PROTECT | Values for Well-being and Resilience
HEALING WITH HOPE | A Journey of Mental Wellbeing, Resilience, and Connection
Welcome to PROTECT, a transformative podcast dedicated to nurturing mental well-being, building resilience, and fostering hope. At its core, PROTECT is about the power of human connection—exploring how values like compassion, belonging, and loyalty can become lifelines for those facing challenges. Founded on the principle of Relational Safety, this podcast moves beyond traditional perspectives, asking not “what’s the matter with you?” but “what matters to you?”—empowering both professionals and individuals in their journey to chip away at pain and build strength.
Hosted by Dr. Manaan Kar Ray, an innovator and leader in mental health crisis care with over a decade of experience at Oxford and Cambridge, and now the Director of Mental Health Services at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, PROTECT is changing the way we think about suicide prevention. Each episode blends leading-edge research with person-centered practice, bringing insights that promote hope, purpose, and resilience.
In our new focus, we introduce Sunny’s Value Scouts—an uplifting series designed to cultivate resilience in younger audiences. Each story explores a value—from belonging and acceptance to courage and compassion—helping to build emotional strength and guide listeners through life's ups and downs. This podcast is an essential resource for all those who care deeply about mental health, suicide prevention, and building communities that thrive on connection and kindness.
Further information at www.PROGRESS.guide.
PROTECT | Values for Well-being and Resilience
G09 | Humor Heals - World Suicide Prevention Day Special with Mallori and Lodge
Would love to hear your thoughts...
A special episode to mark the 10th of September - World Suicide Prevention Day.
Humor Heals #LOL @the Sound of Hope provides 3 exercises of therapeutic humour.
- Pile ‘o Punchlines
- The Comedy of Complaints
- The Comedy of Contradictions
Its a collaboration with Mallori DeSalle and Lodge McCammon. By brining humour to one of the most serious of topics, "suicide", they are providing an avenue for people who work in mental health care to fill their cups. Supporting people in suicidal distress over a lifetime is a marathon, not a sprint, humor may be one of the answers to maintain energy in the long run and even a way to connect with a person in deep distress. Sounds risky, but is rewarding. Give it a try. I did...
A bit about our invited guests:
Mallori DeSalle, MA, LMHC, NCC, CMHC, MATS, CPS, CHP
Therapist, Trainer, Humorist, Indiana University
Mallori DeSalle is a licensed mental health counselor, an internationally certified prevention specialist,motivational interviewing trainer and a certified humor professional. As a speaker and trainer, she has sparked curiosity in both the young and young-at-heart. Her passion for creating a lasting impact led her to the public health field and for the past 14 years she has worked at Prevention Insights, a center within the School of Public Health at Indiana University, Bloomington. Mallori works with people all over the world. She served on the Board of Directors for the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor and in 2021 became a TEDx speaker. Her credentials don’t impress her family, but occasionally her corny jokes do make them laugh. https://malloridesalle.com/
Lodge McCammon, PhD
Humorist, Musician, Educator, Speaker
Dr. Lodge McCammon is a therapeutic humorist, instructional designer, author, musician, and international education consultant who provides professional services, including keynote speeches, workshops, curriculum development, and a variety of training programs. He works with school districts, universities, nonprofits, and businesses (e.g., Palm Beach Schools, University of the West Indies, Discovery Education, Microsoft, Amazon). Most recently, Lodge facilitated a month of therapeutic humor for the Nourished Teachers Community, which is a Facebook-funded initiative focused on helping educators cope with work stress and avoid burnout. He uses a program that he designed called “Laugh It Off!" to help his clients transform their daily frustrations into humor. https://lodgemccammon.com/
Connect with Assoc Prof Manaan Kar Ray on Linkedin
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