Safe Space

About Safe Space

SafeSpace is a new grounding and respite podcast aimed at Healthcare Professionals focused on staff wellbeing in the healthcare work environment, a grossly overlooked issue and yet, I would argue, the cornerstone of the healthcare system which is why it is crumbling. There are 3 components to the podcast: - Candid interviews with healthcare leaders, and a wide variety of passionate healthcare professionals about their own experiences and struggles with their wellbeing as they have progressed through their careers - Reflective discussions with a clinical psychologist, my co-host, regarding key topics that have arisen such as coping with bullying, depression, burnout, grief, menopause etc - Guided meditations specific to the healthcare worker getting ready for the day ahead, a pause during, and winding down and acceptance following the working day. This podcast is not a panacea or substitute for a formal management plan, but a motivating, and catharsis tool to help during a stressful day.

Publisher

Mariam Pereira

Category

business · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Sept 2024

Latest episode

5 May 2026

Latest episodes

51 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 May 2026

   Compassion in Every Corner: From Rural Nepal to Hospice Leadership

   How do we maintain our humanity in a system that often feels dehumanising? Today, Dr. Melissa Everett joins us to share her remarkable journey through general practice, international medicine, and her role as Medical Director at Nightingale House Hospice. Melissa challenges us to see patients not as "body systems," but as individuals with stories, values, and legacies. We dive into the "patientification" of doctors, the emotional treadmill of palliative care, and why clinical supervision is a non-negotiable tool for longevity in medicine. Melissa also reveals how her personal choice to home-educate her children has shaped her leadership style, teaching her the power of curiosity and individuality. This is an honest look at the "soft" side of medicine that is often the hardest to measure—but the most vital to preserve. Stick around for a special guided sleep meditation at the end of the show to help you unwind. Key Takeaways Holistic Presence: True compassion involves being "curious" about a patient's life story, moving beyond the symptoms to see the person who was once a lorry driver, actor, or shopkeeper. The Vulnerability of Being a Patient: Dr. Mariam shares how wearing a hospital gown and having a cannula immediately "patientified" and overwhelmed her, highlighting the inherent vulnerability in clinical settings. Support as an Investment: Implementing clinical supervision and monthly one-to-ones for staff isn't just a kindness; it is an investment that prevents burnout and improves patient safety. Shame vs. Curiosity in Governance: Shifting the culture of "incident investigations" from blame to curiosity helps dismantle the destructive power of shame among clinicians. Lessons from Home Education: Applying child-centered learning principles to healthcare allows for more flexible, person-centered leadership and care delivery. Quotes "Patients are people with their own stories, their own suffering... they're not just a symptom or a body system." "Medicine so often can be quite dehumanising... you can very easily lose sight of the person." "I don't know if I would have lasted in that job if I hadn't had my clinical supervision." "Shame is such a destructive emotion. And it tends to disappear when you shine a light on it." "Every one of us has the ability to figure things out for ourselves if we're given the chance to." HOST BIO Mariam is a GP trainee in Wales passionate about improving our healthcare colleagues' wellbeing. She has experience on the Schwartz Round Steering group and as a facilitator for her health board, and she created and led the Balint Group Programme for Foundation Doctors in her hospital. These are regular spaces for healthcare professionals to speak about real issues that affect their well-being amongst colleagues to improve mutual support and camaraderie in the workplace. She also holds qualifications in Life Coaching and healthcare leadership and management. Whatever your reason for joining us on this podcast, we are glad you have taken the time. If you are having stressful days at work, leaving you feeling demotivated, and depleted, I'm hoping I can help here. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

2. 

