People Soup

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 37 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.  

In this episode I dive into the complexities of navigating Christmas using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Recognizing the mixed emotions that many experience during the holidays, I offer practical strategies grounded in psychological flexibility, compassion, and values-driven action. I cover techniques for managing expectations, staying present, and clarifying holiday values to make the festive season more meaningful and manageable. I also share updates on ACT in the workplace and announces new opportunities for collaboration and learning. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their personal context and employ simple exercises to practice acceptance and mindfulness.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

• Values Card Sort
• Ross McIntosh - 30 minute multipurpose | TidyCal
• Updated (Nov 2025) ACT in the Workplace Supervision | Ross McIntosh
• 🌍 Impact Partners Wanted | Ross McIntosh

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 36 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.  

Today it's something a bit different. I'm sharing a behind the scenes masterclass on how I designed and delivered the large scale wellbeing intervention for school staff during the pandemic, I'll be talking about the thinking behind the approach, the key design principles, the tools we used, the impact we saw, and how organizations can adapt this model for their own people. It's work I'm hugely proud of and I'm excited to take you through it.

• Ross McIntosh - 30 minute multipurpose | TidyCal
• Updated (Nov 2025) ACT in the Workplace Supervision | Ross McIntosh
• 🌍 Impact Partners Wanted | Ross McIntosh

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 35 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers – It’s another cup a soup this week – one where I share some sad news, reflections and a poem that carries personal meaning for me.

This episode is personal – and I’m reflecting on themes of death and grieving – topics that, in my experience, we’re not always the best at talking about, particularly in the workplace – and if now is not the right time for you to be listening – please do consider skipping this episode. Also I wanted to highlight the brilliant ACT based resource at www.mygriefmyway.co.uk. I am actively dipping into the website several times a week at the moment. I was fortunate enough to interview the two researchers, Ann Finucane and David Gillanders who led the development of this resource recently and you’ll find a link to those episodes in the show notes. Please pause and consider, is there anyone you know who might find mygriefmyway.co.uk useful.

I have terribly Sad news P Soupers – my dear Dad, known to many of you as Big G – died on Wednesday 22 October. He was peaceful at the end and I’m grateful that I got to spend the previous week with him in Northumberland. In that week, alongside the pain of impending grief, there were some beautiful moments.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

• Dad's Cancer Research UK Donation Page
• Meet Dr Anne Finucane - Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow - People Soup
• Meet Dr David Gillanders - The University of Edinburgh - People Soup
• My Grief My Way - People Soup
• Home | My Grief My Way

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 34 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - today it's another cuppa soup - a short episode where I continue to reflect on change. Last week I talked about the challenge of change. This week I'm reflecting on how we used to work. It's possible that the rate of change has accelerated over the last 30 years - and we're increasingly more preoccupied with the impact of Artificial Intelligence.

This week, I take a trip back in time to my first job in the UK Civil Service, circa 1991 — where paper files ruled, the typing pool clattered away, and the office bar was just a lift ride away.

I explores:

• What “non-smoking” really meant in the early ’90s 🌀
• The mysterious world of fitted for promotion annual reports
• Early digital transformation — complete with barcode wands and a legendary “mouse moment”
• And what all this tells us about change, adaptability, and humour at work

💌 Share your story!

I'd love to hear your memories of early work life — the quirks, the culture, the things that make you say “good lord, can you believe it used to be like that?”

Email [email protected] or share on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

• View the programme and book your tickets for the ACBS UKROI Conference in November
• Interactive Q&A: ACT in the workplace - Contextual Consulting

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 33 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - We're back - our Summer break kind of ran away with itself. I've been over to the UK a fair bit over the last few months to spend time with my Dad, known to many listeners as Big G. Sadly Dad has faced a succession of health challenges and he's now navigating his final life transition. It's an emotive, turbulent time, and there has also been time to talk and reflect with tenderness and love. You'll hear some of my thoughts at the beginning of this episode.

The main episode is a cup-a-soup - where I reflect on the challenge of change. This episode, of course, draws upon Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and in particular - a brilliant paper called - "Why we are not acting to save ourselves - ACT, Health and Culture" by Ruth Anne Rehfeldt & Ian Tyndall.

