Silent Warriors Podcast

Episode 17 - Leonie Lam - How Mindfulness improves Mental Health

Leonie Lam is a Career Coach, Corporate Trainer and Speaker. She is also a Meditation Teacher and aMindfulness Practitioner. She has been self-employed in these various roles for over 15 years. Shehas held Training and HR roles at Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, Veolia Water, and Western SydneyUniversity.
As a Career Coach, Leonie has directly helped 300+ people secure employment in Australia, andindirectly she has helped thousands of people in their career development. 
As a Trainer, she has empowered individuals and organisations to enhance their performance andachieve excellence in everything they do. Her training programs consistently receive exceptionalfeedback, reflecting her ability to deliver engaging and impactful learning experiences. For more information about Leonie and her work, please visit https://www.myfocus.com.au/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonielam/
Insight Timer – Meditation App  https://insighttimer.com/leonielam
In recent years, Leonie has incorporated meditation and mindfulness practices into her training andcoaching programs. Last year, she has been delivering Mindful Wednesdays in the communitycentre and it has been well received in the community.
The session may include a variety of the below activities:
MeditationMindfulness Practices e.g. Eating MeditationGratitude practiceJournalingReflectionsOpen Heart DiscussionsTo book, please visit our Event Calendar
In this episode, Leonie shares her own journey of mental health challenges and how she personallyused mindfulness practices to help her. Her intention in sharing her journey is to help others to learnmore about mental health and mindfulness practices.
If you are experiencing depression, or going through some mental health challenges, you can seekhelp.
In Australia, there are free and confidential services ready to help:
Lifeline – Call 13 11 14 (24/7)If you’re in emotional distress or feeling unsafe, trained counsellors are available anytime. Beyond Blue – Call 1300 22 4636 or chat onlineSupport for anxiety, depression, and wellbeing, with resources for individuals and families.
Kids Helpline (ages 5–25) – Call 1800 55 1800 (24/7)A safe space for children and young people to talk about anything that’s worrying them.
HeadspaceMental health support for young people, including walk-in centres and online counselling.https://headspace.org.au/
Mental Health & Wellbeing Support | Neami NationalSafe and inclusive mental health and wellbeing support.Medicare Mental Health Centres are a welcoming space for anyone to access free mentalhealth, social and emotional wellbeing support.  https://www.neaminational.org.au/
Your GPA trusted GP can help create a Mental Health Care Plan, giving access to subsidised counselling sessions. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/mental-health-care-and-medicare?context=60092
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 000.Asking for help is not a weakness — it is an act of strength. You deserve care, understanding, andhope. Someone is ready to listen. 💙

Episode 16 - Mark D. Flores - Guiding Kids in a Digital World

Mark is a creative entrepreneur and co-founder of Kimlligraphy, a nationwide calligraphy personalisation agency based in Sydney. He has led and facilitated over 50 live in-person workshops and presentations, sharing his expertise in experiential marketing, branding, video storytelling and creative business. Mark's work has also been featured on national radio, including appearances on SBS, where he speaks about creativity, human connection and the art of personalised experience. Beyond his professional work, Mark is deeply committed to conscious living and intentional growth, having practiced conscious parenting for the past 7.5 years with his wife Kim. He embraces life as a tennis dad while home schooling his son, Hendrix, and spending time with his daughter, Riley.

Episode 15 - David Collins-White - A career in teaching music

David Collins-White is one of Australia's leading music educators, having taught music for over 24 years to primary school children. He is a totemic figure within the Mentoring community, as well as nationally in amongst music educators. In 2015, David collaborated with the late Richard Gill AO, who he had been taught by in his early years at the Sydney Conservatorium. David helped to develop what is now the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program. He participated in the pilot program and has since gone on to mentor 15 teachers across four schools in NSW and Queensland. Prior to this, David has been teaching at Haberfield Primary School for 24 years, teaching all 650 students and coordinating or conducting all 10 music ensembles. Beyond the school he has been the artistic director of the NSW Department of Education choral concert, Cantabile Music Festival for 24 years performed at the Sydney Opera House. He has also been the Artistic Director of the NSW Department of Education’s Expanding Horizons performing arts school tours to China in 2012 and 2016.

Episode 14 - Maria Tran - If it were your last day, how would you like to be remembered?

Maria Tran is a Vietnamese-Australian actress, martial artist, producer, filmmaker and director based in Sydney, Australia and Las Vegas, Nevada. In this episode, Maria shares some of her experiences and views on living out your last days

Episode 13 - Sussan Huynh - The Confidence Project

In this episode, Sussan Huynh shares her story on why she started The Confidence Project. She is on a mission to help 10,000 young people to boost their confidence, improve their self esteem and transform their mindset all while empowering them with confidence to embrace their identities. For more information, please visit theconfidenceproject.com.au

Episode 12 - Rachel Brittliff - Derek's Place

When Rachel's brother Derek had 2 weeks left to live, they moved to a palliative care facility. Derek's wife Natasha had to choose between staying by Derek’s side at night or ensuring their son had the comfort of a parent at home. The palliative care facility didn't allow children to stay overnight. This has inspired them to build a place where families can remain together in the terminal phase of a parent's illness. In this episode, Rachel shares her journey over the last 6 years.
For more information and to support her charity, please visit https://dereksplace.org.au/

Episode 11 - Dr. Tran Hong Van - Vietschool

Dr Tran hosts a weekly SBS radio program “Maintaining Vietnamese together” with nearly 70 episodes to date. She is Principal of Vietschool, a non-for-profit which promotes Vietnamese language and culture in Australia through fun, play-based learning and community activities. In this eposide, Dr Tran talks about the importance of maintaining a second language at home and offers some tips

Episode 10 - Jean Kouriel - Ashfield Pirates

Jean Kouriel is President of Ashfield Pirates Football Club. In this podcast, Jean shares the story of why he started the club and explains the benefits of participating in team sport.

Episode 9 - Monira Hoque - Organ and Tissue Donation

Monira was born in Bangladesh and grew up in South Africa and Australia. She now resides permanently in Sydney, with her young family of 4. With a background in Pharmacy and research, Monira is passionate about translational projects and bringing science closer to the community to foster better understanding and partnerships. She is currently part of a Sydney wide project to educate the community about organ and tissue donation, particularly in the Bangladeshi Australian communities. Monira also loves painting, crafting, baking and thrifting!

Episode 8 - Alan Suy - Maddy's story

After losing his daughter Maddy to DIPG, Alan shares for the first time Maddy's medical journey at a speech he gave at the Rotary club in March 2025. Find out how he is dealing with the loss and his plans for the future