PROTECT | Values Guided Suicide Prevention
by Manaan Kar Ray
75 | Heart of STEPS: State, Source, Span & Scenario
About this podcast
HEALING WITH HOPE | A Journey of Mental Wellbeing, Resilience, and Connection
Welcome to PROTECT, a transformative podcast dedicated to nurturing mental well-being, building resilience, and fostering hope. At its core, PROTECT is about the power of human connection—exploring how values like compassion, belonging, and loyalty can become lifelines for those facing challenges. Founded on the principle of Relational Safety, this podcast moves beyond traditional perspectives, asking not “what’s the matter with you?” but “what matters to you?”—empowering both professionals and individuals in their journey to chip away at pain and build strength.
Hosted by Dr. Manaan Kar Ray, an innovator and leader in mental health crisis care with over a decade of experience at Oxford and Cambridge, and now the Director of Mental Health Services at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, PROTECT is changing the way we think about suicide prevention. Each episode blends leading-edge research with person-centered practice, bringing insights that promote hope, purpose, and resilience.
In our new focus, we introduce the STEPS 4 HOPE podcast series—an intimate exploration of suicide prevention through story, metaphor, and values-based connection. This season follows Ari’s Tapestry, a narrative journey through the six STEPS of suicidal distress: FABRIC, THREAD, NEEDLE, TIP, MEND, and FLOW. Each episode blends poetic storytelling, clinical insight, and emotional resonance to help listeners better understand what risk feels like—and how to respond with presence, curiosity, and care. Grounded in the HOPE framework, this series is a companion for anyone seeking to support others through pain, or to reweave their own path forward.
Whether you’re a clinician, caregiver, educator, or someone walking your own recovery journey, this podcast is an essential resource for all those who care deeply about mental health, suicide prevention, and building communities that thrive on connection and kindness.
Further information at www.PROGRESS.guide.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 76 episodes
- 75 | Heart of STEPS: State, Source, Span & Scenario · 53 min · Season 4 Episode 10Would love to hear your thoughts... In this episode we move from concept to practice, stepping into the four anchors at the centre of the STEPS model: State, Source, Span, and…
- 74 | Top to Tap - World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 Special · 46 min · Season 4 Episode 9Would love to hear your thoughts... Progress to Practice This World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 Special episode explores the three critical mindset shifts that bring suicide…
- Creating Hope Through Action – Commemorating World Suicide Prevention Day · 4 min · Season 4 Episode 8Would love to hear your thoughts... A Song for World Suicide Prevention Day Released on 10 September 2025 for World Suicide Prevention Day, this original song captures the heart…
- 73 | Woven Together: Ari's Tapestry · 39 min · Season 4 Episode 8Would love to hear your thoughts... This episode is a deliberate pause: a chance to gather the threads of Ari’s journey and see the STEPS model as a whole. We begin with the…
- 72 | The Weaving Resumes: The FLOW of Life in Motion · 37 min · Season 4 Episode 7Would love to hear your thoughts... In this episode, we return to Ari a month after her attempt — not at an ending, but at a continuation. This is FLOW, the phase of living in…
- 71 | Stitching What Remains: MEND · 29 min · Season 4 Episode 6Would love to hear your thoughts... MEND – After the Rupture, the Reweaving Begins After a suicide attempt, survival is not the end of the story — it’s the fragile beginning of…
- 70 | Moment of Action: TIP Breaks Through · 31 min · Season 4 Episode 5Would love to hear your thoughts... Action - We enter the fourth phase of the STEPS model — TIP — the moment when suicidal thought becomes action. TIP is an acronym for: T –…
- 69 | Sharpened Edges: Eye of the NEEDLE · 20 min · Season 4 Episode 4Would love to hear your thoughts... Intention and the Quiet Planning of Death When risk tightens, our questions must soften. This is where the thread turns sharp. Sometimes the…
- 68 | Tangled Thoughts: Following the THREAD · 25 min · Season 4 Episode 3Would love to hear your thoughts... Ideation. It doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it starts with a whisper—“I’m just tired.” Other times, it circles silently, gaining…
- 67 | Frayed Beginnings: The Worn FABRIC · 26 min · Season 4 Episode 2Would love to hear your thoughts... Predisposition and the Invisible Unravelling Where suicide risk begins — quietly, invisibly. This episode explores the earliest, often…
- 66 | From Sunny to Ari: The Story Behind the Song · 27 min · Season 4 Episode 1Would love to hear your thoughts... STEPS 4 HOPE: Suicide Prevention Through Story, Song & Meaning Welcome to PROTECT (Season 4), a podcast where suicide prevention meets story…
- 65 | S010 | Strength Within · 43 min · Season 3 Episode 26Would love to hear your thoughts... Explore Sunny's Values Scouts Wrapping Up The Courage to Explore In this heartfelt final episode of 2024, the PROTECT Podcast explores the…
- 64 | S009 | The Magic of Wonder · 31 min · Season 3 Episode 25Would love to hear your thoughts... Explore Sunny's Values Scouts In Episode 64 of the PROTECT Podcast, Dr. Manaan Kar Ray and Mahi explore the transformative value of Wonder…
- 063 | S008 | Curiosity Lights the Way · 32 min · Season 3 Episode 24Would love to hear your thoughts... Explore Sunny's Values Scouts In this heartwarming episode of the PROTECT Podcast, we explore the transformative power of curiosity. Join Dr…
- 062 | S007 | Adventure in the Forest · 29 min · Season 3 Episode 23Would love to hear your thoughts... Sunny's Values Scouts on Amazon In Episode 62 of the PROTECT Podcast, Mahi and Dr. Manaan Kar Ray explore the thrilling value of adventure…
- 61 | S006 | Courage in the Savannah · 44 min · Season 3 Episode 22Would love to hear your thoughts... Sunny's Values Scouts on Amazon In Episode 61, Courage in the Savanah, Mahi and Dr. Manaan Kar Ray dive into courage—the strength to move…
- 60 | S005 | Loyalty in the Ice · 33 min · Season 3 Episode 21Would love to hear your thoughts... Sunny's Values Scouts on Amazon Join hosts Mahi and Dr. Manaan Kar Ray for a heartfelt exploration of loyalty in Episode 60 of the PROTECT…
- 59 | S004 | Family Ties · 38 min · Season 3 Episode 20Would love to hear your thoughts... Sunny's Values Scouts on Amazon The Value of Family: Roots, Resilience, and Dolphin Dreams Welcome to Episode 59 of the PROTECT Podcast!…
- 58 | S003 | Connecting the Dots · 38 min · Season 3 Episode 19Would love to hear your thoughts... Sunny's Values Scouts on Amazon Exploring the Value of Connection The Essence of Inter-being: A Lesson from Oliver the Octopus In this…
- 57 | S002 | Acceptance at the Lagoon · 35 min · Season 3 Episode 18Would love to hear your thoughts... Sunny's Values Scouts on Amazon Exploring Acceptance: Lessons from Sunny’s Value Scouts In this episode of the PROTECT Podcast, we continue…







