Not Another PD

Episode 39: The Cost of Always Being the Strong One: A First Responder's Perspective with Joshua Surgenor

Important Content Note:

This episode includes discussion of alcohol misuse and suicidality between approximately 9:30 and 10:40.

There is also broader discussion throughout the episode about mental health, psychosocial hazards, and the wellbeing of frontline workers, including first responders.

On Not Another PD Podcast, I often speak with helping professionals and leaders who generously share not only their professional expertise, but sometimes aspects of their lived experience as well.

In this episode, Joshua shares part of his own story. I appreciate his willingness to do so.

One of the reasons I created this podcast was to encourage more honest conversations about the realities of being a helping professional, leader, or business owner. My hope is that these conversations help reduce stigma, remind people that they are not alone, and encourage people to seek support when they need it.

If alcohol misuse or suicidality are lived experiences for you or a loved one, please refer to the timestamps above and feel free to skip ahead if that feels more supportive for your wellbeing.

Please take care while listening and engage with this episode in whatever way feels right for you.

If anything discussed in this episode raises concerns for you, I encourage you to reach out to your usual supports or appropriate professional support services.

While wellbeing is something I care deeply about, Jazmin Pursell Consulting does not provide counselling, crisis support, or therapeutic services. Our work focuses on training, consultancy, leadership development, and professional supervision for helping professionals and organisations.

Please excuse my voice throughout this episode. I was recovering from a cold while recording, but felt this was an important conversation to share.

Many helping professionals, leaders, and frontline workers spend their careers being the person others rely on.

But what happens when always being the strong one comes at a cost?

In Episode 39, I chat with Joshua Surgenor, former veteran and paramedic, qualified social worker, and founder of Mindful Mates Social Services.

Drawing on his experiences across the military, emergency services, social work, and mental health support, Joshua offers a unique first responder's perspective on the realities of frontline work.

Together we discuss:

• Why helping professionals and frontline workers often delay seeking support
• The psychosocial hazards faced by first responders and emergency service workers
• The impact of identity, purpose, and work on our wellbeing
• The importance of debriefing and reflective conversations
• Boundaries, self-care, and sustainable ways of working
• Supporting staff before they reach burnout, crisis point, or emotional exhaustion

Joshua also generously shares part of his own lived experience and reflects on the importance of seeking support before reaching crisis point.

Connect with Joshua Surgenor:

Mindful Mates Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Facebook

Connect with Jazmin:

Website

LinkedIn

Group Supervision

Free Work From Home Audit

Boundaries for Helping Professionals (Self-Paced online training, just $59AUD)

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider following the podcast, leaving a review, or sharing it with a colleague, leader, or helping professional who may benefit from the conversation.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 38: What Helping Professionals Are Really Saying About Their Workplaces.

Last week (in Episode 37), we explored whether increasing sick leave is really the problem, or whether it's a symptom of something happening beneath the surface.

In this episode, we're continuing that conversation by exploring what helping professionals are actually saying about their workplaces and what leaders should be paying attention to.

Drawing on conversations from supervision, training, consultation, leadership work, and a recent psychosocial hazards survey involving more than 100 helping professionals across Australia, I share some of the common themes emerging across the helping professions.

Comments like:

• "I'm just tired.”
• "I just need a few days off.”
•  "Nothing ever changes.”
•  "I don't feel safe speaking up.”
•  "I feel guilty taking leave."

These comments often tell us far more than we realise.

For leaders, they can be important clues about psychological safety, workplace culture, workload pressures, leader overwhelm, and psychosocial hazards that may be impacting staff wellbeing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What helping professionals are really saying about their workplaces
• Why staff stop speaking up
• The relationship between psychological safety and workplace culture
• Why sick leave is rarely a solution to excessive workload
• What repeated concerns may be telling leaders
• The impact of leader overwhelm on teams
• What staff aren't saying and why that matters
• Questions leaders should be asking before issues escalate

Whether you're a team leader, manager, practice lead, clinical lead, executive, supervisor, or aspiring leader, this episode will encourage you to look beyond the surface and pay attention to what your team may really be telling you.

