Episode #65: How to improve your well-being and recover from mental illness, with Dr. Lindsay Oades

Dr. Lindsay G. Oades is an internationally acclaimed, multi award-winning well-being scientist, researcher, public policy strategist, educator and author. He is Deputy Dean and Professor of Wellbeing Science at the University of Melbourne. He has recently worked with UNESCO on the International Science and Evidence Based Education Assessment. He is former Director of Action for Happiness Australia and non-executive Director of the Positive Education Schools Association. He was awarded the Australian Government citation in 2013 for an outstanding contribution to student learning.

Lindsay’s major research contribution has been in well-being and mental health recovery. He developed a mental health recovery model – the Collaborative Recovery Model – which is a positive psychology coaching model, used to assist people with mental illness. 

Lindsay is the author of six books, and over 150 journal articles and book chapters related to well-being, recovery and coaching. As a sought after speaker known to provoke thought, Lindsay has given keynote or invited presentations in 14 nations. 

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Links:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Google Scholar page
• Wikipedia page
• Forthcoming book: The Health and Well-Being Coaches’ Handbook (co-edited with Jonathan Passmore & Badri Bajaj) (Routledge, 2025)
• Book mentioned in episode: Psychological Recovery: Beyond Mental Illness (co-authored with Retta Andresen and Peter Caputi) (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011)

Timestamps:

[02:12] Recovery model stages explained.

[04:25] Importance of relationships for well-being.

[09:25] Language's impact on wellbeing.

[12:18] Well-being literacy framework.

[18:31] Organisational language and wellbeing.

[21:24] Mental illness vs. well-being.

[28:48] Autonomy and agency in recovery.

[37:46] Stages of collaborative recovery.

[39:57] Collaborative recovery model in practice.

[45:17] Human flourishing in education.

[50:30] Central purpose of education.

[54:29] Wellbeing literacy community.