   28 Apr 2026

   Reclaiming Compassion in Healthcare with Dr. Tim Rigg

   In this episode, Mariam and Dr. Tim Rigg explore the transformative power of community-led and holistic primary care. Dr. Rigg, a GP whose international medical journey has spanned from Lewisham to Sydney, New Zealand, and now Frome, Somerset, shares the pivotal moments that led him to question the rigidity and commodification of traditional Western medicine. KEY TAKEAWAYS Toxic hierarchy drives burnout: Early career experiences in academic hospitals often expose junior doctors to ego-driven environments that lack support, pushing many to seek community or overseas roles where the culture is healthier. Treating versus healing: Traditional Western medicine excels at treating disease to achieve an absence of symptoms, but frequently fails to heal individuals to a point where they can truly flourish. The power of community connection: The Frome model's focus on social prescribing and combating loneliness through community initiatives resulted in a dramatic 40% swing in all-cause admissions to the local acute hospital. Holistic health requires four walls: The Māori health model, Te Whare Tapa Whā, conceptualizes well-being as a house requiring physical, psychological, spiritual, and family/community walls, all built on a foundation of connection to the land (whenua). Nature is an essential therapeutic tool: Integrating the natural environment into healthcare, from playing birdsong in clinical waiting rooms to staff nature immersion days, can significantly reduce anxiety and create a genuinely healing atmosphere. BEST MOMENTS "You're treating people to get to a point of an absence of disease. You're not healing them to the point where they can flourish." "The patient was spoken of as more of a commodity rather than actually a human." "Without one piece of it, the house falls down or is ineffective, and considered collectively, it allows for the health of the individual and health of the community at large." "When the chips are down, the people that are involved in the system, and if the system is allowing for it, is able to change." "We're trained to treat. And yet the healing piece is rarely given air to breathe." HOST BIO Mariam is a GP trainee in Wales passionate about improving our healthcare colleagues' wellbeing. She has experience on the Schwartz Round Steering group and as a facilitator for her health board, and she created and led the Balint Group Programme for Foundation Doctors in her hospital. These are regular spaces for healthcare professionals to speak about real issues that affect their well-being amongst colleagues to improve mutual support and camaraderie in the workplace. She also holds qualifications in Life Coaching and healthcare leadership and management. Whatever your reason for joining us on this podcast, we are glad you have taken the time. If you are having stressful days at work, leaving you feeling demotivated, and depleted, I'm hoping I can help here. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

3. 

   21 Apr 2026

   Overcoming Nursing Shock: Dina Paoloni on the International Nurse Experience

   In this episode, Mariam is joined by Dina Paoloni, a pioneer in international nursing with over 22 years of global healthcare experience and the founder of Nurses Move. Dina shares her deeply personal journey into the nursing profession following the tragic loss of her mother, and how her move from Italy to the UK exposed her to the stark cultural and professional differences in nursing worldwide. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Concept of "Nursing Shock": International nurses often experience a severe culture shock when they transition to new countries. This phenomenon, coined "nursing shock" by Dina, occurs because nurses must navigate vastly different professional regulations, scopes of practice, and levels of recognition compared to their native countries. The Need for a Global Identity: Unlike the medical profession, which has a centuries-old established global identity, nursing is a relatively young profession with only about 200 years of history. Systemic Exploitation of International Nurses: Wealthy countries frequently use their monetary power to recruit highly skilled nurses from poorer nations. Unfortunately, these international nurses are often placed in entry-level or lower-banded roles with low pay. The Compounding Nursing Crisis: The healthcare system is facing a severe retention crisis, with undervalued and burned-out nurses leaving the profession entirely. This mass exodus places unprecedented pressure on the remaining staff, including junior doctors, and threatens the stability of the entire healthcare ecosystem. Education as Empowerment: To combat exploitation, it is crucial to educate international nurses about their rights, the new culture, and career pathways before and after they migrate. BEST MOMENTS "I want help the nursing profession to be value as what it is. No less, no more, but what it is." "The medical profession, doctors had their own identity from centuries... This made possible for nurses because nursing is a profession that is kind of young, is 200 years of history." "I call nursing shock because it's really a culture shock in nursing profession." "They use their monetary power to bring nurses from abroad... So these nurses are not valued and kind of exploited in a way or another." "If we educate nurses abroad and in the country, we can help all nurses, native nurses and international nurses." HOST BIO Mariam is a GP trainee in Wales passionate about improving our healthcare colleagues' wellbeing. She has experience on the Schwartz Round Steering group and as a facilitator for her health board, and she created and led the Balint Group Programme for Foundation Doctors in her hospital. These are regular spaces for healthcare professionals to speak about real issues that affect their well-being amongst colleagues to improve mutual support and camaraderie in the workplace. She also holds qualifications in Life Coaching and healthcare leadership and management. Whatever your reason for joining us on this podcast, we are glad you have taken the time. If you are having stressful days at work, leaving you feeling demotivated, and depleted, I'm hoping I can help here. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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