What if the barrier isn’t your ability but the infrastructure around you?

Did you know one in four Utahns lives with a disability? Many also face financial and mental health challenges that compound those barriers. Wasatch Adaptive Sports removes them. 

But let’s start at the beginning. 

Meet Don Webber. 

Don is a former D1 football player, musician, nonprofit leader, and self-described “jack of all trades.” But behind the adventurous résumé is something far more relatable: lived experience with generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

After years in the advertising world—including time at Traeger Grills—Don felt the pull toward something deeper. Through volunteer work, he found his calling with Wasatch Adaptive Sports, a nonprofit founded in 1977 that empowers people with disabilities to improve their physical, mental, and social health through outdoor recreation.

And what started as volunteering became a mission.

At Wasatch Adaptive Sports, participants don’t pay. They redefine what’s possible.

As Don puts it, the shift is simple but radical:

Stop asking what you can’t do.

Start asking: What would it take to make this work?

This episode dives into:

• Why anxiety thrives on limitation thinking

• How businesses can support employee mental health

• The power of removing structural barriers

• Why outdoor recreation is a mental health intervention

• How adaptive sports mirror therapeutic change

If you’ve ever believed something was out of reach, this episode might challenge you to reconsider.

In this deeply personal episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan, a licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, sits down with Trina Celeste Limpert, CEO of RizeNext, bestselling author of Orchestrating Life-Work Harmony, and co-founder of Tech-Moms.org.

Named one of Utah’s most influential women, Trina blends executive leadership with authenticity. As a mother of eight children in a blended family, she often brings practical perspective to conversations about resilience, balance, and purpose.

Trina is widely known for her leadership in AI strategy, workforce upskilling, and human-centered innovation. But in this conversation, she opens up about something far more personal.

Growing up in a family deeply impacted by suicide and untreated mental health struggles, Trina shares her experience navigating generational trauma, including the loss of her great grandmother and grandfather to suicide, and her mother’s attempts. 

For years, these realities were brushed aside and left unspoken.

In this episode, Trina courageously explores:

• The impact of silence around mental health in families

• How generational trauma shapes identity and leadership

• Why emotional intelligence is essential in the age of AI

• The pursuit of life-work harmony vs. burnout culture

• Building inclusive pathways into tech for women

• Integrating leadership, motherhood, and mental wellness

This conversation is about breaking cycles, rewriting narratives, and building momentum, personally and professionally, through honest dialogue about mental health. Listen now:

What if we stopped waiting for a crisis to talk about mental health?

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, talks with Elysia Butler, founder of the Hope Hero Foundation, TEDx speaker, published author, and one of the most compelling voices in youth suicide prevention today.

Elysia speaks from lived experience when she opens up about the moment everything changed: parenting a seven-year-old who didn’t want to live… and later, losing her sister-in-law to suicide. 

Those defining moments became the catalyst for a movement centered on proactive mental well-being, resilience, and teaching kids—before a crisis—that they matter.

Drawing from Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and her years as an educator, Elysia explains how the Hope Hero Foundation equips children and teens with the emotional tools most adults never learned:

• How to check in on someone and mean it
  

• How to recognize warning signs early
  

• How to move through anxiety instead of running from it
  

• How to believe you are the hero of your own story
  

You’ll hear the story behind the now-iconic red Converse high tops—a symbol worn by Hope Hero ambassadors nationwide—and how teens are being certified in suicide prevention and empowered to teach these life-saving skills in their own communities.

If you care about youth mental health, suicide prevention, emotional intelligence, or building resilient communities, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.

Listen. Share. And start asking, “How are you really doing?”

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, sits down with Heather Nemelka, to talk about mental health, identity, and connection in today’s high-pressure, hyper-digital world.

Heather is the Founder and President of the Elavare Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women re-enter the workforce through training, mentorship, and community, and the CEO of Eleva LLC, where she partners with organizations to strengthen leadership, accelerate career growth, and transform workplace culture. 

With over 20 years of leadership and marketing experience, a seat on multiple boards, leadership of the Silicon Slopes AI Chapter, and life as a mom of five adult children, Heather brings both professional insight and lived experience to the table as they discuss: 

• Why mental health challenges are a normal part of life, not a personal failure
  

• How stigma and silence have shaped the way we talk (or don’t talk) about anxiety, depression, and stress
  

• The surprising power of authenticity and vulnerability in building real human connection
  

• How social media and digital platforms can both connect us—and quietly deepen loneliness
  

• What happens when people stop presenting their “best selves” and start telling the truth
  

• Why encouragement, validation, and being seen matter more than we realize—whether from people, workplaces, or even AI
  

If you’ve ever felt alone in your stress, questioned why mental health feels harder than physical health, or wondered how to show up more authentically in your work and relationships—this conversation is for you.

On this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, sits down with Shawn Finnegan—serial entrepreneur, investor, founder of The X Room, and community builder—for a candid conversation about the mental toll of entrepreneurship that rarely gets talked about.

Shawn launched a 500+ employee customer support center at AOL Time Warner, co-founded a live events company that scaled to over $100M in annual revenue, and invested alongside Kevin O’Leary at TaxHive. But behind the titles, capital raises, and LinkedIn wins is a very different story.

In this episode, Shawn opens up about:

• The psychological pressure of raising millions and nearly losing everything

• What rock bottom really feels like when payroll is due and the math doesn’t work

• Why entrepreneurial isolation quietly destroys mental health

• How pride, ego, and “looking successful” can stop founders from asking for help

• The moment he realized relationships—not hustle—are the real growth engine

• Why mental health isn’t something that “breaks,” but something that fluctuates under pressure

Dr. Morgan brings clinical insight to the realities Shawn describes, reframing mental health as a dynamic state, especially in high-stress environments like startups, leadership, and scaling businesses. 

