Ep 47. He Lost Everything. Then Started R U OK? Day w/ Graeme Cowan

Ep 47. He Lost Everything. Then Started R U OK? Day w/ Graeme Cowan

Have you ever been so far down that you genuinely couldn't see a way out? Not just a bad week — but months, then years, of not being okay? That's where today's guest was. And what he built from that place changed the entire country. In this episode, we sit down with Graeme Cowan — co-founder of R U OK? Day, author of Great Leaders Care, and host of The Caring CEO podcast (ranked #2 globally for workplace mental health) — to unpack what severe depression, an ICU admission, and a five-year recovery really look like from the inside, and what Graeme has since learned about building a life and a career that doesn't cost you your mind. We explore how one of the most significant mental health movements in Australian history grew directly from one man's darkest chapter — and what that means for all of us who are quietly struggling. Through powerful stories and real-life examples, we dive into: * What severe depression actually looks like from the inside (and why it often hides behind a high-performing exterior) * The surprising origin story of R U OK? Day — and why it almost didn't happen * The Mood Meter: the simple self-check tool from Graeme's book that's changing how leaders track wellbeing at work * Why 99.67% of workplace mental health suffering is invisible to official systems — and what that means for your team * The four pillars of a thriving life: Mindset, Vitality, Intimacy, and Prosperity * Why hope isn't soft — and what Scott learned the hard way when a doctor took his away * The one thing Graeme does every single day that's kept him well for over two decades If you're going through something right now — or leading people who might be — this episode is worth your full attention. Connect with Graeme Cowan: Website [https://graemecowan.com.au/] Linkedin [https://au.linkedin.com/in/graemecowan1] 📖 Great Leaders Care — available in all good bookstores 🎙️ The Caring CEO podcast — search wherever you listen Resources: Moodometer Poster [https://raspberry-keyboard-p57j.squarespace.com/s/Moodometer-and-ICARE-posters.pdf] Self Care Scorecard [https://raspberry-keyboard-p57j.squarespace.com/s/Self-Care-VIP-Scorecard.pdf] About Us: We run two retreats — a self-care retreat (October) and a relationship retreat (November) — for anyone ready to go deeper. Details at traceyquayle.com. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review — it helps us reach more people looking to reconnect with themselves. Follow Tracey on @traceyquayle.therapy or click the links below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/traceyquayle.therapy/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@traceyquayle.ther] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/traceyquayle.therapy] ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ [http://www.youtube.com/@traceyquayle.therapy] Join my mailing list ⁠⁠www.traceyquayle.com⁠⁠ [http://www.traceyquayle.com] Disclaimer: This podcast is for information only and isn't a substitute for personalised therapy.

Ep 46. You're Not "Too Nice" — Kindness Is Actually a Superpower w/ Sophie Bretag

Have you ever been told you're too nice? That being kind makes you a pushover? That real strength means being tough, not warm? In this episode, we sit down with Sophie Bretag — author, award-winning keynote speaker, executive HR consultant, and self-described Chief Kindness Officer — to unpack why everything you've been taught about kindness might be wrong, and what the science actually says about its impact. Sophie's new book The Kind Way introduces the Kind Human Quotient (KHQ) — a four-pillar framework for leading and living with genuine kindness — and she breaks down how it applies to workplaces, relationships, and the way we show up for ourselves. Through real stories and hard-won insight, we explore: * Why kindness is consistently mistaken for weakness — and why that belief is costing you more than you realise * The surprising science behind the kindness ripple effect (witnessing an act of kindness has the same neurological benefit as giving or receiving one) * Why "clear is kind" — and how courageous conversations and firm boundaries are actually acts of kindness, not the opposite * The Know Yourself pillar: why most of us don't actually know ourselves as well as we think — and why that's the foundation of everything * Why the people who give the most to others are often the least kind to themselves * The myth of work-life balance — and what actually matters when your values and your calendar don't match If you've ever softened who you are to fit into a world that rewards toughness, this episode will reframe kindness not as a compromise — but as your greatest strength. Connect with Sophie Bretag: Website [https://www.mettaleaders.com/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebretag/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mettaleaders/] 🌿 Join us in person: Reconnect to Self Retreat: www.traceyquayle.com/reconnect-to-self [http://www.traceyquayle.com/reconnect-to-self] Breathwork Journeys: www.traceyquayle.com/breathwork-journeys [http://www.traceyquayle.com/breathwork-journeys] Reconnect Relationships: www.reconnectrelationships.com.au [http://www.reconnectrelationships.com.au] If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review — it helps us reach more people looking to reconnect with themselves. Follow Tracey on @traceyquayle.therapy or click the links below: ⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/traceyquayle.therapy/] ⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@traceyquayle.ther] ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/traceyquayle.therapy] ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠ [http://www.youtube.com/@traceyquayle.therapy] Join my mailing list ⁠www.traceyquayle.com⁠ [http://www.traceyquayle.com] Disclaimer: This podcast is for information only and isn't a substitute for personalised therapy.

