, 2025 at 3:19 PM
When Work Stress Comes Home: Understanding the Spillover Effect in Work-Related Suicide with Dr. Colleen Saringer
NEW PODCAST EPISODE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/80
In partnership with @iaspinfo.bsky.social
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #WorkRelatedSuicide @jbsinger.bsky.social
NEW PODCAST EPISODE: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/80
In partnership with @iaspinfo.bsky.social
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #WorkRelatedSuicide @jbsinger.bsky.social
Carson, today marks 21 years without you here.
My brother, my angel, my friend, I miss you and love you, always.
The long tail of suicide grief is real. Your death is fully woven into the story of my life. And yet some days, the hole your absence leaves is deeper.
Today, I feel that hole.
My brother, my angel, my friend, I miss you and love you, always.
The long tail of suicide grief is real. Your death is fully woven into the story of my life. And yet some days, the hole your absence leaves is deeper.
Today, I feel that hole.
December 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Carson, today marks 21 years without you here.
My brother, my angel, my friend, I miss you and love you, always.
The long tail of suicide grief is real. Your death is fully woven into the story of my life. And yet some days, the hole your absence leaves is deeper.
Today, I feel that hole.
My brother, my angel, my friend, I miss you and love you, always.
The long tail of suicide grief is real. Your death is fully woven into the story of my life. And yet some days, the hole your absence leaves is deeper.
Today, I feel that hole.
Here’s the truth: if people don’t feel physically and psychologically safe, nothing else lands — not engagement, trust, or performance.
Take a listen: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
Take a listen: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
November 28, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Here’s the truth: if people don’t feel physically and psychologically safe, nothing else lands — not engagement, trust, or performance.
Take a listen: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
Take a listen: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
Too often, workplaces wait until something goes wrong to respond. But what if instead, we got really good at catching what goes right?
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
November 28, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Too often, workplaces wait until something goes wrong to respond. But what if instead, we got really good at catching what goes right?
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety #ConstructionWorkingMinds
NEW podcast episode, featuring a conversation w/ longtime safety-culture thought-leader Bill Sims. We bridge physical safety & mental health to show how safety culture can be a powerful foundation for resilience.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety
November 28, 2025 at 3:19 PM
NEW podcast episode, featuring a conversation w/ longtime safety-culture thought-leader Bill Sims. We bridge physical safety & mental health to show how safety culture can be a powerful foundation for resilience.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/79
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace #MentalHealthSafety
Construction #MentalHealth Award nominations close December 3rd!
We’re accepting nominations for:
🔹 Visionary Organizations (Large, Mid-Size, Local)
🔹 Cutting-Edge Researchers & Applied Science Teams
🔹 Journalists & Media Outlets Elevating Mental Health Stories
form.jotform.com/252824048013...
We’re accepting nominations for:
🔹 Visionary Organizations (Large, Mid-Size, Local)
🔹 Cutting-Edge Researchers & Applied Science Teams
🔹 Journalists & Media Outlets Elevating Mental Health Stories
form.jotform.com/252824048013...
November 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Construction #MentalHealth Award nominations close December 3rd!
We’re accepting nominations for:
🔹 Visionary Organizations (Large, Mid-Size, Local)
🔹 Cutting-Edge Researchers & Applied Science Teams
🔹 Journalists & Media Outlets Elevating Mental Health Stories
form.jotform.com/252824048013...
We’re accepting nominations for:
🔹 Visionary Organizations (Large, Mid-Size, Local)
🔹 Cutting-Edge Researchers & Applied Science Teams
🔹 Journalists & Media Outlets Elevating Mental Health Stories
form.jotform.com/252824048013...
So many children impacted by suicide are searching for ways to express what they cannot yet explain. Ryan’s work reminds us that creativity helps us travel through grief w/o feeling alone or unseen
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#HopeIlluminated #SurvivorDay #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#HopeIlluminated #SurvivorDay #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay
November 22, 2025 at 2:47 PM
So many children impacted by suicide are searching for ways to express what they cannot yet explain. Ryan’s work reminds us that creativity helps us travel through grief w/o feeling alone or unseen
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#HopeIlluminated #SurvivorDay #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#HopeIlluminated #SurvivorDay #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay
The International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is November 22 -- a day when people around the world gather to remember, share stories, and honor those we’ve lost. afsp.org/internationa...
