LiftAffect has been working with professional pilots, airlines, flight departments, pilot unions, and pilot assistance programs throughout the world since 2007. Established by commercial airline pilot, mental health professional, and mental skills coach Matt McNeil, LiftAffect specializes in helping professional pilots with depression, anxiety, acute/chronic stress, complex trauma, mental performance issues, as well as alcohol and drug dependency/abuse concerns. LiftAffect is the industry leader in assisting professional pilots with mental health and mental performance-related concerns. We understand the challenges of operating in your environment, because we have operated there ourselves. LiftAffect is committed to providing the most accessible, comprehensive, protective, and effective services available to professional pilots, allowing them the ability to receive the help they rightfully deserve while preserving their ability to fly. At LiftAffect, we are Solution Focused and Results Driven.
The LiftAffect Podcast: Mental Health and Mental Skills Coaching for High-achieving, Overworked, & Overstressed Professionals
Mental Health and Mental Skills Coaching for the Underground (and often Invisible) High-Achieving, Overworked & Overstressed Professionals Working in High-Risk and High-Liability Professions.
Episodes

Friday Dec 19, 2025
Friday Dec 19, 2025
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Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl explore the most frequently asked questions about pilot mental health and their applications for navigating common career challenges. Matt shares strategies for managing late-career anxiety, understanding FAA disclosure processes, conquering reserve sleep issues, handling difficult captains, and building emotional presence at home and in the cockpit. The discussion covers the importance of recognizing when normal stress becomes a concern, supportive frameworks for maintaining relationships under occupational strain, and how intentional practices enhance both professional performance and personal wellbeing, offering practical wisdom for addressing the real-world challenges in the demanding world of aviation. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Dec 12, 2025
Friday Dec 12, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl continue their exploration of grief's profound journey and its applications for navigating loss with heartfulness and acceptance. Matt shares insights on practicing presence through grief, identifying transformative pathways drawn from Mirabai Starr's "Caravan of No Despair," and building frameworks for viewing grief as ongoing connection rather than closure. The discussion covers the importance of embracing unexpected healing channels in navigating both personal loss and continued relationship with those who've died, supportive approaches to heartfulness practices, and how acceptance-based perspectives enhance both resilience and meaning-making, offering practical wisdom for maintaining connection and hope in the transformative world of profound grief. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Dec 05, 2025
Friday Dec 05, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl explore the profound complexity of grief and its applications for navigating loss in both personal and professional contexts. Matt shares insights on understanding grief as a unique personal journey rather than a linear process, identifying the evolution of grief concepts including prolonged grief disorder, and building frameworks for honoring individual experiences with loss. The discussion covers the importance of compassion in navigating both clinical understanding and lived experience, supportive wisdom from renowned grief teachers and authors, and how personalized approaches enhance both healing and resilience, offering practical wisdom for maintaining hope and presence in the difficult world of profound loss. This is part one of a two-part series. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Nov 28, 2025
Friday Nov 28, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl continue their conversation exploring the nuanced relationship between therapy and medication and its applications for mental health treatment in high-stakes professions. Matt shares insights on recognizing when medication becomes necessary, identifying the critical role of early intervention, and building the courage to seek help when needed. The discussion covers the importance of informed decision-making in navigating both personal wellness and professional demands, supportive frameworks for understanding treatment options, and how timely mental health practices enhance both individual recovery and career longevity, offering practical wisdom for maintaining hope in the often-intimidating world of aviation mental health. Happy Thanksgiving from the LiftAffect team. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Nov 07, 2025
Friday Nov 07, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl explore the complex decision-making process around mental health treatment and its applications for pilots navigating FAA regulations. Matt shares insights on weighing medication versus therapy options, identifying the impact of stigma on early intervention, and building frameworks for informed treatment choices. The discussion covers the importance of timely support in navigating both personal mental wellness and professional requirements, supportive approaches to understanding evolving FAA policies, and how proactive mental health practices enhance both individual wellbeing and career sustainability, offering practical wisdom for maintaining hope and clarity in the often-confusing world of aviation mental health. Stay tuned for part two next week. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Oct 24, 2025
Friday Oct 24, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl explore the challenges of maintaining professional relationships in polarized times and their applications for high-stakes environments like aviation. Matt shares strategies for fostering respect without requiring agreement, identifying when personal beliefs threaten professional safety, and building frameworks for depoliticizing the cockpit. The discussion covers the importance of boundaries in navigating both interpersonal tensions and operational requirements, supportive tools for managing difficult conversations, and how professionalism-focused practices enhance both crew dynamics and mental wellbeing, offering practical wisdom for maintaining safety and respect in the increasingly divided world of modern aviation. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Sunday Oct 05, 2025
Sunday Oct 05, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt explores the current state of aviation mental health reform and its applications for pilots seeking support. Matt shares insights on what's actually happened since the FAA's ARC recommendations, identifying the ongoing barriers that keep pilots from getting help, and discussing what non-punitive reporting was supposed to look like versus reality. The discussion covers the gap between policy promises and actual implementation, the continued challenges of stigma and career fears, and why meaningful change in aviation mental health remains frustratingly out of reach, offering straight talk about where we really stand in the slow-moving world of aviation mental health reform. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Sep 19, 2025
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Karl and Matt explore the critical distinctions between imposter syndrome and "fake it till you make it" mentality and their applications for high-stakes environments like aviation. Matt shares strategies for recognizing when self-doubt is helpful versus harmful, identifying the differences between strategic confidence building and dangerous self-deception, and building frameworks for authentic competence development. The discussion covers the importance of honest self-assessment in navigating both professional growth and safety requirements, supportive approaches to overcoming limiting beliefs without compromising judgment, and how balanced confidence practices enhance both individual performance and operational safety, offering practical wisdom for maintaining genuine assurance in the demanding world of aviation. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Aug 29, 2025
Friday Aug 29, 2025
Click here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl explore the complex dynamics of imposter syndrome and its applications for high-achieving professionals. Matt shares strategies for recognizing the four distinct manifestations of imposter feelings, identifying how these patterns affect confidence and self-worth, and building frameworks for authentic self-assessment. The discussion covers the importance of self-acceptance in navigating both professional growth and personal development, supportive approaches to overcoming limiting beliefs, and how awareness-based practices enhance both performance and wellbeing, offering practical wisdom for maintaining genuine confidence in the demanding world of high-stakes careers. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website

Friday Aug 22, 2025
Friday Aug 22, 2025
lick here to become a subscriber to receive exclusive content! |
Click here to sign up to receive LiftAffect's Weekly Gouge Newsletter!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Mental Skills for Value-Based Living Online Course!
Click here to check out LiftAffect's Effortless Sleep Solution Online Course!
In this episode, Matt and Karl explore the complex pursuit of perfection in aviation and its applications for safety and human performance. Matt shares insights on managing the tension between flawless standards and human limitations, identifying how perfectionism impacts both innovation and error management, and building frameworks for precision while maintaining adaptability. The discussion covers the importance of balanced expectations in navigating both safety requirements and human factors, supportive approaches to managing inevitable errors, and how realistic perfectionism practices enhance both operational excellence and pilot wellbeing, offering practical wisdom for maintaining high standards in the demanding world of aviation. Enjoy!
For more information, please visit the following websites:
- LiftAffect Website
- The V1 Project Website







