Mental Health Momentum

What happens when the pressure to be the provider, protector, and problem-solver becomes too heavy to carry alone?

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, licensed psychologist Dr. David Morgan sits down with entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and men's mental health advocate Tyson Allred.

Known as the founder of Copper Johns Beard Company and co-host of the Dad Bods and Beards podcast, Tyson shares his story about battling silent struggles while trying to be the "strong one" for his family. 

After his daughter experienced a mental health crisis and multiple suicide attempts, Tyson was forced to confront his own emotional pain, seek therapy, and redefine what strength truly means.

Together, Dr. Morgan and Tyson discuss the realities of men's mental health, the dangers of emotional suppression, fatherhood, suicide prevention, therapy, hormone health, and the life-changing impact of vulnerability.

In This Episode

• Tyson's daughter's battle with suicidal ideation and recovery journey

• The emotional toll of carrying family responsibilities in silence

• Why so many men struggle to ask for help

• The moment therapy changed Tyson's life

• How shame and self-worth impact mental health

• The connection between physical health, hormones, and emotional well-being

• What it means to be a present father instead of a perfect father

• Building stronger relationships through accountability and vulnerability

• How Copper Johns became a platform for personal growth and community

Tyson's story is a powerful reminder that healing is not weakness. In many cases, it is the bravest thing a person can do.

In this episode of the Silicon Slopes Mental Health Momentum podcast, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Dr. Amy Osmond Cook for a timely conversation about resilience, leadership, anxiety, entrepreneurship, and the hidden mental health challenges affecting today’s workforce.

Amy opens up about growing up in the legendary Osmond family, and how mental health, depression, and anxiety among family members shaped her understanding of resilience, vulnerability, and leadership. 

She also discussed the emotional impact of AI disruption, generational shifts in work culture, the pressures facing Gen Z, and why mental health conversations can no longer be separated from business leadership. 

Amy shares candid insights on balancing executive leadership with humanity, why vulnerability matters in the workplace, and how resilient cultures are built one conversation at a time.

This episode explores what it really means to lead through uncertainty, especially in a world shaped by economic instability, rapid technological change, burnout, and rising anxiety levels. 

Key Topics Covered

• Mental health in executive leadership

• Anxiety, depression, and resilience in business

• AI disruption and workplace uncertainty

• Building emotionally healthy workplace cultures

• Supporting Gen Z employees

• Women in leadership and the gender pay gap

• Entrepreneurship, burnout, and emotional resilience

• Family trauma and overcoming adversity

• Vulnerability as a leadership strength

• Why employees want purpose, not just paychecks

Whether you’re a founder, executive, entrepreneur, manager, parent, or someone navigating personal mental health challenges, this conversation offers practical wisdom, empathy, and hope.

In this episode of the Silicon Slopes Mental Health Momentum podcast, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with speaker, advocate, entrepreneur, and women’s empowerment leader Jo Dailami for an honest conversation about trauma, healing, resilience, and reclaiming personal power.

Jo opens up about reaching a breaking point in her late 20s and realizing she could no longer survive using destructive coping mechanisms. She shares how seeking help transformed her understanding of pain—not something to run from, but something to move through with support, courage, and intention.

Together, Dr. Morgan and Jo explore the psychological impact of societal conditioning on women, the importance of reframing limiting beliefs, and why healing often begins the moment someone realizes they do not have to face pain alone. 

The discussion also dives into the gender pay gap, emotional empowerment, trauma recovery, resilience, and the ongoing work required to build mental wellness over time.

This episode reminds us that healing does not mean life becomes free of anxiety, fear, or hardship. Instead, resilience comes from learning how to hold those experiences differently, respond with strength, and continue moving forward.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• PTSD and trauma recovery

• Emotional resilience and self-worth

• Women’s empowerment and mental health

• Reframing limiting beliefs

• Healing through support and therapy

• The connection between empowerment and wellness

• Why resilience is built—not inherited

If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, trauma, self-doubt, or feeling trapped by your past, this conversation offers hope, perspective, and practical encouragement for the healing journey ahead.

What happens when the person trying to save someone else forgets to save themselves?

In this episode of the Mental Health Momentum Podcast, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Charlynn Shields to discuss care giving, addiction, suicide loss, grief, and the long journey toward healing.

