In this episode of the ProSocial Podcast, social worker and well-being advocate Zander Keig introduces the Third Space Well-Being Model, a framework designed to help helping professionals cultivate sustainable self-care, emotional resilience, and personal integrity. Drawing on decades of experience in mental health, healthcare, and caregiving settings, Keig challenges traditional approaches to wellness that focus solely on stress reduction and adaptation.
The discussion explores how chronic over-adaptation, people-pleasing, and conformity pressures can lead to emotional exhaustion, burnout, and a loss of connection with one’s authentic self. Through the model’s four core domains (self-trust, psychological flexibility, dignity preservation, and sustainable authenticity), listeners are invited to examine how they can remain true to their values while navigating the demands of work, family, and society.
The conversation also addresses the hidden costs of burnout, the difference between self-care and self-soothing, the role of boundaries, and the importance of balancing personal well-being with service to others. Grounded in the NASW Code of Ethics, the episode offers a thoughtful approach to flourishing that emphasizes authenticity, resilience, and psychological sustainability rather than mere survival.
Whether you are a social worker, caregiver, healthcare professional, or anyone seeking greater well-being, this episode provides practical insights for building a life that is both meaningful and sustainable.
“We shouldn’t have to erase who we are to belong.”
“Self-trust is central to sustainable mental health.”
“Living in alignment with your values fosters well-being.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the ProSocial Podcast
01:47 Introducing the Third Space Well-Being Model
03:04 Understanding Well-Being and Exhaustion
06:17 Exploring Psychological Sustainability
11:10 The Core Principles of the Third Space Model
13:49 The Impact of Overadaptation
20:41 The Four Domains of Well-Being
24:39 Self-Trust as a Protective Factor
29:20 Psychological Flexibility in Complex Situations
32:01 Dignity Preservation and Authenticity
39:25 Burnout and Moral Injury in Social Work
45:32 Clinical Applications of the Third Space Model
47:35 Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare Professionals
50:09 Shifting from Performance to Presence
52:24 The Importance of Self-Care for Helping Professionals
54:52 Practices for Sustainable Well-Being
56:30 The Role of Authenticity and Self-Trust
01:00:23 Defining the True Self
01:05:01 The Disconnect in Social Work Self-Care
01:10:00 Self-Care vs. Self-Soothing
01:13:27 Balancing Individual Needs with Systemic Change
01:20:15 Navigating the Tensions in Professional Relationships
ProSocial Workers is a subsidiary of the Institute for Liberal Values, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization promoting pluralistic, free, and democratic societies. The Institute for Liberal Values is ProSocial Workers’ fiscal sponsor.
Social workers and others seeking continuing education credit may learn more by going to ProSocialWorkers.com
ProSocial Workers, provider #2002, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: May 6, 2026 - May 6, 2029. Social workers completing this course receive 1 ethics continuing education credits.
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