The WorkWell Podcast™

Mind the (Future) Gap: Preparing for What's Next in Mental Health Special Live Episode from Lyra Breakthrough 2025In this special live episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, recorded at the Lyra Breakthrough Conference, Jen Fisher hosts a dynamic panel discussion exploring how AI, shifting demographics, and evolving expectations are reshaping mental health support in the workplace.Panel Experts:Dr. Tom Insel - Former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and visionary behind the bold statement that "AI is to mental health what DNA was to cancer"Briana Duffy - Market President at Carelon Behavioral Health, witnessing mental health become a mainstream conversation across generationsDr. Alethea Varra - Senior Vice President of Clinical Care at Lyra Health, pioneering the integration of technology and clinical excellence in modern mental healthcare deliveryEpisode Highlights:Why AI represents a transformational force in mental healthcare, offering precision in diagnosis and treatment like never beforeThe critical difference between AI as a "GPS system" versus autonomous "Waymo" therapy - and why we're not ready for the latterHow predictive algorithms can identify individuals at risk for self-harm up to five months in advanceThe challenge of responsible AI implementation: why human oversight is essential to prevent dangerous "drift" in AI responsesYoung people now listing "been in therapy" as a requirement on dating profiles - and what this means for workplace expectationsWhy 70% of students prefer community-based care over traditional one-on-one therapyThe generational divide: younger workers prioritizing mental health support versus older workers' "tough it out" mentality - and how to leverage both perspectivesThe shift from "mental health" to "mental fitness" - expanding the conversation beyond crisis care to preventative wellnessValue-based care revolution: paying for outcomes and results rather than time spentReal ROI data: 30% reduction in overall healthcare spend for engaged members in sophisticated care programsQuotable Moments:"AI is like the number one use of therapy. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I put this into a timeline where I think about how we did navigation... we had these paper maps to go on a trip, and now we use GPS. The question is, are we ready for Waymo?" - Dr. Tom Insel"My job as a therapist so very often is to sit down with a human in front of me and to tell them something that is actually not going to make them happy. Generative AI tends to drift, and we've seen examples of that." - Dr. Alethea Varra"If this (therapy requirements in dating apps) is the new mainstream norm in the dating world... it's not going to look materially different in the workplace." - Briana DuffyResources:This special live episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution trusted by leading companies like Starbucks, Morgan Stanley, Lululemon, and Zoom. Lyra provides personalized care to over 17 million people with fast access to evidence-based providers and tools that deliver proven results.Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell. 

The TikTok-ification of Self-Care (And How to Fix It) with Dr. Pooja LakshminIn this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, psychiatrist, mental health advocate, and author of "Real Self Care." Together they unpack the commercialization of wellness and explore why so many women feel caught between achieving everything and finding time for authentic self-care. They navigate the complexities of caregiving, adult friendships, and finding hope in challenging times.Episode Highlights:The four principles of real self-care: boundaries, compassion, values, and powerWhy the "pause" is the true boundary - not simply saying noThe invisible burden of elder caregiving and why it's so difficult to discuss at workHow to maintain meaningful adult friendships when life gets overwhelmingUnderstanding hope as an active practice rather than wishful thinkingThe importance of finding small moments of joy and connection in daily lifeQuotable Moment:"Real self-care is an internal process. Boundaries, compassion, values, and power - those four internal principles, that's the work of real self-care. And then once you've done that, then you go to yoga, then you do your meditation. But if you're not using those internal principles and not doing that internal work first, then the external tools will be empty." - Dr. Pooja LakshminLyra Lens:In this edition, Dr. Kendall Browne, Clinical Psychologist and Director at Lyra Health, unpacks the concept of "the pause" that Dr. Lakshmin identified as crucial for boundary-setting. She explains that while pausing seems simple, implementing it proves challenging—especially for women who feel pressure to respond instantly. Dr. Browne offers practical strategies for habitualizing this pause and distinguishes between different boundary types: porous (saying yes too often), inflexible (saying no reflexively), and purposefully permeable (thoughtful decisions about when to engage).Resources:This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

That Difficult Coworker is Just a Character in Your Success Story with Tessa WestIn this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Tessa West, Professor of Psychology at New York University and author of "Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them" and "Job Therapy: A Psychologist's Guide to Finding Your Most Fulfilling Job Yet." Her research reveals surprising patterns about difficult workplace relationships and career satisfaction.Episode Highlights:The five types of workplace jerks: Kiss Up/Kick Downers, Credit Stealers, Free Riders, Bulldozers, and GaslightersWhy gaslighters are the most psychologically damaging but also the rarest type of workplace jerkHow to strategically document and address problematic workplace behavior without making it personalWhy confronting office jerks alone is often the biggest mistake people makeThe surprising truth about "toxic rockstars" and whether you really have to put up with themThe five sources of career frustration: identity crisis, drifted apart, stretched too thin, runner-up, and underappreciated starWhy "follow your passion" is terrible career advice and what to focus on insteadHow to use the Working Week Audit to identify your true workplace stressorsA fresh perspective on work-life balance as psychological integration rather than time managementQuotable Moment:"We all are jerks. When we're tired, when we're stressed, when we're overwhelmed, we probably all got to know this person pretty well during the pandemic. Learn to identify what your inner jerk is and start looking for those red flags, and you'll be a better person for it." - Tessa WestLyra Lens:In this edition, Keren Wasserman, Senior Manager of Organizational Development at Lyra Health, explores how workplace jerks thrive by manipulating systems - and how understanding those systems is key to overcoming them. She highlights that when we take back our power through actions like building connections and amplifying other voices, "we not only shift the power dynamics, but also improve the quality of the work itself." Keren also connects Tessa's job-person fit framework with burnout research, offering a workplace version of the Serenity Prayer to help us recognize "our needs and what we can change about our environment.Resources:This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

