Dan Berstein: Mental health stigma and the courage to find your voice

US-based mediator, author and mental health advocate Dan Berstein brings a powerful perspective shaped by his lived experience with bipolar disorder and his work in dispute resolution. Founder of MH Mediate and co-founder of the Dispute Resolution in Mental Health Initiative at the CUNY Dispute Resolution Center, Dan has spent more than a decade helping courts, legal practitioners and organisations better navigate mental health and conflict. Through personal stories - including family estrangement and professional challenges - Dan shines a light on stigma, resilience and the courage it takes to find voice + help others do the same.

Special Note: We recorded this episode in June 2025. Dan asked to delay the release because he was struggling with next steps related to the mental illness stigma conflicts discussed in the episode. Now, he has launched DisabilityRadar.com to help anyone who might be targeted by the exclusionary mental illness "radars" we discussed in this episode. He also suggested we air the podcast now, nine months after it was recorded.

Keep track of new stories at https://conflictstories.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(16)

Lucinda Light: Trolls, triggers and the journey of refinement

TV personality, author + passionate advocate for emotional intelligence and authentic human connection, Lucinda Light became a global favourite on Married at First Sight Australia, bringing warmth, ho...

14 Sep 45min

Laura May: From conflict shark to collaborative owl

Global mediator, people-centred leader and conflict innovator Laura May PhD shares her international journey through mediation, leadership and organisational change. From growing up in Tasmania to liv...

20 Jul 42min

Dean Yates: Trauma, moral injury, and organisational betrayal

Former Reuters Bureau Chief, Author and Workplace Mental Health Advocate Dean Yates spent 26 years reporting from the front lines of history - including the Bali bombings, Boxing Day tsunami and Iraq ...

19 Mai 48min

Tracey Spicer: #MeToo, newsrooms and speaking truth to power

Award-winning journalist, best-selling author and change-maker Tracey Spicer shares her powerful journey through conflict in the media, advocacy and public life. From navigating discrimination in Aus...

8 Feb 48min

Mayur Katariya: From inner peace to outer peace

Meditation teacher, filmmaker + university leader Mayur Katariya has lived a life shaped by cultural crossroads and inner evolution. Growing up in Gujarat, conflict largely lay beneath the surface of ...

17 Des 202548min

Ian Stephens: The inner game behind outer success

Award-winning speaker, author, and sales + mindset master - Ian Stephens’ story is one of grit, reinvention + deep personal growth. Born “cold, wet, bald and hungry… and then things got worse,” Ian’s ...

12 Nov 202547min

Debbie Dunn: When the stories that once silenced us set us free

Narrative therapist and mediator Debbie Dunn shares her remarkable journey from being dishonourably discharged from the British Women’s Air Force for her same-sex relationship to becoming a pioneering...

8 Okt 202546min