Dr Sadhbh Joyce

Dr Sadhbh (pronounced Sive) Joyce is the principal psychologist and co-founder of Mindarma. She attained an honours degree in Psychology, a Masters degree in Clinical Neuropsychology from Macquarie University, Sydney and a PhD from UNSW Medicine and the Black Dog Institute.

Sadhbh has over 18 years experience in mental health and has worked across clinical, academic and industrial settings.  She has provided evidence-based therapy to those struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma and bereavement. Sadhbh is also a Workplace Mental Health Specialist, a qualified Meditation Teacher, Yoga Teacher and Nature Therapy Practitioner.  She holds full registration with AHPRA and full membership with the Australian Psychological Society (APS).  Sadhbh has held a number of academic teaching positions in psychology at the University of NSW and Macquarie University, Sydney Australia. She is currently an External Fellow and Adjunct Lecturer at UNSW Medicine and The Black Dog Institute.

Determined to bridge the gap between clinical research and the workplace, Sadhbh has focused on translating research into real-world solutions, which are practical, scalable and evidence-based. Her PhD research focused on  developing and evaluating a novel mindfulness-based resilience training program for first-responders. The success of this program spurred the development of Mindarma, which has been adopted by major employers and government departments including NSW Ambulance, Fire & Rescue NSW, Thomson Reuters, Ambulance Victoria, Department of Fire and Emergency Services Western Australia, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services,  Queensland TAFE, NSW Health, Transport for NSW, UNSW LAW, NSW TAFE, NSW Healthshare, University of Wollongong and the Department of Communities and Justice, NSW.

In 2018, the program was awarded a Mental Health Matters Award from the NSW Mental Health Commission.  In 2019, it received a highly-commended award from the NSW Government at the Resilience Australia Awards. In addition, FRNSW received the 2019 AFAC Leading Practice in Mental Health Award for implementing the program across their workforce.

In 2021, Sadhbh was awarded the Australian Psychological Society DGPP Significant Contribution Award which encourages excellence and highlights the achievements of registered psychologists.

Sadhbh is also a qualified Hatha and Yin Yoga Teacher and is a Level 2 iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation teacher . She has a longstanding interest in the physical and psychological benefits of merging Eastern Philosophy and Western Psychology.  Outside of work, she enjoys walking her two blue heelers,  meditation, hiking, poetry, singing and playing Irish music, sharing time with dear friends and being out in nature.

A summary of Sadhbh’s recent research is listed below.

Joyce S. (2023) Why Mindful Self-Compassion and Proactive Self-Care is Central to Replenishing Vital Resilience Resources and Wellbeing Among First Responders. Frontline Mental Health Conference: Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association (ANZMH) March 6th – 7th, Royal Pines Resort and Conference Centre, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. 

​Joyce S, & Wooldridge Z. (2023) Mindarma at NSW Ambulance. Oral presentation at the 2023 ANZMH Frontline Mental Health Conference, March 6th – 7th, Royal Pines Resort and Conference Centre, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Joyce S, & Barrett S. (March 14th 2022) Mindarma at Ambulance Victoria. Oral presentation at the 2022 ANZMH Frontline Mental Health Conference, March 14th – 15th, Sea World Resort Conference Centre, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. ​

Marshall R, & Joyce S. ( March 14th 2022) The development and implementation of Mindarma at Youth Justice NSW. Poster presentation at the 2022 ANZMH Frontline Mental Health Conference, March 14th – 15th, Sea World Resort Conference Centre, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.https://anzmh.asn.au/fmhc-2022

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Johnson AM, Groth M, Nguyen H, Dey S, Nottage S, Joyce S, Tan L, Glozier N, & SB Harvey (2020). A Review And Agenda For Examining How Technology-Driven Changes At Work Will Impact Workplace Mental Health And Employee Well-Being. Australian Journal Of Management. Link: https://doi.org/10.1177/0312896220922292