What does success really look like when you tell the whole story?

In this deeply honest and moving episode, Dr. David Morgan of Silicon Slopes and Mental Health Momentum sits down with Catherine Bennett, Executive Editor of Utah Business, to explore the often-unspoken realities behind professional achievement, mental health, and personal perseverance.

At first glance, Catherine’s career reads like a highlight reel: print journalist turned global communications leader, entrepreneur, marketing executive, podcast host, brand strategist, and editor shaping Utah’s business narrative. But beneath the titles is a story many will recognize—and few openly share.

Catherine courageously opens up about her mental health journey, including a decade-long struggle with an eating disorder that began in her teens, the deep shame and silence surrounding it, and the cultural pressures that made it harder to name and address. She reflects on perfectionism, faith, high achievement, and the uniquely Utah experience of feeling like mistakes should be quick, quiet, and easily “fixed.”

The conversation then moves into another pivotal chapter: navigating motherhood, entrepreneurship, financial uncertainty, and isolation—all while building a business out of necessity and resilience. Catherine shares what it took to stay connected, grounded, and mentally healthy during seasons when everything felt heavy and uncertain.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Morgan and Catherine explore the power of storytelling—why real stories matter, how creative nonfiction helps us see ourselves in others, and how transparency from leaders can change the way we talk about mental health in business and life.

If you’ve ever looked at someone’s success and wondered what their journey really cost—or if you’ve struggled silently while “doing all the right things”—this episode will resonate deeply.

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, sits down with Julie Janke, Founder & Publisher of Millcreek Lifestyle Magazine, for an honest conversation about identity, purpose, isolation, and the courage it takes to choose alignment over comfort.

With more than two decades of experience in media, partnerships, and community building, Julie shares her personal mental health journey—from navigating motherhood and identity shifts, to the quiet toll of professional isolation, to the leap of faith that led her to entrepreneurship. 

Together, David and Julie explore why mental health isn’t separate from business—it is the foundation of how we lead, connect, and thrive.

In this episode, learn: 

• Why self-awareness is the cornerstone of mental health

• How isolation quietly erodes well-being in high-performing professionals

• The mental health challenges women face in leadership and why they often go unspoken

• Why men and women together create better outcomes in business and life

• The role of meditation, solitude, and “tending your own garden”

• What it really means to bet on yourself when everything feels misaligned

This conversation offers insight, validation, and momentum for prioritizing mental health without sacrificing ambition.

What happens when addiction nearly takes everything, and a simple act of kindness changes the course of a life?

In this deeply moving episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan, Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, sits down with Todd Sylvester, a renowned mental health and addiction recovery coach whose journey from the depths of substance abuse to helping thousands find hope is nothing short of miraculous.

In this episode, learn how a near-death experience at the height of addiction became the catalyst for 36 years of sobriety and a life dedicated to helping others. 

Hear the story of the lemonade stand moment where a profound encounter shifted Todd's entire perspective during his darkest days.

Learn why mental health issues and substance abuse are so deeply intertwined and how to address both simultaneously, and hear more about Todd’s revolutionary approach to helping clients remember who they truly are, rather than trying to "fix" themselves. 

In this episode, gain practical insights from someone who's guided thousands through addiction, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem challenges.

As we close out the year, the Mental Health Momentum Podcast is taking a short Christmas break—and we wanted to pause to say thank you.

In this special holiday message, Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, shares a reminder of why mental health matters so deeply during the Christmas and New Year season. While this time of year can bring celebration and connection, it can also be difficult and isolating for many.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of this community—our listeners, partners, and advocates who continue to help move the conversation around mental health forward in the business community and beyond.

As you celebrate the holidays, we encourage you to:

• Look out for one another

• Reach out to people who may be struggling

• Share compassion, connection, and care

The Mental Health Momentum Podcast will return in the new year with new guests and conversations focused on improving mental health in the workplace and in life year-round.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for supporting this mission. And remember—together, we can continue to build mental health momentum.

Merry Christmas from Silicon Slopes!

For decades, Nicea DeGering has been a familiar, trusted voice in Utah homes delivering the news, celebrating “good things,” and interviewing everyone from celebrities to presidential candidates. But behind the polished on-air presence is a deeply personal story shaped by mental health, advocacy, and hard-earned perspective.

In this refreshingly honest episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan sits down with Nicea to talk about the things we used to whisper about and why we can’t afford to anymore.

Nicea shares what it was like growing up in the 80s and 90s, when mental health wasn’t discussed, therapy was taboo, and families were expected to quietly “handle things.” She opens up about her sister’s decades-long mental health journey, becoming an advocate at just 12 years old, and witnessing firsthand how stigma can isolate people who are already suffering.

This conversation goes far beyond diagnosis or labels. Together, Dr. Morgan and Nicea explore:

• Why saying “I’m fine” is often the least honest thing we say
  

• How compassion is built through lived experience and why it matters
  

• The cost of perfection culture, especially for women
  

• Why emotional growth requires struggle (just like physical growth does)
  

• How social media both connects us—and overwhelms us
  

• What it really means to “visit” hard emotions without living there
  

This episode is a reminder that mental health isn’t an “other people” issue. It’s a human issue. It’s our sisters. Our daughters. Our neighbors. Ourselves.

And most importantly: talking about it isn’t weakness—it’s how stigma loses its power.

If you’ve ever…

• Felt pressure to look like you have it all together
  

• Struggled to slow your mind in a nonstop world
  

• Wondered how to support someone without “fixing” them
  

• Questioned whether your voice belongs in the room
  

. . . This episode is for you.  Listen now: