4h ago

044: Rhea Mercado - Reflections on May 2026

Ten Minutes With... Rhea Mercado Find Rhea Mercado: Linkedin Rhea records a solo episode reflecting on May 2026, when she travelled across regional New South Wales on a StateCover Mutual roadshow representing It Pays to Care, running morning workshops for local government injury management, WHS, and HR professionals. She describes how work travel often means only seeing airports, hotels, and venues, and shares her control-focused routines, in-flight listening habits, and ability to nap and wake for snacks. Highlights include dinners with the roadshow crew, visiting Coffs Harbour’s Big Banana with rehabber Claire, eating at Alfio’s in Orange, and a five-hour drive to Tamworth with Clayton Waters. In Tamworth she learns about Combined Driving Events and notes a presentation masterclass by Peter Bell and Natalie Salameh. 00:00 Back from the Road 01:03 Travel Routine and Control 01:33 Flying Habits and Snacks 02:39 Regional Dinners and Big Bananas 03:55 Pizza on Pineapple Debate 04:26 Fog Delays and Tamworth Dash 05:50 Road Trip with Clayton 07:56 Tamworth CDE Discovery 09:39 Making Boring Awards Engaging 11:10 What May Taught Me 12:39 Final Thanks and Sign Off "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 min

Jun 4

043: Warwick Brown

Ten Minutes With... Warwick Brown Find Warwick: Linkedin | At Work OH& S Linkedin | At Work OH&S What is EMDR? A 10-Minute Breakdown with Psychologist Warwick In a short podcast chat, Rhea speaks with Psychologist Warwick, who has 25 years’ experience and runs At Work OH&S, a business providing both rehab and treatment with a focus on trauma and pain management. Warwick explains how he moved into trauma work through assisting pharmacies after hold-ups and later chronic pain work via rehab providers. The main discussion introduces Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), described as a gold-standard trauma treatment also used for pain, using bilateral stimulation to induce a REM-like state so the brain can process “target memories” without requiring retelling. Warwick outlines identifying a target memory and negative belief, running stimulation in sets, checking client responses, and aiming to keep the memory while removing distress; he notes it can be highly effective for some clients but isn’t suitable for everyone, so clinicians trial tolerability and may use trauma-focused CBT instead. 00:00 Intro 00:42 Meet Warwick 01:27 Why Trauma Pain 02:31 What Is EMDR 04:06 How EMDR Works 06:08 Target Memories Setup 07:16 Rhea's Skepticism 08:22 Who It Helps 09:56 Wrap Up "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 min

May 21

042: Jo Muirhead

Ten Minutes With... First Last Find Jo Muirhead: Linkedin | Website | Book | The Entrepreneurial Clinician Podcast Jo joins Rhea to share lessons from her lived experience after being diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in 2020, drawing on 30 years as a Rehabilitation Counsellor and noting how even compliant patients can be labelled non-compliant or disengaged. She explains rehab counselling as career development, case management, and support for adjustment to disability after medical and allied health care. Jo shares five lessons she learnt along her recovery journey. Exercise is not a panacea and may be limited by intolerance work is not always wellness and must be “good work,” as pushing through prolonged her sensitivity and distress Pacing is principles-based and varies day to day Adjustment is not the absence of grief or anger but the ability to function alongside them Being unwell carries a heavy administrative workload. She describes an identity shift away from work, a more trauma-informed, choice-based approach, and prioritising self-care, relationships, and connection. Jo will be speaking at the upcoming ASORC conference in Sydney, Australia on 19 June 2026. 00:00 Right On Time Intro 00:18 Podcast And Cancer Story 01:58 What Rehab Counsellors Do 03:49 Five Rehab Wake Up Calls 07:51 Identity Shift After Illness 09:24 Choosing Priorities With Limited Energy 12:28 Closing Thanks And ASORC Plug "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 min

May 14

041: Tom Alder

Ten Minutes With... Tom Alder Find Tom Alder: Linkedin | Alder Consultancy In a 10-minute interview, Adelaide physio and rehab consultant Tom Alder explains his background in occupational health and injury management and how he recently branched out to run his own business. He shares his origin story in workers compensation, describing initial reluctance due to the clunky system, limited communication, and delays between injury, claim acceptance, and receiving supports, which made cases feel “too hard.” After joining CHG through a persistent friend and seeing their early intervention programs, he grew to enjoy the challenge and the opportunity to support injured people amid many stakeholders. Tom also describes competitive sailing as an immersive “third space” for focus, adrenaline, and community, and connects sailing and physiotherapy through the concept of optimizing “setup” to achieve better outcomes. 00:00 Show Intro 00:45 Meet Tom Alder 01:43 Workers Comp Origin 04:11 Myths and Reality 06:15 Sailing as Reset 07:45 Setup Philosophy 09:44 Wrap Up and Credits "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 min

