The Trauma & Mental Health Report Podcast

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.

E36: Temple Grandin on Raising Autistic Children: Identifying and Bolstering Strengths

In this conversation, Temple Grandin shares insight on how parents, teachers, and doctors can help autistic youth flourish by focusing on activities that work around their strengths. Temple emphasizes the importance of gaining work experience and skills that challenge an autistic child just enough so that they gain important life skills which apply to other areas. The importance of trades and practical courses in school is discussed, as exposure to a variety of activities can inspire a future career. Finding meaning in work is discussed as well, along with the different types of minds that are seen in autism.

E35: International Students and Mental Health

In this episode, Trauma Report writer Daniel Sanchez Morales speaks with Lauren Shannan, Immigration consultant; Bonny Gajjar, International Student; and Sebastian Vasquez, International Student; about the mental health challenges of being an international student.

Through this podcast episode, participants explore the major challenges that they have faced while studying abroad and how this has impacted their vision of mental health resources within post-secondary institutions. Additionally, Lauren provides with an immigration and legal outlook about international students coming to Canada.

E34: Counselling Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities

In this episode, Trauma Report writer Chiara Gianvito speaks with Amy Camilleri Zahra, a Maltese disability and women’s rights activist, academic, and public speaker. Their conversation centers around Camilleri Zahra’s research on counsellors’ understanding and perceptions of disability that has revealed a need for greater training and accessibility. Camilleri Zahra also shares her lived experiences that have led her to drive social change in these areas. 

Follow along or read the transcribed audio here.