Because sometimes the most important leadership information isn't what people are saying.

It's what they've stopped saying.

Connect with Jazmin:

Website

LinkedIn

Email:
[email protected]

Work with Jazmin:

Professional Group Supervision

Boundaries for Practitioners Training (Self-paced AU$59)

Free Work From Home Environment Self-Audit

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague, leader, or helping professional who may benefit from the conversation.

See you in the next episode.

Jazmin

Episode 37: Is Sick Leave Becoming a Workplace Band-Aid?

Many leaders across helping professions are noticing the same trend.

Sick leave is increasing.

In this episode, Jazmin explores a question that often gets overlooked:

What if increasing sick leave isn't the problem, but a symptom of something happening underneath the surface?

Drawing on conversations with leaders and helping professionals, Jazmin discusses:

• Why sick leave itself is not the issue
• The growing use of sick leave as a mental health day
• The difference between a temporary circuit breaker and a long-term solution
• What increasing unplanned leave may be telling us about workload, emotional demands, role clarity, support, and workplace culture
• Common themes leaders are hearing from staff
• Why psychosocial hazards matter when examining patterns of leave
• Questions leaders should be asking before assuming leave is an individual employee issue
• The connection between unresolved workplace issues, burnout, and staff turnover.

This episode is not about blaming staff for taking leave they are entitled to use.

It's about encouraging leaders to look beneath the surface and consider what workplace factors may be contributing to increasing exhaustion, distress, and disengagement.

Because sometimes the sick leave is simply the tip of the iceberg.

Connect with Jazmin:

Website
LinkedIn

Work with Jazmin:

Leadership and team supervision and consultation
Group supervision for helping professionals
Boundaries as Practitioners self-paced training

Looking forward to seeing you in the next episode of Not Another PD.

Episode 36: Habit Stacking: How Busy Professionals Can Build Better Habits Without More Time

As helping professionals and leaders, we're often told we should be drinking more water, eating better, taking breaks, getting more physical movement, and looking after ourselves more effectively.

The challenge?

Most of us aren't sitting around with spare hours in the day.

In this solo episode of Not Another PD, I explore the concept of habit stacking and share how a conversation with a dietitian completely changed the way I think about building healthier routines.

Rather than creating entirely new habits from scratch, habit stacking encourages us to build on routines we're already doing.

I share my own experience, practical examples, and ideas for helping professionals and leaders who want to make positive changes without adding more pressure to already busy lives.

In this episode, we chat about:

• What habit stacking is and where the concept comes from
• How to build new habits using existing routines
• The lunchbox conversation with a dietitian that introduced me to habit stacking
• Practical examples for helping professionals and leaders
• Reducing Zoom fatigue and creating opportunities for breaks during busy days
• Why small changes are often more sustainable and realistic than majorly ambitious ones.

I'd love to hear from you.

What habit are you going to try and build on after listening to this episode? Send me an email and let me know: [email protected]

Helpful resource for you (as mentioned in this episode):

My Free Work From Home Environment Self-Audit Ebook

If you'd like a visual example of habit stacking, you can also view this week's Instagram post/carousel

How we can work together:

Boundaries as Practitioners Training (Online, instant access for AUD$59)

Group Supervision for Helping Professionals (New groups starting in July 2026)

Let’s connect!

LinkedIn

Instagram

Website

Thanks for listening to Not Another PD.

Episode 35: Beyond Business Cards: Networking and Inclusive Practice with Jase Wilson

In this episode of Not Another PD, I’m joined by Jason Wilson (Jase), a personal trainer, Allied Health Assistant, founder of FrieNDIS Fitness and Social Group, and organiser of the NDIS Gold Coast Local Providers and Participants Networking Group.

What began as supporting one young autistic client eventually became something much bigger. After learning that the young man had never been invited to a birthday party or had close friendships, Jase created inclusive fitness groups focused on social connection, belonging, and creating environments where people feel genuinely welcomed.