Charlynn shares how growing up in a small rural community shaped her early understanding of mental health, where struggles were often hidden instead of discussed. She opens up about losing her ex-husband to suicide after years of supporting him through addiction and mental health challenges, and the emotional aftermath that followed, including guilt, isolation, and learning that someone else’s mental health crisis is not your fault.

Throughout the episode, Charlynn reflects on the invisible emotional burden caregivers often carry, why mental health conversations remain difficult in many communities, and how storytelling can help reduce stigma and create connection. 

Her work today at the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation is rooted in one mission: making mental health more visible, approachable, and supported for everyone.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The hidden emotional toll of being a caregiver

• Why grief after suicide can feel isolating and overwhelming

• The difference between supporting someone and carrying responsibility for their choices

• How rural communities often struggle with mental health stigma

• Why caregivers must prioritize their own mental health

• The role storytelling plays in breaking mental health stigma

• How Charlynn transformed personal loss into purpose-driven advocacy

This episode is an honest reminder that healing is possible, support matters, and every brain is worthy of care. Listen now.

In this episode of the Silicon Slopes Mental Health Momentum Podcast, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with entrepreneur and mental health innovator Michael Batt. 

Michael didn’t start in mental health. Instead, he built a career scaling multi-billion-dollar real estate ventures and leading operations across industries from ranching to retail to radio. But like so many leaders, his turning point wasn’t professional—it was deeply personal.

After witnessing the impact of mental health challenges across his employees, family, and his own life, Michael made a bold decision: step away from traditional success and build something that actually helps people navigate their mental health journey.

That decision led to Healthy Mind Map, a research-backed platform designed from lived experience. Michael challenges the traditional model and introduces a new approach: What if individuals had the same clarity about their mental health as they do about their finances or fitness?

We live in a world full of distractions—social media, work, constant noise. But as Michael points out, those distractions often mask deeper issues instead of solving them.

What This Episode Explores:

• Why mental health affects everyone but most people still don’t act on it

• The hidden flaw in therapy: why 50 minutes a week isn’t enough

• How “recency bias” distorts how we think we’re doing mentally

• Why tracking your mental health like data can unlock real progress

• The shift from passive therapy → active ownership

• How technology can bridge the gap between sessions and real life

This episode is a wake-up call for leaders trying to support teams, parents navigating mental health with their kids, or anyone who’s ever asked: “Is this actually working?”

Watch if You Want To:

• Take control of your mental health journey

• Understand how to make therapy more effective

• Learn practical ways to track progress and outcomes

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re truly making progress—or just going through the motions—this episode will change how you think about mental health. Hear an honest, stigma-free conversation about mental health.

What does it take to recognize you need help and finally ask for it? In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan, a licensed psychologist and host, sits down with Celeste Merrill, a human-centered strategist and mental health advocate, to talk about her own journey through crisis and recovery in her 30s.Celeste opens up about growing up in a family and era that didn't talk about mental health, missing the signs in herself for years, and the pivotal moment a trained-therapist friend intervened. From there, the conversation expands into something bigger: why our culture still treats mental health like a problem to fix rather than a foundation to build and what it would look like to change that.Dr. Morgan shares his own reflections as a psychologist trained in the "deficit model," and together they explore the gap between crisis intervention and genuine mental wellness and the peer-to-peer support systems that might help bridge it.Mental health conversations change lives — this one is proof.

What happens when we don’t plan for the inevitable? 

Most families plan for weddings.

For college.

For retirement.

But when it comes to aging, decline, and end-of-life decisions?

Silence.

And that silence comes at a cost.

In this episode of the Silicon Slopes Mental Health Momentum Podcast, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Amelia Larson, a founder, operator, and advocate working at the frontlines of one of life’s most emotionally complex realities: end-of-life care and decision-making.

“A lot of families just avoid this topic as a whole… and then a crisis happens, and they’re forced into decisions they weren’t ready for,” Amelia says. 

She has built her career helping families navigate these moments amid real-time crises. Through her work as CEO of A Life for Seniors, she’s seen what happens when decisions are made under pressure, without preparation, and without support.

Amelia’s approach is simple but powerful: Replace confusion with clarity. Replace pressure with preparation, and replace isolation with guidance.

Her work blends healthcare expertise, lived experience, and human-centered design to help families make better decisions without losing dignity along the way.

