Farewell & Gratitude: Reflections from My Time with CASAT OnDemand
As I step away from my role with CASAT OnDemand, my heart is full of gratitude. Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as the primary author of the Catalyst Blog and host of CASAT Conversations. Through each post and episode, I’ve explored mental health not just as a clinical concept, but as a deeply human experience—one that bridges the body, mind, and spirit. This work has been more than words and interviews—it’s been a journey of listening, learning, and connecting with some of the most passionate and insightful people in the field.
Reflections and Takeaways from the Journey
I never set out to be a podcast host, but I quickly grew to love the process—learning, researching, and interviewing people whose work and stories matter. Every season of CASAT Conversations left me saying, “This is my favorite season.” And each time, I meant it. The diverse guests—from researchers to practitioners to those courageously sharing lived experience—have shaped some of my most important takeaways.
Trauma-informed care must be non-negotiable—especially in first response. For those working in high-stakes environments, it’s not just the professional who needs trauma-informed tools—it’s the whole family system. First responders and their loved ones deserve education, support, and resources that acknowledge the realities of the work and the ripple effects it has at home.
Resilience in healthcare is a team sport. Resilience isn’t just an individual trait—it’s shaped by the environments we work in. Building it means creating systems and cultures where people can identify stress early, speak openly about it, and lean on peer support teams without stigma or fear.
Health equity is foundational. Where we live, work, and spend our time profoundly shapes long-term health outcomes. Access to care, safe housing, clean air and water, nutritious food, and supportive social networks are as vital to mental health as therapy or medication.
Bearing witness to trauma leaves a mark. Whether through a single critical incident or the cumulative toll of seeing others in pain, exposure to trauma shapes the nervous system. Honoring that impact—and learning strategies for self-care, regulation, and processing—is essential to sustaining both compassion and personal well-being.
Mental well-being must include the whole person—and it’s built in the everyday. True mental health is holistic, shaped by sleep, nutrition, movement, stress, spirituality, genetics, trauma history, and more. Just like physical health, it’s woven into our daily habits—how we move, rest, nourish, connect, and honor the wisdom of those who came before us.
Diagnosis is only part of the picture. While the DSM can be a useful tool, over-identifying with a label can sometimes cause harm. Several leaders I’ve had the privilege of interviewing, including Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Steven Hayes, and Dr. David Mee-Lee, have challenged us to rethink the way we use diagnostic categories and to remember that people are more than their diagnoses.
Peers are powerful at every stage of a career. From training to retirement, trusted peers provide perspective, reduce isolation, and help normalize the challenges of the work. Investing in peer networks is an investment in resilience.
What Holds Us Together: Holism, Somatics, and Safe Spaces
These lessons affirm something I’ve believed from the start: mental well-being must integrate body, mind, and spirit. Including the body in therapy is essential to healing. Somatic therapy—once considered “alternative”—has become a cornerstone of effective mental health care, helping people reconnect with their bodies, process stored trauma, and restore a felt sense of safety from the inside out.
But healing can’t stop in the therapy room. Mind-body regulation tools—like mindfulness, movement, and breathwork—belong in schools, hospitals, workplaces, community centers, and anywhere people gather. When these skills are part of everyday environments, we create conditions where resilience can take root.
Creating environments for healing isn’t only about skills and strategies—it’s about the people and spaces that hold us. As rates of mental health challenges continue to rise, so does our need for safe humans and safe spaces. Safety is more than the absence of harm—it’s the presence of trust, respect, and belonging. The opposite of belonging—loneliness and disconnection—isn’t just an emotional ache; it’s a public health crisis linked to higher risks of depression, heart disease, and early mortality.
Part of building true safety is honoring our shared humanity. Not every struggle is an illness to be diagnosed. Life brings loss, change, and challenge, and experiences like grief—while deeply painful—are not pathologies to be “fixed,” but truths to be witnessed, supported, and lived through. As clinicians and providers, we also carry our own humanity into the work, with our histories, our limits, and our need for care. When we give ourselves permission to acknowledge that, we model authenticity and compassion, not perfection.
Belonging is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline. My hope is that the conversations we’ve shared here will inspire you to keep building those safe humans and safe spaces wherever your work takes you. Because when we honor our humanity—our clients’ and our own—we create the conditions where healing, connection, and resilience can truly flourish.
A Parting Invitation to Keep Learning
If you haven’t yet read the Catalyst Blog or listened to past seasons of CASAT Conversations, I warmly invite you to explore them. Each post and episode was created to spark curiosity, compassion, and action.
As mental health professionals, our work demands lifelong learning. It keeps our perspectives fresh, sharpens our skills, challenges our assumptions, and ensures we remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. The more we learn—about ourselves, about our clients, and about new approaches—the more we can help shape a system that is compassionate, inclusive, and effective.
To our readers, listeners, guests, and the CASAT team—thank you. It has been an honor to share these conversations, to learn alongside you, and to be part of a community committed to advancing mental health and well-being. I carry forward the lessons, the stories, and the hope that together, we can continue building a healthier, more connected, and more compassionate world.
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Heather,
You are an incredible person who has given so much and enriched our field. Thank you!
Wishing you the best of everything,
Saul Singer