That experience became the catalyst for FrieNDIS, a program using fitness as a platform for inclusion, peer connection, and practical real-world support in a non-clinical environment.

In this chat, we talk about:

• What progress can actually look like in real life
• Relationship-based approaches to leadership and business
• Why genuine connection matters in referral pathways
• Neurodiversity, inclusion, and adapting support to the individual
• Creating welcoming spaces for both professionals and participants.

We also discuss:

• Jase’s disability sector networking events across the Gold Coast and Brisbane
• Why networking should feel human, not transactional
• The importance of understanding the person and values behind the organisations we refer clients to.

How to connect with Jase:

TikTok
Text: 0412 163 317
Email: [email protected]

Upcoming events (networking events, discos, fitness groups)

Learn more:
How Jase uses Allied Health Assistance differently to support NDIS participants

Inclusive mobile gym trailer

Ways to work with Jazmin (Australia-wide):

Boundaries as Practitioners Training (Online, Self-Paced $59)

Upcoming Supervision Groups (Beginning in July 2026)

Website

Thanks for listening to Not Another PD. If this episode was helpful and you’d like to find out more, you’ll find ways to work with me in the show notes. And if there’s a topic you want covered, or someone you think should be on the podcast, I’d love to hear from you. Remember, clear boundaries don’t just protect our clients, they protect us too.

Episode 34: I Was Terrified of Public Speaking. Now I Have a Podcast

In this episode of Not Another PD, I’m talking about:

• Public speaking anxiety and avoiding visibility
• Fixed versus growth mindset in leadership
• Limiting beliefs in helping professionals
• Natural strengths vs learned skills
• Leadership confidence and imposter feelings
• Supervising staff with more experience or higher qualifications
• Psychologically safe workplaces
• Supporting teams to step outside their comfort zones

This was actually quite a vulnerable episode for me to record.

Despite now facilitating training, recording podcasts, speaking publicly, and supporting leaders across the helping professions, public speaking was never something that came naturally to me. As a child and teenager, I was incredibly shy and avoided any opportunity where I might be noticed.

I also share the story of an early experience in my community services career where I was unexpectedly thrust into a public speaking opportunity that I absolutely did not ask for and did not want at the time. Looking back now, it became one of the experiences that helped reshape the way I viewed myself professionally and helped me start building evidence that I was capable of doing difficult things.

This episode is a reminder that discomfort does not automatically mean incapability, and that many of the skills we admire in other leaders may have been developed through repetition, persistence, and being willing to feel uncomfortable along the way.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d genuinely love to hear from you. What are some limiting beliefs or old stories you still carry about yourself as a leader or helping professional?

Here are some ways to work with me (I’d love to be able to support you!)

Connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn

My website
Boundaries Training (Self-Paced Online, just $59AUD)
Upcoming Group Supervision Programs (July 2026).

See you in the next episode.

Jazmin

Episode 33: From Employee to Business Owner as a Helping Professional (with Jess Marsh)

If you’ve ever thought about starting your own business as a helping professional…
or you’re already in it and quietly wondering why it feels harder than expected…
this episode is for you.

Because no one really talks about this part.

The part where you go from being a confident, capable practitioner…
to suddenly needing to figure out marketing, pricing, visibility, and business decisions.

And wondering why it doesn’t feel as straightforward as everyone said it would be.

In this conversation with Jess Marsh, we unpack what that transition actually looks like in real life.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The myth of private practice being “easy” once you have the skills
• What actually surprised us about running a business
•  The shift from employee mindset to business owner mindset
• Navigating money, ethics, and accessibility in private work
•  The reality of marketing yourself (including social media and visibility)
•  Imposter syndrome in unexpected places
• Negative feedback, online visibility, and staying grounded
• Over-consuming learning vs actually implementing it
• Why supervision matters more than more training
• Practical ways to protect your energy and actually integrate learning

A key reminder from this episode:

You don’t need more and more training to be effective.

Sometimes what’s most impactful is:
showing up, being present, and building a genuine connection with the person in front of you.