Joyce S, Shand F, Lal TJ, Mott B, Bryant RA, Harvey SB (2019). Resilience@Work Mindfulness Program: Results From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial With First Responders. J Med Internet Res 2019;21(2):e12894DOI: 10.2196/12894. Link: https://www.jmir.org/2019/2/e12894/

Joyce S, Tan L, Shand F,  Bryant RA, Harvey SB. (2019). Can Resilience be Measured and Used to Predict Mental Health Symptomology Among First Responders Exposed to Repeated Trauma? Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine:  61(4), 285–292.doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001526 Link: https://journals.lww.com/joem/Abstract/2019/04000/Can_Resilience_be_Measured_and_Used_to_Predict.4.aspx

Counson I, Hoseman D, Lal TJ, Mott B, Harvey SB, & Joyce S. (2019). Mental health and mindfulness amongst Australian fire fighters. BMC Psychology, 7; 34, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-019-0311-2

Joyce S, Shand F, Tighe J, Laurent SJ, Bryant RA, Harvey SB. (2018) Road to resilience: a systematic review and meta-analysis of resilience training programmes and interventions. BMJ Open 2018;8:e017858. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017858 Link: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/6/e017858

Joyce S, Shand F, Bryant RA, Lal TJ, Harvey SB (2018). Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training in the Workplace: Pilot Study of the Internet-Based Resilience@Work (RAW) Mindfulness Program. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 20(9): e10326. DOI: 10.2196/10326. Link: https://www.jmir.org/2018/9/e10326/?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=JMIR_TrendMD_0

Petrie, K., Joyce, S., Henderson, M., Johnson A., Nguyen, H., Modini, M., Groth, M.,  Glozier, N., & Harvey, S.B.  (2017). A framework to create more mentally healthy workplaces: A viewpoint.  Aust NZJ Psychiatry.  DOI: 10.1177/0004867417726174

Joyce, S.  Keynote presentation: “Resilience, emergency service workers & the Resilience At Work (RAW) Mindfulness Program: how do we build resilience in the workplace”  Workplace Mental Health Conference. Canadian Conference Board: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 14th – 15th.

Joyce, S., Modini, M., Christensen,  H.A., Mykletun, Bryant, R., Mitchell, P.B., & Harvey S.B. (2016) Workplace interventions for common mental disorders: a systematic meta-review. Psychological Medicine, 46, 683–697.

Harvey, S.B., Modini, M.,  Joyce, S., Milligan-Saville, J.S., Tan, L., Mykeltun, A., Bryant, R.A., Christensen, & Mitchell, P.B. (2017). Can work make you mentally ill? A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems. Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) early access online: http://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2017/01/20/oemed-2016-104015

Modini, M.,  Joyce., Mykletun, A.,  Christensen, H., Bryant,  R.A.,  Mitchell, P.B., & Harvey, S.B. (2016) The mental health  benefits of employment: Results of a systematic review. Australasian Psychiatry, 24 (4), 331 – 336.

Harvey, S.B., Joyce, S., Tan, L., Johnson, A., Nguyen, H., Modini, M., & Groth, M. (2014). Developing a mentally healthy workplace: A review of the literature.  Report prepared for The National Mental Health Commission, Australian Government.

Tan, L.,  Wang, M. J., Modini, M., Joyce, S., Mykletun, A., Christensen, H., & Harvey, S. (2014). Preventing the development of depression at work : a systematic review and meta-analysis of universal interventions in the workplace.  BMC Medicine, 12, 74.

Harvey, S.B., Joyce, S., Modini, M., Christensen, H., Bryant, R., Mykletun A., & Mitchell P. (2013) Work and depression/anxiety disorders – a systematic review of reviews. Report prepared for Beyondblue, Australia.

Joyce, S., Harvey, S.B., Modini, M., Christensen, H., Bryant, R., Mykletun, A., & Mitchell, P.B. The role of work in the development of depression and anxiety disorders – a meta-review. Presented at the 7^th World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, July 24^th 2013, Lima, Peru.