 You'll hear me cover various aspects, from an example of an HR leader responsible for the rollout of our wellbeing programme, how we can look at the workplace as a system of reinforcement (recognizing that behavior doesn't happen in isolation) and I illustrate how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can support behavior change at work. There's also a simple exercise to try which can transform the experience of a meeting.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

• Interactive Q&A: ACT in the workplace - Contextual Consulting
• Why we are not acting to save ourselves - ACT, Health, and Culture

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 32 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - In this episode I continue my chat with Dr Ryan Kemp who is a clinical psychologist, Director of Therapies at a large NHS Trust, Author and  chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology England in the British Psychological Society.

We focus on the theme of compassionate leadership and our conversation begins with Ryan's reflections on his unexpected transition from clinical psychologist to clinical director and what he learned over the process. Initially he had no plans or ambitions to take on a leadership role, but Ryan found himself driven by the organizational challenges he encountered and the encouragement from colleagues. We talk about the importance of compassionate leadership, particularly in healthcare settings. Ryan highlights the emotional burden that healthcare professionals face, and the need for self-compassion as a foundation for leading others. Additionally, Ryan discusses his approach to leadership training, emphasizing vulnerability, authenticity, and the significance of aligning actions with personal values. We also touch upon the book that Ryan has written and is currently refining with a working title of 12 Steps to Compassionate Leadership.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

• Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn
• Find out more about the ACBS UK&ROI Conference in November

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

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Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 31 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - In this episode you'll get to meet Dr Ryan Kemp who is a clinical psychologist and Director of Therapies at a large NHS Trust. He's also an author and  Chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology England in the British Psychological Society

In this episode we get to know a bit more about Ryan - who shares some pivotal moments in his professional journey - including his working class roots, his initial career in financial services, and an early midlife crisis that led him to psychology. He discusses his training and various roles in clinical settings, as well as his development of the compassionate leadership programmes within his NHS Trust. We also chat about his values, including practicality, learning, courage and ethics, and the impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in his life. As a leader - he's also prepared to be vulnerable and open about his career history, including the less successful moments.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

• Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 30 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - In this episode I chat with Dr Anne Finucane and Dr David Gillanders about brilliant website - mygriefmyway.co.uk - which is a resource developed in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, Marie Curie and Cruse Scotland.

Bereavement and grief is something that will come to us all and we can sometimes find it difficult to manage and talk about at work. The website is designed to help individuals who have experienced loss or are supporting others through bereavement. It offers various materials like real-life stories, worksheets, mindfulness exercises, and poetry. These resources aim to help manage grief through self-directed use or support sessions. Our conversation also touches on the website's development process, the importance of accessibility, user feedback, and future plans to incorporate more content, including reflections from young adults.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

• Find out more about the ACBS UK&ROI Conference in November
• David's profile at The University of Edinburgh
• Home | My Grief My Way
• Anne's profile at The University of Edinburgh

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 29 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - In this episode you'll get to meet Dr David Gillanders who is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at The University of Edinburgh. His research programme explores psychological wellbeing in advanced illness, cancer, and persistent health problems. It's the second of a three parter - last week I chatted with David's colleague, Dr Anne Finucane and in the third part - I'll talk to both Anne and David about their brilliant website - mygriefmyway.co.uk

In this episode we get to know a bit more about David. He shares his career journey and how he landed in clinical psychology thanks, in part, to some advice from a career counsellor. David sets out a series of opportunistic shifts in his career and the profound impact of ACT, in both his professional and personal life. He talks about his research interest and his collaborative research with Anne, where they focus on palliative care, the wellbeing of people who work in palliative care AND bereavement. David is open about his personal growth and how his flexibility and perspectives have grown over his career.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

• David's profile at The University of Edinburgh
• Home | My Grief My Way

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 28 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - In this episode you'll get to meet Dr Anne Finucane, who is a Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at The University of Edinburgh. It's the first of a three parter - next week we'll meet one of Anne's colleagues, Dr David Gillanders and then the week after - I'll talk to both Anne and David about their brilliant website - mygriefmyway.co.uk

In this episode we get to know a bit more about Anne. Anne shares her journey from studying international marketing to following her curiosity and shifting to psychology. She describes her pivotal moments, including when she discovered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and realised its potential applications. Anne talks about the importance of palliative care and its impact on the quality of life for many people, I didn't know that a large proportion of deaths in the UK will involve some form of palliative care. She also talks about bereavement support and the integration of ACT in helping individuals cope with grief. Anne shares her expertise in a gentle and informative way. I was so keen to have Anne and David on the podcast as palliative care and grief will undoubtedly touch so many people, if not all people, in the workplace and the website is a brilliant resource.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

• Home | My Grief My Way
• Anne's profile at The University of Edinburgh

Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.