Ep 18. Having Mental Health Conversations At Work

Keynote speaker and corporate consultant Melissa Doman, M.A. helps companies understand that the people who power their companies are the true foundation for their enduring success.

[1:51] Individuals Power Groups

As a former clinical mental health therapist, Melissa’s work brought her into close contact with people in practically every walk of life. Her service in this role made for a natural transition to shaping the culture of organizations, and her sustainable approach to the health and well being of the individuals that power groups has consistently created better personal and professional outcomes in her sphere of influence over the following years.

[6:00] Definition of Mental Health

The definition of mental health is complex, but can generally be understood as a healthy baseline of social, emotional, and cognitive function. This  impacts how we think, feel, and behave. How we view ourselves, others, and the world. Emotions such as frustration and worry are part of life—as are issues with digestion or skin irritation—but when our reactions to everyday challenges disrupt our enjoyment of life on a regular basis, there may be an underlying mental health concern that needs to be addressed.

[8:08] Transcending a Taboo

The UK, where Melissa worked most recently before returning to her native United States in the global shuffle of 2020, is widely perceived to be more progressive in mental health matters. In her words, mental health issues in the US have historically been demonized in a way that, for example, an issue with the liver or lungs may not have been, and this has had a devastating effect on the availability and scope of mental health resources in the nation.

[12:05] Demystifying Mental Maintenance

Even with her years of on-the-ground service in the field of mental health, Melissa considers some of her most important work to be normalizing the concept of attention to mental health. Debunking stigmas, demystifying topics that may seem abstract, and promoting a general understanding of the factors that contribute to an individual’s mental health is a core component of what she does in her organizational consultation work. Through facilitating practices such as practical stress management and open discussion forums, Melissa is able to take her ability to connect with people and deliver it to our shared future on a larger scale.

 

About Melissa Doman, M.A.

Melissa is an organizational psychologist, former mental health therapist, and mental health at work specialist.

Following years of clinical work as a licensed mental health therapist in universities, EAPs, and private practice, Melissa left the clinical sector and turned her focus to consulting, advising, and speaking in the worlds of organizational psychology and mental health awareness for international, national, and local organizations and Fortune 500 companies. She is currently writing a book that will be published by Trigger Publishing, about changing perceptions and how to have practical conversations about mental health at work.

Melissa has consulted and spoken in many sectors including technology, law, finance, high fashion, automotive, higher education, insurance, and more. She has been featured as a speaker and subject matter expert at national conferences, summits, digital publications, local television shows, international mentoring programs, and as a panelist at Google U.K. discussing practical and inclusive conversations around mental health. Having lived on 4 continents and traveled to more than 45 countries, Melissa calls upon her experiences working with professionals from around the world, all the way from South Korea to Australia, in creating an open-minded and practical approach to discussing mental health, mental illness, and stress management at work. She is also a prominent thought leader on mental health at work in the United Kingdom and dedicated 3 years of her career to this space while living in London.

Throughout her 10-year career, Melissa has impacted thousands of people through her public speaking, consulting, workshops, counseling, coaching, and writing. Melissa uses her advanced education and training, coupled with her global experience, to inform how she works with leaders and companies across the world to deliver practice and inclusive workplace strategies around mental health at work.

Melissa is deeply passionate about her work and bringing these topics to the forefront of everyone’s minds in business around the world. If you would like to learn more about Melissa or her work, please visit www.melissadoman.com.

Connect with Melissa

Website: https://melissadoman.com

Email: workwithmelissadoman@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadoman1/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohugrElLgr_X4_hZNibOHw/

Employee Engagement and Culture Change

Things like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or Emotional Intelligence are more than trendy catchphrases or legalities.  When they become part of your culture, DEI and EI are the keys to your company’s growth, success and legacy.

  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) steps that strengthen your team and boost your bottom line
  • How do you harness…and hold onto…your team’s Emotional Intelligence?
  • How to have Tough Conversations with positive outcomes
  • Rethinking Assessments so they actually work for your team and your organization