Podcast on how to help kids: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#SurvivorDay #ISOSL #SuicideGrief
Podcast on how to help kids: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#SurvivorDay #ISOSL #SuicideGrief
November 21, 2025 at 11:55 PM
The International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is November 22 -- a day when people around the world gather to remember, share stories, and honor those we’ve lost. afsp.org/internationa...
Podcast on how to help kids: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#SurvivorDay #ISOSL #SuicideGrief
Podcast on how to help kids: www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#SurvivorDay #ISOSL #SuicideGrief
Bittersweet week in Dallas.
After 5 yrs working with the UA, we passed the torch on a #mentalhealth initiative for 400,000 members across the US/Canada.
We trained UA members to lead this work and make it their own w powerful stories & lived expertise.
They’re ready & will keep making it better.
After 5 yrs working with the UA, we passed the torch on a #mentalhealth initiative for 400,000 members across the US/Canada.
We trained UA members to lead this work and make it their own w powerful stories & lived expertise.
They’re ready & will keep making it better.
November 20, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Bittersweet week in Dallas.
After 5 yrs working with the UA, we passed the torch on a #mentalhealth initiative for 400,000 members across the US/Canada.
We trained UA members to lead this work and make it their own w powerful stories & lived expertise.
They’re ready & will keep making it better.
After 5 yrs working with the UA, we passed the torch on a #mentalhealth initiative for 400,000 members across the US/Canada.
We trained UA members to lead this work and make it their own w powerful stories & lived expertise.
They’re ready & will keep making it better.
Rural behavioral health studies tell us this clearly: when your work is your legacy, asking for help can feel like failure.
Naming the pain is the first act of courage.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#FarmStress #HopeIlluminated #RuralMentalHealth #AgrarianImperative #FarmStateOfMind
Naming the pain is the first act of courage.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#FarmStress #HopeIlluminated #RuralMentalHealth #AgrarianImperative #FarmStateOfMind
November 16, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Rural behavioral health studies tell us this clearly: when your work is your legacy, asking for help can feel like failure.
Naming the pain is the first act of courage.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#FarmStress #HopeIlluminated #RuralMentalHealth #AgrarianImperative #FarmStateOfMind
Naming the pain is the first act of courage.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#FarmStress #HopeIlluminated #RuralMentalHealth #AgrarianImperative #FarmStateOfMind
We’re committed to making the #ConstructionMentalHealth Conference (Feb 25-26) accessible to people who are shaping the future of this movement: apprentices, students, lived-experience leaders, early-career professionals, etc.
Scholarship applications are open!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Scholarship applications are open!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
November 15, 2025 at 8:47 PM
We’re committed to making the #ConstructionMentalHealth Conference (Feb 25-26) accessible to people who are shaping the future of this movement: apprentices, students, lived-experience leaders, early-career professionals, etc.
Scholarship applications are open!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Scholarship applications are open!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
What a great day in Fort Collins. Business leaders gathered for the final session of our 4-part workplace wellbeing series.
H.O.P.E. Certification is a program of @unitesurvivors.org International. People with lived experience are co-designing the strategies and overseeing implementation.
H.O.P.E. Certification is a program of @unitesurvivors.org International. People with lived experience are co-designing the strategies and overseeing implementation.
November 13, 2025 at 5:09 PM
What a great day in Fort Collins. Business leaders gathered for the final session of our 4-part workplace wellbeing series.
H.O.P.E. Certification is a program of @unitesurvivors.org International. People with lived experience are co-designing the strategies and overseeing implementation.
H.O.P.E. Certification is a program of @unitesurvivors.org International. People with lived experience are co-designing the strategies and overseeing implementation.
Deep in the heart of Texas 🇨🇱 this week for The International Association of Foundation Drilling Safety Summit 2025!
Powerful conversations were had about construction workforce leadership burnout & #suicideprevention.
#WorkplaceMentalHealth #ConstructionWorkingMinds #LeadershipBurnout
Powerful conversations were had about construction workforce leadership burnout & #suicideprevention.
