Why Leaders Avoid Mental Health Conversations with Dr. Kennette Thigpen
Thu Jan 22 2026
Attention to mental health is not a workplace benefit. It is the factor that makes or breaks your workplace. In this episode of High Octane Leadership, Donald Thompson sits down with Dr. Kennette Thigpen, Chief Clinical Officer at Workplace Options, to explore why embedding psychological safety is mission critical to your success as a leader and organization.
What You'll Learn:
How to truly infuse mental health into your organizational culture, policies and daily practices in the context of employee engagement and retention The Psychosocial Risk Framework your new risk assessment tool to identify systemlevel stressors that create presenteeism, absenteeism and turnoverWhy psychological safety is your secret weapon for high performance teams
About the Guest(s)
Dr. Kennette Thigpen is the Chief Clinical Officer at Workplace Options, where she oversees clinical excellence, quality and service delivery across a global mental health and employee assistance platform. With a background in clinical social work and mental health counseling, Dr. Thigpen brings deep expertise in workplace mental wellbeing, psychological safety, and organizational culture transformation. She is the author of “Cut Yourself Some Slack: 52 Tips to Boost Your Mental Health for a Happier, Healthier, and More Hopeful You”, a practical microlearning resource born from five years of weekly mental health insights shared across social media. Over the course of her career, her work has directly impacted thousands of employees globally, demonstrating that authentic mental health advocacy at the leadership level creates a cascading effect that strengthens organizational culture, engagement and, ultimately, better business outcomes.
Resources:
Connect with Dr. Kennette ThigpenWorkplace Options Website Donald Thompson LinkedInHigh Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence.
Order UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO’S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS, by Donald Thompson.
High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence.
Order UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO’S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS, by Donald Thompson.
More
Attention to mental health is not a workplace benefit. It is the factor that makes or breaks your workplace. In this episode of High Octane Leadership, Donald Thompson sits down with Dr. Kennette Thigpen, Chief Clinical Officer at Workplace Options, to explore why embedding psychological safety is mission critical to your success as a leader and organization. What You'll Learn: How to truly infuse mental health into your organizational culture, policies and daily practices in the context of employee engagement and retention The Psychosocial Risk Framework your new risk assessment tool to identify systemlevel stressors that create presenteeism, absenteeism and turnoverWhy psychological safety is your secret weapon for high performance teams About the Guest(s) Dr. Kennette Thigpen is the Chief Clinical Officer at Workplace Options, where she oversees clinical excellence, quality and service delivery across a global mental health and employee assistance platform. With a background in clinical social work and mental health counseling, Dr. Thigpen brings deep expertise in workplace mental wellbeing, psychological safety, and organizational culture transformation. She is the author of “Cut Yourself Some Slack: 52 Tips to Boost Your Mental Health for a Happier, Healthier, and More Hopeful You”, a practical microlearning resource born from five years of weekly mental health insights shared across social media. Over the course of her career, her work has directly impacted thousands of employees globally, demonstrating that authentic mental health advocacy at the leadership level creates a cascading effect that strengthens organizational culture, engagement and, ultimately, better business outcomes. Resources: Connect with Dr. Kennette ThigpenWorkplace Options Website Donald Thompson LinkedInHigh Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence. Order UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO’S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS, by Donald Thompson. High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence. Order UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO’S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS, by Donald Thompson.