Mindful leadership is not a wellness trend, it is an attention skill, and in this episode I sit down with Susan Pearse to talk about what that really means in modern work and life. Susan and I have known each other for 30 years, and this conversation is both personal and practical, tracing how she stepped away from the corporate path early and went on to build some of Australia’s first mindfulness based leadership programs, long before smartphones and constant notifications became the norm.

Susan and I discuss what mindfulness in leadership looks like day to day, including attention management, presence, and the hidden cost of busyness as a badge of honour. Susan shares why training the mind is not about escaping pressure, but learning to meet it with more clarity, better decision-making, and stronger relationships. If you are searching for mindful leadership strategies, attention management for leaders or how to stay focused at work, this episode will give you a grounded framework.

We also explore how AI affects focus and creativity, and why convenience can quietly erode the deeper thinking leaders rely on. Susan reflects on her work Winning the Second Half and the bigger question behind it: what does “winning” look like in the second act of life, when you stop chasing other people’s definitions of success. This is a conversation about leadership, meaning and choosing what you pay attention to before your attention is chosen for you.

00:00 Neuroscience, AI and Attention Management

05:17 Mindfulness as Attention Training for Leaders

06:55 Mental Capacity vs Skill at Work

08:59 Busyness Culture and Burnout Risk

14:27 Psychosocial Safety and Duty of Care

17:16 AI, Neuroplasticity and Use It or Lose It

21:31 Authentic Thinking in an AI World

23:38 Winning the Second Half of Life

29:36 Final Advice and Key Takeaways

Guest link

Susan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-pearse-022b0311/

https://www.susanpearse.com/

More From Damien:

Website | LinkedIn | YouTube

WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

Vicarious trauma is one of the most overlooked psychosocial hazards at work, especially in high exposure roles like law, insurance, health, and frontline services. In this episode of The Resolution Room, I’m joined by Vanessa Daniel from MLCOA to share 20 practical takeaways for reducing the risk of psychological injury from vicarious trauma, and to make the conversation more useful than the usual “just be resilient” advice.

We talk about how workplace health and safety is shifting beyond physical risks and into psychosocial risk management, including what employers and leaders need to understand about their duty to identify, assess, and control these risks. We also unpack why culture matters, why high performers often do not self report, and how regular check ins, training, and supervisor capability can change outcomes before people hit a wall.

This is a practical episode for managers, HR, and professionals working with distressing material who want clear, workplace-ready strategies. We cover risk assessments, de-stigmatising help-seeking, structured debriefing, and why vicarious trauma needs to be treated as a leadership issue, not a personal weakness. If you are searching for vicarious trauma workplace strategies, psychosocial safety, or how to prevent psychological injury at work, this conversation will give you a strong starting point.

00:00 Introduction

02:05 Psychosocial Safety Shift

04:06 Legal Duties And Key Case

06:43 Acknowledge Exposure

08:05 Stop Blaming Resilience

08:57 Risk Assessments And Controls

11:13 Cumulative Exposure Matters

12:58 Train Staff And Supervisors

14:13 Beyond Self Reporting

15:38 Trauma Informed Supervision

16:45 Rotating Trauma Caseloads

17:30 Monitor Workload Pressure

18:31 Reduce Unnecessary Exposure

19:27 Protocols for Graphic Evidence

19:48 Job Rotation and Mixed Work

21:33 Structured Debriefing Culture

23:02 Peer Support and Access

27:51 Leadership Owns the Risk

More From Damien:

Website | LinkedIn | YouTube

WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.

©2026 mlcoa | Law, Medicine & Everything in Between.

Vicarious trauma is not just a clinical concept; it is a real workplace risk for lawyers, claims teams, clinicians, and anyone who spends their days reading, hearing, or working inside other people’s worst moments. I’m joined today by Dr Naveed Sheikh, consultant psychiatrist and senior medical practitioner, and Vanessa Daniel, National Customer Legal Manager at mlcoa, to have a conversation about what vicarious trauma looks like in the real world and why psychosocial safety at work is now front and centre.

We talk about the difference between direct trauma and vicarious trauma, and why the impact can be cumulative even when you were not physically there. Dr Sheikh explains why not every exposure leads to PTSD, but why it still needs to be taken seriously, particularly in high exposure professions like law, medicine, policing, and insurance. Vanessa shares what this looks like through a medico-legal lens, including how sensitive material shows up in legal work and why systems and culture matter as much as individual resilience.

We also explore the legal and workplace obligations around psychosocial hazards, including the growing expectation that employers manage psychological risk alongside physical risk. Dr Sheikh shares practical warning signs to watch for, and what supportive workplaces can do early, including debriefing, mentorship, and normalising help-seeking. If you lead a team, work in personal injury or claims, or want a clearer understanding of vicarious trauma in the workplace, this conversation will give you a grounded place to start.

00:00 Welcome And Introductions

01:17 Dr Naveed Background

04:12 What Is Vicarious Trauma

05:23 Legal Landscape Overview

09:27 Diagnosis PTSD Vs Adjustment

12:46 Treating Vs Forensic Roles

18:17 Trauma Memory Loop

21:31 Workplace Management Strategies

25:07 Humour And Resilience

26:28 Team Debriefs And Support

More From Damien:

Website | LinkedIn | YouTube

WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.

©2026 mlcoa | Law, Medicine & Everything in Between.

Mentioned in this episode:

mlcoa