#WorkplaceMentalHealth #ConstructionWorkingMinds #LeadershipBurnout
November 6, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Deep in the heart of Texas 🇨🇱 this week for The International Association of Foundation Drilling Safety Summit 2025!
Powerful conversations were had about construction workforce leadership burnout & #suicideprevention.
#WorkplaceMentalHealth #ConstructionWorkingMinds #LeadershipBurnout
Powerful conversations were had about construction workforce leadership burnout & #suicideprevention.
#WorkplaceMentalHealth #ConstructionWorkingMinds #LeadershipBurnout
PODCAST: Monica McConkey brings both lived experience & clinical expertise. She grew up on a farm in Minnesota & has spent 30+ years supporting farm families thru hardship, loss & healing.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#RuralMentalHealth #FarmStress #SuicidePrevention #HopeIlluminated
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#RuralMentalHealth #FarmStress #SuicidePrevention #HopeIlluminated
October 31, 2025 at 7:49 PM
PODCAST: Monica McConkey brings both lived experience & clinical expertise. She grew up on a farm in Minnesota & has spent 30+ years supporting farm families thru hardship, loss & healing.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#RuralMentalHealth #FarmStress #SuicidePrevention #HopeIlluminated
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illumin...
#RuralMentalHealth #FarmStress #SuicidePrevention #HopeIlluminated
There’s nothing quite like the Pacific Northwest. Mt. Rainier rising out of the fog like a ghost on Halloween.
Pt 1 #suicideprevention w Wash State Patrol
Pt 2 of the trip was soul food. Over a messy, glorious seafood boil (gloves on, laughter loud), Cal Beyer & I swapped wins, worries, and dreams.
Pt 1 #suicideprevention w Wash State Patrol
Pt 2 of the trip was soul food. Over a messy, glorious seafood boil (gloves on, laughter loud), Cal Beyer & I swapped wins, worries, and dreams.
October 31, 2025 at 6:43 PM
There’s nothing quite like the Pacific Northwest. Mt. Rainier rising out of the fog like a ghost on Halloween.
Pt 1 #suicideprevention w Wash State Patrol
Pt 2 of the trip was soul food. Over a messy, glorious seafood boil (gloves on, laughter loud), Cal Beyer & I swapped wins, worries, and dreams.
Pt 1 #suicideprevention w Wash State Patrol
Pt 2 of the trip was soul food. Over a messy, glorious seafood boil (gloves on, laughter loud), Cal Beyer & I swapped wins, worries, and dreams.
Culture change doesn’t happen just because we care about mental health.
It happens when we systemize, embed, and normalize it—turning wellness from an afterthought into a daily operational standard.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace
It happens when we systemize, embed, and normalize it—turning wellness from an afterthought into a daily operational standard.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace
October 17, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Culture change doesn’t happen just because we care about mental health.
It happens when we systemize, embed, and normalize it—turning wellness from an afterthought into a daily operational standard.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace
It happens when we systemize, embed, and normalize it—turning wellness from an afterthought into a daily operational standard.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace
In my latest Headspace for the Workplace episode, Brandon Evans and I explore how wellbeing needs reps & recovery -- just like physical fitness.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#headspacefortheworkplace
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#headspacefortheworkplace
October 17, 2025 at 12:47 AM
In my latest Headspace for the Workplace episode, Brandon Evans and I explore how wellbeing needs reps & recovery -- just like physical fitness.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#headspacefortheworkplace
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/77
#headspacefortheworkplace
This quote from my podcast guest Monica McConkey has stayed with me:
“Meeting people where they are means acknowledging their reality - not dragging them into yours.”
That’s what it takes to build trust in workplace mental health.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/76
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace
“Meeting people where they are means acknowledging their reality - not dragging them into yours.”
That’s what it takes to build trust in workplace mental health.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/76
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace
October 17, 2025 at 12:29 AM
This quote from my podcast guest Monica McConkey has stayed with me:
“Meeting people where they are means acknowledging their reality - not dragging them into yours.”
That’s what it takes to build trust in workplace mental health.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/76
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace
“Meeting people where they are means acknowledging their reality - not dragging them into yours.”
That’s what it takes to build trust in workplace mental health.
www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/76
#HeadspaceForTheWorkplace