Stop Saying 'Hope Is Not a Strategy' (Science Proves You Wrong) with Kathryn GoetzkeContent Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering for some listeners. If you're experiencing thoughts of suicide, please know you're not alone - you can reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by calling or texting 988.In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher opens with a powerful personal reflection on her own journey with hope, challenging the dismissive phrase "hope is not a strategy" and reframing hope as both a comfort and a challenge—not just something we feel, but something we do. She then speaks with Kathryn Goetzke, CEO and Chief Hope Officer of The Shine Hope Company, whose evidence-based work proves that hope is a measurable, teachable skill with profound implications for workplace wellbeing, productivity, and retention. Episode Highlights:How Kathryn's personal experiences with loss and recovery led to her mission of teaching hope as a skillThe SHINE Hope Framework: Stress skills, Happiness habits, Inspired actions, Nourishing networks, and Eliminating challengesWhy hopelessness is the single consistent predictor of suicide and a primary symptom of depressionEvidence that as hope increases, anxiety and depressive symptoms decreaseHow hope scores directly correlate with workplace engagement, productivity, and retentionThe business case for hope: 53% of parents miss a day of work each month due to their children's mental healthPractical ways leaders can model and foster hope in workplace settingsThe distinction between hope as a wish versus hope as an evidence-based strategyQuotable Moment:"Hope is a strategy. We've done the research to prove that the higher in hope your workforce is, the more likely they are to show up to work, be engaged, achieve goals, and overcome obstacles." - Kathryn Goetzke

Caroline Chubb Calderon, a futurist and CEO of Hello Humanity, discusses the intersection of technology and human experience. She highlights how our current 'economy of ease' is contributing to mental health challenges and disconnection. Caroline emphasizes the necessity of genuine human relationships over synthetic ones, warning against over-relying on AI in mental health. She outlines eight guiding principles to foster human flourishing and advocates for a shift towards a more meaningful ecological approach that prioritizes community connections.

Come As You Are' at Work (Terms & Conditions Apply) with Farah HarrisIn this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Farah Harris, licensed psychotherapist, workplace wellbeing expert, and CEO of Working Well Daily. Her book "The Color of Emotional Intelligence" challenges us to rethink what authenticity and emotional intelligence really mean across different cultures and identities in the workplace. Episode Highlights: The hidden costs of "bringing your whole self to work" Why emotional intelligence looks different across cultures and backgrounds How our family dynamics shape our workplace emotional expressionThe real price of fitting into "professional" cultureWhat looks like "high EQ" might actually be a survival strategyWhy declaring "safe spaces" doesn't make them safeThe problem with one-size-fits-all approaches to emotional intelligenceHow power dynamics affect workplace authenticityThe importance of having "safe people" to process workplace experiences Quotable Moment: "If you can't take what you're learning outside of the four walls of the workplace, then is it truly applicable? Is it truly authentic?" - Farah Harris Lyra Lens: We're excited to introduce Lyra Lens, a new segment with our friends from Lyra Health. "The beauty of inclusion and diversity at work is shifting from 'why do you do it like that?' to 'what can I learn from someone who does it differently?'" Andrea Holman shares this and other insights in today's Lyra Lens segment, where she joins Jen Fisher to discuss cultural humility in the workplace. Resources: This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

'Reading' Emotion in Emails & Other Ways Our Brains Mislead Us with Dr. Lisa Feldman BarrettIn this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and author of "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain."Episode Highlights:Why we can't actually "read" emotions in faces, voices, or body languageThe science behind your brain's "body budget" and how it affects workplace performanceHow social stress can impact your metabolism by up to 104 caloriesWhy trust in coworkers and management significantly affects productivityThe truth about psychological safety and why some discomfort is necessary for growthHow to handle emotions in virtual environments and email communicationsUnderstanding the difference between guessing and reading emotions in workplace interactionsPractical strategies for making yourself more predictable to reduce others' stressQuotable Moment:"What you put into the world with your actions and your words literally shapes the world that you live in. You have to decide what kind of a world you want to live in and what sort of impact you want to have on other people." - Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett Resources:Learn more about Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett's groundbreaking research on emotions and the brain at her websiteBooks: "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain"

Your Brain On Goals: The Surprising Science of Motivation with Dr. Ayelet FishbachIn this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher and special co-host Keren Wasserman from Lyra Health speak with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and author of "Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation."Episode Highlights:Common motivation strategies that can backfire, including rigid goal-setting and misaligned incentivesHow to overcome the "middle problem" in long-term goals by breaking them into shorter segmentsThe connection between emotions and motivation as a feedback systemWhen to focus on progress made vs. progress needed based on where you are in your journeyWhy experts tend to look ahead while novices benefit from looking back at progressThe importance of social support and working with others to maintain motivationHow failure can provide valuable information and novel insights for learningLeadership strategies for maintaining team trust and motivation during challenging timesQuotable Moment:"Motivation is about knowledge, it's about being wise... I don't believe in relying on some inner strength that you might feel you have or not. I believe in learning and being wise and doing the things that keep you motivated." - Dr. Ayelet FishbachResources:This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy and author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong. In a wide-ranging conversation, Stephanie discusses her science-backed approach to happiness, and explains how accessing our unique gifts and giving back to the community can lead to joy and fulfillment.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with speaker, workplace mental health consultant, and executive Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower to discuss how to manage the anxiety that comes with succeeding and leading.