She’s also building a health tech platform designed to lower the barrier to asking for help, make care options more transparent, and give families access to tools before they’re in crisis.

This episode also challenges the way we think about care systems:

• Why the “nicest-looking facility” isn’t always the right choice

• How healthcare systems prioritize process over people

• What families should actually look for when evaluating care

• Why trust—not convenience—is the real currency in healthcare decisions

And, addresses the mental health challenges no one talks about, such as: 

• The emotional weight carried by the “sandwich generation”

• The stress of making life-altering decisions with limited time and clarity

• The silent anxiety around death, aging, and loss

• Why avoidance creates more trauma—not less

Who Should Watch This Episode?

If you are:

• A caregiver or supporting aging parents

• A healthcare or mental health professional

• Part of the “sandwich generation” balancing family and career

• A leader thinking about the human side of systems and decision-making

This conversation will change how you think about care, planning, and responsibility.

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Isa Perry, a seasoned public health professional with nearly three decades of experience serving her community through the Davis County Health Department.

Isa shares her personal journey where she grew up unaware of mental health challenges, how to navigate family trauma, and ultimately developing the resilience and perspective that now shape her work in community health. 

From supporting loved ones through depression, substance use, and domestic abuse to leading during one of the most chaotic public health crises in modern history, Isa and Dr. Morgan explore:

• Why mental health is a community-wide responsibility

• How the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped our understanding of connection, isolation, and control

• The hidden impact of trauma—both “big T” and “little T”—on emotional development

• Why resilience isn’t taught—it’s built through experience

• How to rethink self-care as preparedness, not indulgence

One of the most compelling takeaways?Mental health is about building a self-care system before, during, and after life’s hardest moments.

If you’re a leader, parent, or anyone navigating the pressures of modern life, this episode offers a grounded, real-world perspective on how to stay steady when everything around you isn’t.

What happens when an aerospace engineer turns his focus from rockets… to people?

In this episode of Silicon Slopes Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, sits down with Aaron Shields, founder of Mountainside, to explore the intersection of mental health, leadership, and human performance.

“The most frustrating, incredible, complicated, beautiful things on Earth are people,” he said, adding that the primary leadership lesson is understanding that performance starts with understanding people, not just process. 

From scaling global tech organizations to navigating deeply personal family challenges, Aaron shares a raw and insightful perspective on what it really takes to build high-performing teams—and healthier humans—at the same time.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why people—not technology—are the most complex systems we’ll ever manage

• How mental health and emotional intelligence directly impact business performance

• The hidden cost of ignoring neurodiversity in families and workplaces

• A powerful real-life story of transformation—from childhood suicidal ideation to confidence and mastery

• What leaders must understand about resilience, burnout, and isolation

• Why the pandemic became both a breaking point—and a breakthrough moment

Aaron’s journey, from aerospace engineering to leading global teams to founding a human performance company, reveals a critical truth: The organizations that win are the ones that understand how people actually work. Learn more now.

What if one of the most powerful tools for mental health… was already part of your everyday life?

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan sits down with Steve James—award-winning songwriter, executive producer, and founder of Resilient You—to discuss how music can shape resilience, memory, and emotional well-being.

Steve is a creative force at the intersection of music, education, and mental health. As CEO of Something Good, Inc. and founder of Resilient You, he has produced hundreds of original songs and programs designed to inspire and educate. His work spans television, concerts, and nonprofit initiatives focused on children’s well-being.

While mainly consumed as entertainment, Steve shares how music goes beyond to become a tool for emotional recall and resilience.

From childhood memories to life lessons, music has the ability to transport us emotionally, reinforcing both positive and protective behaviors. 

“A song doesn’t just bring back the words, it brings back the feeling,” Steve says. 

Through his work with Resilient You, Steve applies this concept to help children internalize life skills that last into adulthood.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why resilience is a skill, and how it can be taught from a young age

• The science behind how music connects memory, emotion, and behavior

• How repetition and “musical hooks” can reinforce positive mental health habits

• Why early life experiences shape long-term emotional outcomes

• A powerful real-world story of how a simple song helped children avoid danger

• How families can use shared creative experiences (like music) to build stronger connections

From producing large-scale entertainment experiences to building a mission-driven program that helps children navigate life’s challenges, Steve brings a unique perspective: mental health isn’t just clinical—it’s experiential, emotional, and deeply human. Listen now.