May 7

040: Allicia Tsolis

Ten Minutes With... Allicia Tsolis Find Allicia: Linkedin "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 min

Apr 30

039: Mereesha Gadiagellan

Ten Minutes With...Mereesha Gadiagellan Find Mereesha Gadiagellan: Linkedin | Injury Sense | InjurySense on Linkedin Host Rhea Mercado interviews Mereesha Gadiagellan on The Intelligent Rebellion’s “Ten Minutes With” about workers compensation and injury management. Mereesha, a neuroscience-focused occupational therapist and ARPA award winner for exceptional professional injury management advisor, discusses launching her clinical business InjurySense to address cognitive issues in claims, especially concussion and traumatic brain injury. She explains that concussion recovery is not straightforward and can function like a system-wide capacity problem involving cognition, autonomic nervous system regulation, sleep, energy, pain, and overlapping whiplash symptoms. Mereesha describes common signs such as fatigue, poor sleep, dizziness, light sensitivity, nausea, and concentration problems, which can progress into anxiety, stress, and depression if untreated. She notes women can have more severe and prolonged symptoms due to hormonal cycles, and urges early referral to concussion-specialist physiotherapy or occupational therapy to reduce dysregulation and claim duration. 00:00 Show Intro 00:56 Meet Mereesha 02:20 InjurySense Explained 03:13 Why Cognition Gets Missed 05:08 Real Claim Example 07:41 Concussion Symptoms 101 08:58 Women and Hormones 10:02 Frontline Tips and Wrap 11:14 Credits and Outro "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 min

Apr 23

038: Heath Thomas

Ten Minutes With... Heath Thomas Find Heath: Linkedin "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 min

Apr 17

Replay: 05 Humanising Healthcare with James Ellis

In 2021, we recorded a powerful conversation with James Ellis on "The Intelligent Rebellion" podcast, and its message is more relevant now than ever. This is the 10min version of that conversation. This conversation critiques healthcare and return-to-work systems that prioritise KPIs, costs, and profit over seeing patients as people. James and Rhea discuss the ethical tension of running a for-profit healthcare business while maintaining duty of care, and draw a clear line against profit-driven decisions that extend treatment beyond what is ethically and scientifically best. They explore intuition, when it’s reliable (deep familiarity) and when it misleads (job interviews) and connect it to evidence-based practice, arguing that hunches often spark research while science helps overcome bias, though it can be misused. James emphasises that supporting injured workers requires trust and listening, but billing models and “billable hours” push clinicians toward prescribing over listening, limiting true “hours of care.” Despite the years that have passed, these topics remain integral to understanding and reforming our approach to healthcare and compensation. The insights shared by James continue to spark thought and drive conversations in our industry today. We invite you to listen to this episode and reflect on how we can continue to improve our systems for all the humans within. Listen to the full episode Find James Ellis: Linkedin | Framework Group | "Ten Minutes With" is brought to you by The Intelligent Rebellion and is a Threesticks Production. Copyright (c) Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado (R) The team who produce the The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast acknowledge the traditional owners and ongoing custodians of the land on which the podcast is recorded. We are located on the land of the Dharug people. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to the Elders past, present and emerging The Intelligent Rebellion Podcast, and Ten Minutes With Podcast is a Threesticks Production. Hosted and Produced by Rhea Mercado. Our Emperor of Sound, Original Music Man and Executive Producer is Wills. Copyright 2026 Threesticks Pty Ltd & Rhea Mercado®. THE BIG PRINT - DISCLAIMER The contents of this program / podcast is made available for entertainment purposes. The views and information expressed by the Guests of the program represents the view and opinions of the Guest and does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of Rhea Mercado® and/or Threesticks Pty Ltd. The information presented in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any other professional rehabilitation advice, injury management advice, rehabilitation advice, medical advice, legal advice, financial advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor a substitute for guidelines, legislations, frameworks, processes or procedures. We encourage you always seek advice which meets your personal and/or professional circumstances and specific needs. Rhea Mercado® and Threesticks Pty Ltd hereby disclaims any and all liability to any part for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is and without warranties.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 min

The Intelligent Rebellion

044: Rhea Mercado - Reflections on May 2026

043: Warwick Brown

042: Jo Muirhead

041: Tom Alder

040: Allicia Tsolis

039: Mereesha Gadiagellan

038: Heath Thomas

Replay: 05 Humanising Healthcare with James Ellis

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The Intelligent Rebellion

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044: Rhea Mercado - Reflections on May 2026

043: Warwick Brown

042: Jo Muirhead

041: Tom Alder

040: Allicia Tsolis

039: Mereesha Gadiagellan

038: Heath Thomas

Replay: 05 Humanising Healthcare with James Ellis

Trailers

About

Information

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