Breaking Stigmas: Mental Health & Workplace Wellness With Brian Higgins

Comments or Thoughts on this Episode? Send us a text message.What happens when traditional mental health therapies fail? How might creative approaches unlock healing when nothing else works? Brian Higgins, Executive Director of Mental Healthy FIT, knows this territory intimately.From experiencing homelessness while battling PTSD, depression, and addiction to founding an innovative mental health nonprofit, Brian's journey reveals powerful truths about human connection. "Mental health can be hereditary, but it's not contagious," he shares, highlighting how stigma prevents authentic engagement with those struggling most.The conversation explores how the FIT approach—Films, Ideas, and Tips—transforms mental health conversations through creativity. Brian explains that while people may not relate to specific traumatic experiences, everyone understands fundamental emotions like fear, pain, and love. By communicating through creative mediums, connections form where clinical approaches often fail.Particularly insightful is Brian's LEAP method (Listen, Empathize, Agree, Partner), offering a framework anyone can use to support others through mental health challenges. The discussion delves into workplace applications, examining disclosure concerns and how organizations can create psychologically safe environments where vulnerability isn't just permitted but modeled from leadership down.Brian's practical tools—like "Thinkalopes" containing tips to boost serotonin—provide accessible entry points for immediate mental health support, while his insights on the biological stress response help listeners understand their own reactions to overwhelming situations.Whether you're struggling personally, supporting someone who is, or seeking to create healthier workplace cultures, this conversation offers both compassionate understanding and practical strategies. Join us to discover how creative approaches to mental health might just provide the connection we're all seeking.www.https://mentalhealthyfit.org/https://mentalhealthyfit.org/focus-on-fests/www.wliut.com@utwomenleaders