The Trauma & Mental Health Report Podcast

EP 46: The Relationship Between Trauma and Addiction

In this episode, Trauma and Mental Health Report writer Taylor Alves speaks with Summer Krause, a licensed professional counsellor and certified alcohol and drug counsellor, who has worked with youth and adults dealing with trauma and addiction. In her work she runs individual and group counselling through Seeking Safety groups which focuses on teaching people safe coping skills. Summer has background in the juvenile justice system and witnessed that trauma is often the missing piece people skim over when talking about addiction. In this podcast we talk about trauma, addiction, and the gaps in treatment.

EP 45: On Call: Canada's new 988 Mental Health Hotline

Join us as we delve into the groundbreaking introduction of Canada's 988 help hotline. We explore its pivotal role in reshaping mental health services, enhancing accessibility, and providing immediate aid to those in need. Expert insights and discussions illuminate the transformative impact of this vital resource on mental health support in Canada.

EP 44: Can you Overcome Stage Fright or is it Something you Learn to Mask?

On today's episode, Jasleen Ghuman of The Trauma and Mental Health Report interviews Paul Scanlon who focuses on mentorship and courses on communication, leadership and personal development. He has committed his life to helping people and organizations not to get stuck in old versions of themselves. He speaks to tens of thousands live annually and many more through his online and social media platforms. We dive into how mentoring has empowered himself and others, the benefits it has had on the individuals who attend, if Paul has ever experienced performance anxiety while being on stage, and how one can overcome performance anxiety.

EP 43: Raising Awareness and Support for Youth Mental Health.

Mental Health challenges are at an alltime high right now with people still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and the risk of a recession due to the economic crisis as a result from the pandemic.  With this comes the need for more available and affordable mental health services and resources. In this interview we speak with mental health advocate for the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Judy Brunton, for her perspective. In this episode we discuss various challenges, resources, and support for mental health. Judy shares her own story with how she got started, what work she has done, and how events such as the pandemic have impacted mental health supports in general. She also highlights the significant need for mental health stigma to be addressed and for more affordable mental health services. With the economy struggling to recover from the pandemic, the need for mental health supports and fundraisers for affordable programs is needed now more than ever.

Check out Judy’s Youth Mental Health Fundraiser for CMHA, as well as her Fundraiser Facebook Page.

EP 41: Unlocking Potential by Combining Performance Art and Psychotherapy

In today’s episode, Trauma report writer Emma Puric speaks with Elma Linz Kanefield, a renowned performer, psychotherapist and life-coach who founded The Juilliard School’s Counseling Service in 1986. Elma has over thirty five years of experience in counselling dancers, actors, musicians, and more. In her book Hamlet’s Mirror, Elma explores the challenges and promises of performance culture, as well as four performing personality types she has identified through her work.

EP 40: Trauma Recovery is not One Size Fits All: Interview with Babette Rothschild and Vanessa Bear

On this episode Trauma and Mental Health writer Jasleen Ghuman talks with Babette Rothschild and Vanessa Bear, to discuss the topic of trauma and recovery and their new workbook “8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery”. We talk about the resources that are available for recovery, the importance of recovery and creating individualized recovery plans for trauma survivors.

E40: Unpacking Medical Assistance in Death (MAiD) for Mental Illness in Canada

Debates continue to be had regarding MAiD for mental illness in Canada, however, most of the information is not easily accessible. As conversations continue to be had regarding this topic, it’s important understand how MAiD for mental illness impacts people and our society and our local community. In this episode, Trauma and Mental Health Report writer Abigail Ramos speaks with Sherry Moran, a retired lawyer and federal government executive who has served on a number of charitable and non-profit boards of directors over the past 25 years, including that of Dying with Dignity Canada.  Moran is an active voice within the national mental illness advisory group in addition to her role at Dying with Dignity Ottawa Chapter's advocacy committee. The conversation focuses on an overview of what MAiD for mental illness is, the good it can provide, possible drawbacks, and shedding some light on key issues that have been discussed regarding MAiD for mental illness.  

E39: Embracing Aging in an Anti-Aging Culture

In today’s episode, Trauma report writer Emma Puric speaks with psychoanalyst, psychotherapist, writer, and social critic Dr. Susie Orbach. Dr. Orbach joins us to discuss how feminist theory and psychoanalysis informed her thinking about women’s body-image, the internalization of unrealistic beauty standards via mass marketing, the impossible message behind anti-aging campaigns, and how women can come together to create a visual culture which appreciates and reflects the diverse nature of beauty and bodies.

E38: The Latest on Psilocybin for Addiction Treatment

The recent surge of psychedelic research has sparked a growing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy using psilocybin to treat various mental health conditions including addiction. In this episode, Trauma Report writer Michelle Kim discusses this approach in detail with Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine at the Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research. Dr. Garcia-Romeu works in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and is also a Guest Researcher at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Neuroimaging. Tune into our podcast to learn more about the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for addiction treatment.

E37: How the Iranian LGBTQ community faces fierce repression.

Amidst the current uprising in Iran, led by its courageous and resilient women, many other human rights related concerns have also begun to be brought to light. In this episode, a Trauma Report writer sat down with Arsham Parsi, an Iranian-Canadian LGBTQ rights activist, to discuss the dire lack of rights faced by members of the LGBTQ community in Iran. Parsi provides insight on what an average day can look like for an Iranian LGBTQ citizen, common misinterpretations we often hear about the conditions of human rights in Iran, and the power that unity holds to help Iranian youth battle through the revolution.