Joyce, S., Harvey, S.B., Modini, M., Christensen, H., Bryant, R., Mykletun, A., & Mitchell, P.B. Interventions that address depression and anxiety disorders in the workplace – a meta-review. Presented at the 7^th World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, July 24^th 2013, Lima, Peru.

Jamie Watson

Jamie is the CEO and co-creator of Mindarma. An experienced copywriter, Jamie also has a background in multimedia, web development and e-learning. He believes education should never be boring and specialises in creating content which is fun, relatable and highly engaging. Jamie enjoys translating academic concepts into real world applications and is proud to be part of a program which promises significant benefits to mental health. Jamie holds a Bachelor of Business (marketing) and has qualifications in Training and Assessment.

Jamie is also a keen mountain-biker/golfer/volleyballer/kayaker who enjoys time with trees more than time with screens.

Ben Sinclair

An experienced project manager and graphic designer, Ben works closely with clients to bring them all the support they need. From managing customisation, preparing promotional materials and providing technical support, Ben makes it simple to make a difference. Ben is based in the NSW Northern Rivers region, where he is supervised by his border collie Otto.

Dr Joe Tighe

Dr Joe Tighe is a Senior Psychologist with international experience in the private, public and voluntary sectors. He specialises in innovation, psychological interventions, group work, clinical consultancy, men’s health, training and resource production. In private practice Joe takes a strengths based and values led approach to psychological wellbeing.

He obtained his psychology degree in the UK in 2006 and completed his PhD at the University of New South Wales/Black Dog Institute. Joe’s doctoral research involved  the world’s first trial of the Black Dog Institute’s ibobbly app for suicide prevention. Joe was awarded a postgraduate scholarship to research the effectiveness of this mobile technology.

Joe also co-founded and managed the multiple award winning Alive & Kicking Goals! suicide prevention project in 2008, in Broome, Western Australia. Under his guidance the project received  the Australian Medical Association’s leading primary healthcare award  in 2014.

Casey O’Brien

Casey is a Senior Psychologist with over 16 years’ experience in public health, community services and private practice. Passionate about workplace mental health, Casey continues to assist many injured workers through WorkSafe Victoria, equipping them with practical psychological skills and strategies as part of their recovery.

Casey worked for over 10 years at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, providing support to staff across many challenging frontline roles. As part of this work, Casey engaged staff in reflective practise, facilitated mental health conversations, ran regular mindfulness sessions and presented on a variety of mental health topics.

Casey is as an honorary fellow of The University of Melbourne and has a strong research background. Her research experience includes adapting an Optimal Health Program for people with diabetes and coordinating a randomised control trial to evaluate its effectiveness.

Casey brings to all her work a warm, encouraging approach and a humorous, engaging style. She believes strongly in the benefits of self-care and has specialist skills in supporting people with chronic health conditions. Casey regularly teaches yoga and maintains her own self-care practise which involves everything from high intensity interval training (HIIT), relaxing café brunches to being part of sporting crowds and taking time out for many unexpected mindful moments throughout her day.

Monica Schweickle

Monica is a Senior Clinical Psychologist with over 13 years experience in a range of mental health and educational settings, including drug and alcohol treatment services, prisons and forensic settings, private practice, and inpatient and outpatient psychiatric programs.  She has extensive experience working with psychologically injuryed workers and is holds full accreditation with WorkCover Australia.

