OnTopic with Empathia

Conversations with Experts on Subjects That Matter

Welcome to OnTopic by Empathia, a podcast dedicated to overcoming challenges in times of uncertainty. We’ll be talking to industry experts from a wide variety of fields to explore the issues of the day and steps individuals and organizations can take to become more resilient.

Whether it is delivering a high-value employee assistance program or responding to a crisis in your organization or community, Empathia brings competence, compassion and commitment to those who need it most.

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Episode 18: Active Shooter Awareness with Dr. Mary Schoenfeldt, Part 1

Active Shooter. It’s a phrase that strikes an immediate sense of warning in all of us; a notion so terrible that many of us can only hope we’ll never be forced to face it in our own communities. But for some, tragedy may have already struck, and gaining a greater understanding of the problem may…

Episode 17: Mental Health Around The World, Part 2

Self care. It’s a relatively new term as far as understanding mental health is concerned when it comes to the general population, but it’s not often something people really think about in regards to their own well-being. Like in Mexico, where Deborah Loffler says people think about self care more as going to the gym…

Episode 16: Mental Health Around The World, Part 1

North, south, east, west—no matter where you are everybody struggles with mental health. World Mental Health Day, on October 10th, is a chance to remember that none of us are alone. All over the world people share the same feelings of excitement, sadness, melancholy, and more, regardless of their situation. That’s why, this week, Jill…

Episode 15: Preventing Teen Suicide with Clark Flatt, Part 2

Warning: The following interview contains graphic depictions of suicide. Viewer discretion is advised. There’s a surprising amount of signs that can precede a suicide attempt. People may experience symptoms of melancholy, rapid moodswings, severe depression, and more. In this follow-up from our previous episode, Rick Hoaglund joins Clark Flatt, President and Founder of the Jason…

Episode 14: Preventing Teen Suicide with Clark Flatt, Part 1

Warning: The following interview contains graphic depictions of suicide. Viewer discretion is advised. Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in our nation today. Every week, Americans lose an average of more than 125 youths to this tragedy. As waters continue to rise, what can be done? How can parents help? And…

Episode 13: Surviving the Christchurch Earthquake with Jolie Wills, Part 2

How does a community recover from a devastating natural disaster? Where do businesses get started again? How are homes rebuilt? And when do families start healing? In this follow-up episode, Christchurch earthquake survivor Jolie Wills joins Rick Hoaglund once again to talk about how her community responded to the devastation, and how her own experiences…

Episode 12: Surviving the Christchurch Earthquake with Jolie Wills, Part 1

On Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Christchurch, New Zealand in what would go on to be the country’s fifth-deadliest natural disaster. Homes were lost, businesses destroyed, local monuments demolished and families were devastated by the rampant destruction that roared forth from the earth. And nobody knows it better…

Episode 11: Receiving a Cancer Diagnosis with Jessica Storm, Part 2

Following her cancer treatment, Jessica Storm was excited to get back to the usual hustle and bustle. With a new baby at home, normalcy would’ve been a welcome routine, if not for a fateful call from her oncologist when she discovered that her cancer journey was far from over. In this follow-up from Part 1,…

Episode 10: Receiving a Cancer Diagnosis with Jessica Storm, Part 1

Bad news is never easy to hear, especially when it concerns the ones you love. But when you receive a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, what do you do? That’s what Jessica Storm faced when she was diagnosed with breast cancer while 28 weeks pregnant, along with the flurry of challenging decisions and difficult moments…