Connect with Jess Marsh:

You can explore Jess’ work and resources here:

• Be With
• Leadership Menu
• Supervision Menu (Jazmin's fave!)
• Therapeutic Practice Menu

Jess has created practical, trauma-informed resources including her Supervision Menu, Therapeutic Practice Menu, and her newly released Leadership Menu to support helping professionals and leaders in real-world practice.

You can also return and listen to Jess’ earlier episodes:

• Episode 11 (Part 1)
• Episode 12 (Part 2)

Work with Jazmin:

If this episode resonated and you’re wanting more structured support, here are a few ways we can work together:

Group Supervision (June 2026 intake now open)
New 3-month groups for:

• Practitioners
• Business Owners

These are closed groups, so once you start, no new participants are added.
It’s a space to build real professional relationships over time.

Boundaries as Practitioners (Self-paced training)
Practical, real-world boundaries support for helping professionals.
Includes CPD and OPD hours (AASW and ACA members).

Free Resource: Work From Home Environment Audit
A practical check-in on your setup, habits, and psychological safety when working from home.

Final reflections from Jazmin:

If you’ve been sitting in that space of:
“Why does this feel harder than I expected?”

You’re not doing it wrong.

You’re just seeing the full picture that no one talks about.

Thanks for listening to Not Another PD.
If this episode was helpful, you’ll find ways to work with me in the show notes.

Who Taught You to Work Like This? (And Why It Might Be Burning You Out)

Who taught you to push through when you’re unwell?

Who taught you that taking a sick day means letting people down?

And why does that still feel normal… even when it’s clearly not working for you anymore?

In this solo episode, Jazmin unpacks something most helping professionals never stop to question their work ethic.

Because what many people call “strong work ethic” is often a set of inherited values, beliefs, and expectations that were shaped long before entering the profession.

Through personal stories and real examples from practice, this episode explores how early exposure to work, family patterns, and deeply held values can quietly shape how you show up in your role today.

And more importantly… whether those patterns are still serving you.

In this episode, we cover:

• What “work ethic” actually is and where it comes from
• How family of origin shapes your approach to work
• Why pushing through illness and burnout becomes normalised
• The psychosocial hazards that were modelled before you even started working
• How values like commitment, responsibility, and loyalty can shift into overworking
• The difference between strong work ethic and self-neglect
• Why burnout should never be considered “part of the job”
• What it could look like to approach your work in a more sustainable way

Reflection prompts from this episode:

• What did I learn about work growing up?
• What was normalised around stress, illness, and rest?
• What values do I hold about work?
• How are those values currently showing up in my role?
• What is no longer serving me?

Resource mentioned:

Brené Brown (everyone’s favourite celebrity social worker) Values List Activity, a great one for reflection or supervision

Work with Jazmin:

If this episode resonated and you’re ready to approach your work differently:

Boundaries as Practitioners (self-paced training, just AUD$59)

Join upcoming group supervision (next groups starting in June 2026).

Explore my website here

For 1:1 supervision or enquiries, you’re always welcome to reach out via my website.

This episode is your reminder that you don’t need to keep proving your worth through exhaustion.

I remember asking for specific feedback in supervision when I was working in child protection.

I wasn’t asking for praise.
I was asking what I needed to improve so I could actually progress.

And I didn’t get anything specific back.

In this episode, I’m introducing a concept that I don’t think we talk about enough in the helping professions:

Career-interfering behaviours in supervision.

This episode was inspired by a post from Alex Wilson, who shared insights on therapy-interfering behaviours.

It got me thinking…

If we can recognise behaviours that interfere with therapy,
we also need to recognise the behaviours that interfere with our own professional development and career growth.

Because they are happening.
And they are impacting helping professionals every day.

In this episode, I cover:

• What career-interfering behaviours in supervision can look like
• Real examples from my own experience and the professionals I work with
• Why vague or avoidant supervision can impact confidence and progression
• The emotional impact of not feeling supported in your growth
• What good supervision should actually feel like
• Practical ways to start advocating for your own development

Common career-interfering behaviours discussed:

• Vague, non-specific feedback
• Avoidance of constructive or honest feedback
• Generic, “cookie-cutter” professional development plans
• Overfocus on compliance, KPIs, and risk over growth
• Lack of psychological safety to ask questions or advocate for training
• Being expected to “attend training” while still doing your full workload

If you’ve experienced any of these, you’re not imagining it.
And you’re not the only one.