Monica is inspired by the process of assisting individuals to create meaningful change in their lives, with validation and understanding. She has developed inpatient and outpatient addictions programs for public and private clinics, and has a range of experience as a group program facilitator, including dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, and programs for repeat drink drive offenders. Her private practice specialises in assisting individuals recover from trauma, substance use problems, anxiety, depression and anger management problems. She is also a certified Integrative Restoration Yoga Nidra teacher and has published research on yoga and meditation for mental health. She is a Board-Approved Supervisor of Provisional Psychologists with the College of Professional Psychology, and has lectured for several years with the NSW Institute of Psychiatry on a range of topics. She is currently the Unit Co-Ordinator of the Individual Therapies in Mental Health Care Unit for the Health Education & Training Institute (HETI). She has provided continuing education and supervision for a number of mental health services in the Sydney and Northern NSW area. She is also a keen meditator, mother, surfer and coffee-lover.

Natalie Mortimer

Natalie is a Senior Psychologist with specialist expertise in the development and facilitation of group therapy and training programs. She has an outstanding ability to teach psychological concepts and skills in a manner that is interactive, engaging and easily understood. Natalie is passionate about helping others to prioritise their wellbeing and emotional health. She has considerable experience working with psychologically injured workers and holds full accreditation with Workcover Australia.

In individual treatment, Natalie works with both adults and adolescents presenting with a range of issues including work-related stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, life transitions, grief and loss and has considerable experience with workcover clients.  Her approach to treatment is based on a collaborative process with the person to empower them to make change through validation and acceptance. Natalie utilises a range of evidence-based therapies in her practice, including mindfulness-based treatment, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy and family system approaches.

Natalie holds a Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology, a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) and full registration as a Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).  Natalie is also an avid traveller, mother, reader, beach lover and meditator.

Dean Yates

Dean Yates was head of mental health and wellbeing strategy at Reuters, the world’s largest news provider, for nearly three years until January 2020. Before that he was a journalist, bureau chief and senior editor at Reuters for more than 22 years. A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder in early 2016 ended his news career. Dean was later told he had moral injury as well.

Dean was a top news editor for Reuters in Asia; bureau chief in Baghdad during which three of his staff were killed in 2007 and a deputy bureau chief in Jerusalem and Jakarta. He covered the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia’s Aceh province and the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings. He first covered an earthquake in Indonesia in 1994. He has been admitted three times to the Ward 17 psychiatric unit in Melbourne.

Dean is writing a memoir about the journey that he and his family have been on during 20 years of PTSD and more than a decade of moral injury. He is finding new meaning in life and rediscovering what is most important — family. His memoir is called Ward 17: The Key To Hope Lies Here. Dean is also an outspoken advocate on workplace mental health, press freedom, government accountability and transparency as well as other issues.

Professor Samuel Harvey

Professor Samuel Harvey is the Chief Scientist and Executive Director at The Black Dog Institute. He is also Lead Researcher within the Workplace Mental Health Research Team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Sam is a psychiatrist, general practitioner and epidemiologist with a particular interest in the relationship between mental health and work.  His post at UNSW is the first clinical academic position in workplace mental health in Australia and one of the very few academic positions worldwide to focus specifically on the relationship between mental health and work.  Professor Harvey provides expert advice in the development of Mindarma.

John McGarvey

Advisory Board Member

John is a Senior Fire Fighter and Rescue Operator with Fire & Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) and a senior member of the Critical Incident Peer Support Team. John works extensively with firefighters and their families to provide education, support and advice on mental health problems, including the stress associated with exposure to traumatic events.

The co-author of Fire & Rescue’s Peer Support Officer education session on mental health and critical incident stress, John regularly travels across NSW to present this information and engage with firefighters and their families.

A Mental Health First Aid instructor, John delivers training to first responders across the emergency service sector and has also worked with military veterans and other community groups facilitating Mental Health Fist Aid.

After becoming involved with Mindarma in 2016, John facilitated some of the first information sessions associated with the randomised control trial (RCT) of the original pilot program (RAW) at FRNSW and continues to be an advocate for the program. Passionate about first responder mental health, John is always looking for evidence-based programs to promote and implement.

In 2019 John was nominated as a finalist in the Rotary NSW Emergency Services Community Awards for his work in Mental Health & the Peer Support Arena.

