May 12, 2026
Episode 186: How to Have Better Mental Health Conversations at Work with Melissa Doman, M.A.
What does it actually look like to talk about mental health at work – without crossing boundaries, creating discomfort, or turning leaders into therapists? In this episode of The Future of Teamwork, Dane Groeneveld interviews Melissa Doman, M.A., Organizational Psychologist, founder of The Workplace Mental Health Method, and author of Cornered Office: Why We Need to Talk About Leadership Mental Health.
Melissa shares why she left clinical psychology to focus on workplace culture, how leaders can create healthier conversations around mental health, and why “mental health matters” isn’t enough anymore. Together, Dane and Melissa also look at how leaders can model healthy behavior without oversharing, and what humanized leadership really means.
Dane then opens up about his own leadership struggle with burnout, and Melissa explains one of her leadership mental health archetypes from her book: The Mother Hen/Father Goose, who supports everyone around them while neglecting themselves. Finally, Melissa and Dane explore what discomfort tolerance looks like, why it’s so important for leaders to learn, and how neurodivergence can be a leadership strength.
If you’re a leader ready to build healthier teams, tune into this episode.
🔗 Connect with Melissa Doman on her website, Instagram, and LinkedIn
How to Have Better Mental Health Conversations at Work with Melissa Doman, M.A.
Guest Bio
Melissa Doman, MA is an Organizational Psychologist, Former Mental Health Therapist, Author of Cornered Office: Why We Need To Talk About Leadership Mental Health and Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work (Here’s Why And How To Do It Really Well), and Founder of The Workplace Mental Health Method™. Melissa works with companies across industries around the globe – including clients like Google, Progressive, Dow Jones, the Orlando City Soccer Club, Microsoft, Salesforce, Siemens, Estée Lauder, & Janssen. She’s spoken at SXSW, has been featured as a subject matter expert in CNN, Vogue, NPR, Fast Company, the BBC, CNBC, Inc., and in LinkedIn’s 2022 Top 10 Voices on Mental Health. Having lived abroad in South Korea, England, Australia and traveled to nearly 50 countries, Melissa calls upon her global experiences to inform how she works with companies worldwide. She has one core goal: to equip companies, individuals, and leaders to have constructive conversations about mental health, team dynamics, and communication in the workplace. Her work and book aim to accomplish just that. To learn more about Melissa, her work, or her books – please visit www.melissadoman.com.
Key Takeaways
00:00 Welcome to the Future of Teamwork
00:17 Meet Melissa Doman, M. A.
01:39 From Therapy to Org Psych
03:20 Workplace Mental Health Skills
04:16 Compliance and Legal Boundaries
06:16 Fear and Psychological Safety
08:48 Humanized Leadership Myths
12:03 Leaders Burn Too
13:53 Opting Out of Leadership
19:03 Modeling Healthy Boundaries
24:56 CEO Burnout Case Study
28:15 Support Stigma in Leaders
30:05 Live Reading Father Goose
32:13 Archetype Positives Negatives
33:24 Mixing Archetypes over Time
35:03 Sustainable Leadership Emotions
38:04 Constructive Conflict Skills
39:37 Discomfort Tolerance for Growth
42:46 Adapting Beyond Dysfunction
47:01 Neurodivergence as Strength
50:06 Where to Find Melissa
51:12 Closing Disclaimer and Outro
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