A reminder from this episode:

You are allowed to want more from your supervision.

Clearer feedback.
Support with your goals.
A supervisor who actually sees you as an individual.

And if you’re not getting that internally,
it may be time to seek support elsewhere.

Resources mentioned

• Alex Wilson LinkedIn
• Mindful Recovery Services

Ways to work with me

If this episode resonated and you’re wanting more support, here are a few ways we can work together:

1. Boundaries as Practitioners (Self-paced training, 3 hours CPD)
A practical, values-led approach to boundaries in your work. Register for instant access here.

2. 1:1 Supervision (Limited availability before June 30)
Individual supervision tailored to your role, goals, and context
Contact me here.

3. Group Supervision (Next intake starts June)
For helping professionals and business owners
Join here

4. Leadership Supervision & Consulting
Support for leaders wanting to create psychologically safer workplaces
You can reach out via my website or LinkedIn to start the conversation. I would love to be able to support you with this.

Let’s connect

If this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you.

You can connect with me here:

LinkedIn

Instagram

Or send me a message with your thoughts or questions.

Final note

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overlooked, or unsupported in your development…

There is nothing wrong with wanting more clarity, more support, and more direction in your career.

And there are spaces where you can receive that.

Episode 30: When You Know the Right Thing But Can’t Do It: Leadership in High-Risk Work | Kelvin Kamara

Here’s the truth. I loved this conversation.

It was so lovely to catch up with Kelvin again and reflect on the work we’ve both been part of in complex, high-risk environments.

In this episode of Not Another PD, I’m joined by Kelvin Kamara, Chief Operating Officer from Hopewell Community Care.

We’re talking about complexity inside leadership.

Not the polished version. The real version.

The kind of work where you’re balancing human rights, client safety, staff safety, and community expectations at the same time, particularly when supporting clients with risk.

Where you’re often leading on the ground.
Making decisions in real time.
And carrying responsibility that doesn’t always have a clear answer.

Kelvin said this about boundaries:

“Whatever we lead with, that’s what our teams will most likely copy.”

Which really speaks to leadership by example.

Not just in what we say.
But in what we model, every day.

He also spoke about the moral distress staff in our sector may experience:

“Staff know what good support looks like… but they can also feel very restricted by the systems around them.”

And this is something I see come up so often in supervision.

People know what good support looks like.
They care deeply about doing it well.

But they’re working within systems, environments, and constraints that don’t always allow that to happen.

That gap between what you know is right and what you’re able to do is where the tension builds.

And over time, that’s where burnout and moral stress can start to show up.

In this episode, we cover:

• Leadership in high-risk disability and community settings
• Moral distress and the impact of not being able to act in line with your values
• Leading on the ground and supporting teams in real time
• Balancing human rights with client safety, particularly when supporting clients with risk
• The realities of restrictive practices
• Psychosocial hazards in helping professions
• Leadership behaviour and its impact on team culture

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Right to disconnect laws: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/hours-of-work-breaks-and-rosters/right-to-disconnect
• Compulsory treatment (Victoria): https://www.dffh.vic.gov.au/compulsory-treatment
• Restrictive practices (NDIS Commission): https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/behaviour-support-and-restrictive-practices

Connect with Kelvin Kamara and Hopewell Community Care:

• Website
• Contact Hopewell Community Care
• Kelvin Kamara LinkedIn
• Hopewell Community Care LinkedIn

Connect with Jazmin:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Work with Jazmin:

• Boundaries as Practitioners ($59 self-paced online training)
• Group Supervision (next starting June 2026)

Thank you for being part of this important conversation, and please reach out to myself or Kelvin with any questions or feedback following the episode, we would absolutely love to hear from you.

Jazmin