Away from work, John is an avid bushwalker and loves nothing more than being out in nature – whether it be a dry and rocky outback track or a wind-swept, snow-covered mountain. He is energised by the remoteness and beauty, but is also partial to the odd 5-star food and wine adventure to recover from his wilderness experiences.

Dr Mark Deady

Advisory Board Member

Dr Mark Deady is a UNSW Senior Research Fellow based at the Black Dog Institute, and the research lead within the Workplace Mental Health Research Program.

He has over thirteen years research experience in the field of mental health and substance use disorders. Dr Deady has extensive expertise in the development of digital interventions, online service delivery, clinical trial evaluation and workplace mental health. His primary research interest is in improving access to evidence-based prevention and early intervention through technology and the translation of research into practice, particularly in vulnerable populations including young people and high-risk workforces.

Louise Howard

Advisory Board Member

Louise Howard is a qualified Health and Safety professional with over 10 years’ experience leading large-scale billion dollar infrastructure projects encompassing civil, rail and electrical works. In 2020 she was named one of The Australian Financial Review’s BOSS Young Executives of the Year, as well as a finalist for NSW Public Servant of the Year. She not only sits on the Audit & Risk Committee for Western Sydney University, but also the Board of Directors for the Australian Institute of Health & Safety.

Louise has recently led the Transport for NSW Health and Safety branch of 140 people in specialist and generalist disciplines. Her role as Deputy Executive Director Health and Safety at Sydney Metro sees her lead a team of 50 people with an effective influence over approx. 6000 construction workers to deliver on the State Government’s Future 2056 vision.

She has worked in safety, operations and risk consulting across the health, education, transport and power industries – both public and private sector – and regularly takes part in events and forums to share her experience and insights.

Louise was inspired to get involved in health and safety work after her own experience of a workplace injury in her family. It is a subject close to her heart and one she believes we should all champion in whichever field of work we serve.

Dr Aimee Gayed

Advisory Board Member

Dr Aimee Gayed is a registered psychologist with experience working in the research, professional education and clinical settings across mental health and criminological domains. In 2015, Aimee joined the Workplace Mental Health Research Team at the University of New South Wales, Black Dog Institute, to commence a PhD developing and evaluating an online mental health training program for managers, to help them better understand and better support the mental health needs of the staff they supervise. She is currently extending this work through her current role as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the Team, investigating the benefits of evidence-based workplace interventions designed to enhance managers’ ability to discuss mental health matters with their staff, and increase their implementation of managerial techniques that promote a more mentally healthy workplaces for their team.

Jenny Wong

Advisory Board Member

Having worked with a diverse range of workers including those from the emergency response sector over the past 15 years, Jenny sees many who become unwell due to psychological distress and burnout.

Jenny has an enduring passion to learn about mental health and mental illness. She is committed to protecting and improving mental health outcomes for all workers and aims to help not only those people struggling, but also to prevent stigma and bring a better understanding to families, friends, and the wider community.

“The range of psychopathology that one deals with on a daily basis in the mental health field can be broad and often difficult. However, if we tend to focus on mental illness, few will move beyond this as their major way of conceptualizing the world. Shifting the focus to mental health allows for growth, change and a general acceptance that it is the power of the individual and not necessarily the provider that fosters change and psychological well-being. Being aware of your mental health is important because it affects every single other facet of your daily living and functioning. Without awareness, it is difficult to pinpoint why you are so stressed or having problems with daily life. When you take a moment to stop and think about how you feel, it can be overwhelming sometimes, so we often ignore our mental health. Only when you acknowledge mental health issues are you able to seek treatment and function normally again. ‘Treatment’ can be something as simple as 5 minutes of meditation, getting a relaxing massage or sharing your feelings with someone who cares about you.” says Jenny

Jenny is determined to work in the mental health field until the day comes when a person with depression or anxiety or other mental health condition is treated with the same respect and equality as someone being treated for diabetes or the flu.