The Trauma & Mental Health Report Podcast

In today’s episode, we will be talking with Dr. Amori Mikami, who is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, a Canada Research Chair in Clinical Child Psychology, and a registered clinical psychologist. Among her research includes the Promoting Relationships in Social Media (or PRISM) project, which has been interested in promoting positive usage of social media to mitigate the negative effects that can stem from excessive usage. Today we will be discussing the impact of social media, and how while the pervasive social media use in today’s culture presents adverse effects, including self-presentation pressures, social comparison, envy, and FOMO, new research indicates using social media mindfully and with intention reduces these effects, while promoting positive outcomes.

In today’s episode, The Trauma and Mental Health Report's contributing writer, Sophie Wagner, speaks with Dr. Lucy Vorobej, a historian and post-doctoral fellow at the Wilson Centre for Education Research, University Health Network and University of Toronto, about the influence of white settler colonialism on healthcare and mental health care system disparities for Indigenous populations. By taking a systems approach to questions about how these disparities came to exist, they address the importance of truth before meaningful reconciliation and listening to Indigenous voices.

In this episode, Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria and Researcher Dr. Alyssa Maryn joins the Trauma and Mental Health Report’s podcast to discuss the experiences of men who once identified as incels. We discuss what draws individuals to incel communities, the struggles and circumstances that sustain this identity, and the factors that help former incels leave.

As social media grows, our connections to the people we see on screens continue to deepen. The term “parasocial relationship” has been spreading through online discourse, but are these relationships inherently negative? In this episode, writer Natalie Joly speaks with Dr. Gayle Stever, an expert in parasocial relationships and author of Parasocial Experiences and The Psychology of Celebrity. They discuss common misconceptions surrounding these nuanced relationships and how the term is often misunderstood and misrepresented.

As AI tools like ChatGPT become part of everyday life, more people are turning to them for advice, comfort, and even therapy. But can artificial intelligence truly take on the role of a mental health provider? In this episode, writer Niemat Yusuf speaks with Dr. William Agnew, a postdoctoral researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, whose work examines the ethics of AI and its impact on marginalized communities. Together, they explore what current research reveals about AI’s potential and its limits in emotional support.

In this episode of the Trauma and Mental Health Report’s podcast, contributing writer Amanda Fernandes interviews Dr. Stephen Lewis, Associate Professor in psychology and Research Leadership Chair at the University of Guelph. His research has focused extensively on lived experiences in mental health, as well as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among youth and young adults. Together we delve into his co-authored paper exploring diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health difficulties among school, clinical, and counselling psychologists, and graduate students. Dr. Lewis draws on his own lived experiences and academic expertise to advocate against the stigmas that have prevented applied psychologists from disclosing and addressing their mental health struggles. He provides meaningful insights into the topic of clinician effectiveness given mental health struggles, and poses several avenues of future research and change.

In this episode, Trauma and Mental Health Report writer Adrian Parham interviews Dr.
Jeffrey Wardell, associate professor at York University and director of the Behavioural
Alcohol and Cannabis Lab. His lab uses clinical, social, cognitive and personality
psychology to better understand the behavioural processes of substance use and misuse.
The goal of the lab is to support policy makers tailor interventions and harm reduction
efforts, by providing scientific data.

In this episode, Trauma and Mental Health Report writer Sierrah Hamilton interviews
Dr. Mirisse Foroughe, the Research Institute Director at Emotion Transformation
Institute, the Clinical Director at Family Psychology Centre, and the developer of
Emotion Focused Therapy for Youth. She is also the author of two published books on
Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) and Emotion Focused Therapy for Youth
(EFT-Y), and she hosts workshops where she teaches these tools to caregivers and
clinicians internationally. Today, we will dive into her most recent work, using Emotion
Focused Therapy for Youth and Caregiver-Youth dyads, and how you can think about
and use some of these techniques within your own family.

In this episode, Trauma and Mental Health Report writer Shontae Cameron sits down with
JaeRan Kim, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Washington, Tacoma, in the
School of Social Work and Criminal Justice. As a writer, blogger, and scholar, Dr. Kim’s
work focuses on adoption, foster care, and child welfare. Together, we explore ambiguous
loss—a form of disenfranchised grief that deeply affects individuals with adoption and
foster-care experiences. From the emotional complexities of non-death losses to their lasting psychological impact, Dr. Kim shares her expertise, insights, and personal experience in this compelling discussion.

In today’s episode, contributing writer Japneet Kaur speaks with Dr. Norman Farb, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, and co-author of Better in Every Sense with Dr. Zindel Segal. With him, we dive into the science behind why we get emotionally stuck in mental loops, overthinking, and overwhelm. Dr. Farb introduces Sense Foraging, a science-backed practice that helps disrupt these cycles by reconnecting us with our senses, offering a powerful pathway to emotional reset and wellbeing. Whether you're feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or simply in need of a reset, this episode will reveal how this simple yet transformative practice can help you break free from rigid patterns of thinking and being, while helping you feel more grounded and emotionally resilient.