Mental Health Momentum

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:

In this Mental Health Momentum episode, Dr. David Morgan sits down with marketer-turned-health-advocate James Keddington for a candid conversation about the realities of mental health, especially inside the workplace. 

After working over 20 years in marketing, James found himself facing a perfect storm of physical decline, trauma, and spiraling mental health. What began as exhaustion and stress evolved into two years of nightmares, deteriorating health, and hidden suicidal ideation.

What pulled him back was a single, startling moment: realizing that his brain and body were functioning worse than his aging mother who had dementia. That wake-up call sparked a transformation that led him to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and a deeper understanding of how every dimension of health—physical, mental, emotional, and even “brain health,” as he calls it—intertwines. As he rebuilt his life through intentional change, James uncovered something powerful: healthier workplaces create healthier humans and unhealthy ones leave collateral damage.

Today, James is committed to speaking openly about the mental health struggles so many employees keep hidden by engaging in conversation that shines a light on the messy middle of personal change, the weight of workplace trauma, and the urgent need for healthier, more human-centered work environments.

Whether you've battled burnout, lived through layoffs, or simply want to understand your own well-being better, this conversation is a reminder that change is possible—at any age, in any circumstance, and one small step at a time.

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Dr. Susan Madsen, global scholar, leadership expert, and founder of the Utah Women in Leadership Project, for an extraordinary and insightful conversation. 

From mental health to women’s leadership, Dr. Madsen elaborates on personal well-being, societal change, and professional impact. Mental health is a personal issue. However, it’s also a leadership issue, influencing everything from confidence and financial literacy to navigating abuse and systemic barriers.

Listeners will hear:

• Why women’s mental health is inseparable from leadership effectiveness
  

• How societal structures, domestic violence, and gender-based discrimination shape opportunities and outcomes
  

• The critical role of purpose and “calling” in women’s professional development
  

• Insights from decades of global research, spanning nine books and hundreds of publications
  

• How being a grandmother, a scholar, and an advocate informs her unique perspective on leadership

• And much more. . 

This episode is for women as well as anyone interested in how mental health, leadership, and societal change intersect. Tune in to get inspired, challenged, and equipped to make a bolder impact in your work and life.

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan sits down with Michael Anderson, Co-Founder of Empowered Families in Provo, Utah, and creator of the men’s healing community Unbound. 

Michael shares how working with men one-on-one—often around pornography struggles, shame, and identity—opened his eyes to a critical gap: men want help, but they rarely believe they’re allowed to ask for it. Social expectations, lack of resources, and the fear of appearing weak all combine to keep men silent…until they realize that connection is the very thing that strengthens them.

Together, David and Michael explore:

• Why many men are still socialized to “handle it themselves”—and why that’s hurting them
  

• How group connection creates breakthroughs that one-on-one therapy often can’t
  

• The origins of Michael’s Unbound program and the power of community-based healing
  

• Why healing isn’t about becoming someone new—it’s about rediscovering who you already are
  

• The future of coaching, therapy, and mental-health accessibility
  

• The paradox of vulnerability: how admitting weakness unlocks deeper strength
  

What begins as a conversation about his unconventional path into marriage and family therapy unfolds into a deeply honest discussion about men’s mental health, vulnerability, and the quiet suffering so many men carry alone.

Whether you're a mental-health professional, a man navigating your own healing journey, or someone supporting the men in your life, this conversation offers real insight, hope, and a roadmap toward connection and wholeness.

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Brianne Wolfgramm-Hardy, Director of Community and Business Development at Aspen Grove Behavioral Hospital and a 20-year veteran in the mental health field.

Together, they explore the real challenges families face in accessing behavioral health care, the stigma that keeps people silent, and why mental health should be viewed as a spectrum we’re all on—not an issue reserved for “them” or “others.” 

Brianne shares powerful personal experiences, insights from working across Utah’s mental health system, and a bold challenge for communities, schools, businesses, and healthcare professionals: show up, collaborate, and break down the silos.

Together, David and Brianne discuss suicide awareness, specialized psychiatric care, trauma-informed access, the role of employers and insurance providers, and why authentic vulnerability among leaders can shift culture faster than policy alone.

It’s an honest, heartfelt, and solution-oriented conversation you won’t want to miss.

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Melanie Jones, CEO of the Women’s Leadership Institute, to explore the real connection between mental health, leadership, and appreciation in the workplace.

Melanie is candid about her own personal journey through a dangerous mental health spiral and what it took to climb out. Her story is one of vulnerability and resilience, revealing that even high-achievers aren’t immune to the weight of burnout or self-doubt.

Together, Dr. Morgan and Melanie present a provocative idea: burnout isn’t always caused by overwork. Sometimes, it’s caused by underappreciation. 

They discuss what it truly means to create psychologically safe workplaces, how gratitude can be a leadership superpower, and why recognizing people for their contributions might be the most powerful form of mental health support a company can offer.

Whether you’re a leader trying to build a stronger culture or someone navigating your own journey toward balance, this episode will leave you reflecting, inspired, and ready to lead with empathy.

For years, we’ve been told “it’s just business.” But what if that’s exactly what’s breaking us?

In this powerful conversation, Dr. David Morgan sits down with Cory Ivins, a human performance strategist who’s made it his mission to bring humanity back into the workplace. 

After climbing the corporate ladder, hitting top-tier sales numbers, and nearly losing everything that mattered, Cory realized that high performance means nothing without purpose and that mental health isn’t a side conversation; it’s the foundation.

From the brink of burnout and personal crisis to building teams of “savants and misfits” that thrive, Cory shares how reconnecting people to purpose leads to stronger businesses, healthier relationships, and even saved lives. 

Together, Dr. Morgan and Cory unpack the myths of grind culture, the mental toll of the AI revolution, and why the best leaders treat their people with the same care they give their products.

If you’ve ever asked yourself whether success is worth the cost — or wondered how to build something great without losing yourself — this episode will stop you in your tracks.