Ep 45. Why Kinesiology is Most People's Last Resort (And Why It Works) w/ Jenny Shortland

Have you tried everything — the doctors, the supplements, the lifestyle changes — and still can't figure out why you feel so flat, so heavy, so stuck? What if the answer isn't in your head at all, but in your body? In this episode, we sit down with Jenny Shortland — Advanced Diploma in Functional Kinesiology and founder of Align Kinesiology — to unpack what kinesiology actually is, how it works, and why so many people only find it when everything else has failed. Jenny's story starts where a lot of ours do: exhausted, running on empty, pushing through life like she was moving brick walls just to get through the day. What she discovered — first as a client, then as a practitioner — is that the body holds onto stress, emotion, and unresolved energy long before the conscious mind catches up. And once you start to clear it, things shift in ways that are hard to explain and impossible to ignore. Through powerful stories and real-life examples, we dive into: * What kinesiology actually is — and why muscle testing tells your practitioner things you haven't said out loud * Why so many people arrive as a "last resort" (and why that's exactly when it works best) * The connection between physical pain and trapped emotion — and why you can't have one without the other * How the subconscious rules you wrote before age 5 are still running your behaviour today * Why kinesiology isn't an alternative to medicine — it's a tool you should be using alongside it * The surprising ways Jenny works with children, animals, and people who can't even be in the room If you've ever felt like something is off but can't quite put your finger on it, this episode might be the missing piece. Connect with Jenny Shortland: Website [https://www.alignkinesiology.com.au/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/align_kinesiology/] If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review — it helps us reach more people looking to reconnect with themselves. Follow Tracey on @traceyquayle.therapy or click the links below: ⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/traceyquayle.therapy/] ⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@traceyquayle.ther] ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/traceyquayle.therapy] ⁠⁠YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/@traceyquayle.therapy] Join my mailing list www.traceyquayle.com [http://www.traceyquayle.com] Disclaimer: This podcast is for information only and isn't a substitute for personalised therapy.

Ep 44. What Dying Can Teach You About Living w/ Dr. Mary Helen Hensley

Have you ever held back from something you really wanted — a risk, a change, a life that felt a little too big to ask for? What if the thing stopping you was a fear you didn't even know you could lose? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mary Helen Hensley — speaker, author, chiropractor, and near-death experience survivor of over 30 years — to explore what happens to a life when fear of dying simply... disappears. And what the rest of us can take from that, whether we believe in what she experienced or not. Mary was 21 years old when a car accident changed everything. What she came back with wasn't just a story — it was a completely different relationship with risk, with purpose, and with what it actually means to be alive. Through powerful stories and real-life examples, we dive into: * Why a near-death experience doesn't just change what you believe — it permanently changes what you're capable of * The moment she made a conscious choice to leave her body (and why she came back anyway) * What it felt like to watch her own accident from above — and why it didn't feel like what you'd expect * How her life review revealed she was the architect of her own reality all along * Why the greatest side effect of dying is that you stop hesitating * The one question she wakes up with every day that cuts through everything else You don't have to have a near-death experience to take the lessons from one. This episode will leave you asking what you're still waiting for — and why. Connect with Dr. Mary Helen Hensley:Website: www.maryhelenhensley.com [https://www.maryhelenhensley.com/]Instagram: @maryhelenhensley [https://www.instagram.com/maryhelenhensley/] Loverlution: www.maryhelenhensley.com/loverlution-transformational-masterclass [https://www.maryhelenhensley.com/loverlution-transformational-masterclass] If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review — it helps us reach more people looking to reconnect with themselves. Follow Tracey on @traceyquayle.therapy or click the links below: ⁠instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/traceyquayle.therapy/] ⁠Tik Tok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@traceyquayle.ther] ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/traceyquayle.therapy] ⁠YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/@traceyquayle.therapy] Join my mailing list www.traceyquayle.com [http://www.traceyquayle.com] Disclaimer: This podcast is for information only and isn't a substitute for personalised therapy.

Ep 43. Could MDMA Therapy Save Your Relationship? w/ Jonathan Robinson

Have you ever sat in couples therapy, done all the "right" things… and still felt like you and your partner were miles apart? In this episode, we sit down with Jonathan Robinson — former psychotherapist, bestselling author of 16 books, and one of the early pioneers of MDMA-assisted couples therapy — to explore why traditional therapy often falls short, and what 40 years of working underground with over 700 couples has revealed about what it actually takes to reconnect. We explore how fear keeps couples stuck in the same patterns, why both partners need to feel safe at the same moment for real breakthroughs to happen — and what becomes possible when that wall finally comes down. Through powerful stories and real-life examples, we dive into: * Why most couples wait 6 years before seeking help (and what it costs them) * How MDMA removes the fear response that keeps partners from being truly honest * Why both people being open at the same time changes everything * The "joy muscle" — and why most people don't know they can train it * What Jonathan learned doing sessions over Zoom (the results surprised everyone) * The difference between a relationship that's struggling and one that's ready to transform If you've ever felt like you and your partner keep hitting the same wall, or wondered whether there's a faster path to genuine connection… this conversation will challenge what you think is possible — and open the door to something better. Connect with Jonathan Robinson: www.ecstasyasmedicine.com [http://www.ecstasyasmedicine.com] If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review — it helps us reach more people looking to reconnect with themselves. Follow Tracey on @traceyquayle.therapy or click the links below: instagram [https://www.instagram.com/traceyquayle.therapy/] Tik Tok [https://www.tiktok.com/@traceyquayle.ther] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/traceyquayle.therapy] YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/@traceyquayle.therapy] *Join my mailing list* ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.traceyquayle.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.traceyquayle.com/] Disclaimer: This podcast is for information only and isn’t a substitute for personalised therapy.