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On this podcast, my guest is Francene Gillis, author of Where Did i Go?, written after her career as a high school English teacher came to an unexpected end following a slip and fall on black ice that caused a brain injury. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What happened to Francene and when How her life changed following the accident What she has done to improve and rehabilitate How reading her memoir can help you and your loved ones if you've acquired a brain injury or concussion

Listen as I chat with Lynn Himmelman, expert in New Decision Therapy and Laughter Yoga Leader & Trainer. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What "the body remembers" means What impact may this have on you - physically and emotionally How to connect with memories and past events New decision therapy and how it works How unresolved trauma may impact you, if not addressed Forgiveness and what happens if we hold onto past resentments How to know if you have healed from your past and living in the present

In this podcast, my guest is Marsha Jacobson, Author of To Depression, with Love. Marsha authentically and openly shares her personal journey with depression to help you, and your loved ones, too. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Why she wrote this book What it's all about Who will benefit from reading (or listening) to it and why

In this podcast, my guest is Dr. Brendan Byrne, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of LifestyleRx, a diabetes reversal program, designed to reverse Type 2 Diabetes. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: The Lifestyle Rx program, where its being offered and how it got started Different types of diabetes, why and when they occur What topics are covered in the Lifestyle Rx 12 week program The relationship between blood sugar levels and stress (both physical and emotional) Factors that create more or less stress in people's lives What you can do to reduce stress

In this podcast, my guest is Dr. Joanne Leung-Yee, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and psychiatrist at St Michaels Hospital, in Toronto. She is also a clinical associate at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre working at the Frederick Thompson Anxiety Disorder Centre specializing in the care of patients with body focused repetitive behaviour disorders. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Body focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB) such as dermatillomania and trichotillomania If not oneself, who else can help someone determine if one has a BFRB If there's a connection between a BFRB and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? The cause of someone engaging in a BFRB Whether there are specific triggers for people who are engaging in these behaviours Why one would want to stop engaging in this behaviour The challenges when trying to stop Some strategies that might be effective when working on stopping Whether there are any medications or supplements that might help Resources to help: Overcoming Body-focused Repetitive Behaviors Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors

I'm in conversation with Tom Dozier, a behaviorist who has researched and provided treatment for misophonia since 2013. Since that time, he has worked with more than 1,200 misophonia patients and families. He is the author of Understanding and Overcoming Misophonia and nine journal articles. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Misophonia and some of its characteristics Typical age of onset, how common it is, how its diagnosed How it impacts people in regards to daily functioning How it impacts the people that they live with Treatment options and how to manage it

I'm in conversation with lawyer Anna Marie Musson, and financial planner, Eva Sachs, about cohabitation agreements and prenups. This is a tricky subject to navigate, especially if one partner is more concerned about protecting their assets, or if their partner feels that such an agreement is an indication of a lack of trust. My two experts will help you navigate these uncharted waters in a calm, logical way. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Why and when an individual or a couple might be interested in creating a prenup What's typically included in a prenup contract Why one partner might be interested in a marriage contract and the other be concerned or opposed to creating one Whether prenups actually strengthen a relationship and if so, why The difference between a prenup and a cohabitation agreement

Sara Dimerman in conversation with actor and writer, Noam Tomaschoff, about family secrets and how his life changed when his family's secret was revealed to him. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Noam's family's secret - how and why he chose to share it with others How other family members felt about him sharing the secret Noam's advice to parents in regards to keeping secrets from their children, especially when it directly impacts them How learning about the secret changed his life

Sara Dimerman in conversation with psychotherapist, Natalie Haynes, about how to help people become more comfortable when talking about race. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Natalie, why and how she developed a program to get people talking about race with one another The comfortable race conversation process program How the program helps people learn to develop a common language when talking about race, diversity and inclusion Ways to reflect on our personal biases and feelings How to increase people's sensitivities and create foundations for safety To learn more about Natalie's program and when the next one begins, go to The Comfortable Race Conversation Process.

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Allan Gonzales. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Allans' life experience as an autistic child, and now adult Whether it has affected the way he learns How it affects his interaction and socialization with others Whether it impacts his relationship with family members What he'd like you to know for when you're interacting with people who are autistic

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Farhana Adatia. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Trauma and betrayal, especially in regards to couples relationships Some physical and emotional symptoms of trauma following betrayal The most common forms of betrayal in couples relationships Some of the ways that one can be helped by a professional following betrayal How to respond to a friend who has been betrayed Whether or not an individual, or couple, can ever reclaim their relationship as it once was, or make it even better Books/resources that can help

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Phyllis Taylor. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Phyllis Taylor and what led to writing her book How well equipped Ontario's prison system is to rehabilitate offenders Issues that prisons seem either well or poorly equipped to handle Whether prisons are best suited for certain offenders and not the right place for others With crime on the rise, what Phyllis recommends in regards to keeping our streets safe

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Lesley Rosenthal about saying goodbye to a beloved pet. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: How saying goodbye to a beloved pet is different to or the same as saying goodbye to a beloved human family member or friend What to keep in mind when making the decision to euthanize Whether to include children in the decision to euthanize your pet Knowing when the time is "right" to say goodbye Some options when euthanizing one's pet Whether or not children should be present for the euthanasia Some options in regards to burial or cremation of one's pet, for example What's "normal" in regards to your feelings in the days, weeks and months following the passing of your pet Some ways of memorializing or honouring one's pet If there are other pets at home, what changes might you see in them following the loss of their companion Resources: University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College guide for coping with the loss of a pet Midtown Mobile Veterinary Hospice Services

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Alexandra Jai about about drumming out our feelings. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Alexandra's personal journey and how drumming allowed her to express her feelings and heal when she needed it most Mindful breath, mindful movement and mindful hand drumming and how, by integrating breath, body and beat we may experience rhythm bliss Finding one's rhythm zone and how to clear the unhelpful chatter in our heads

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Kimberly Gawne about homeschooling. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What homeschooling means Whether there's an age or grade at which it's best to begin homeschooling Whether homeschooling is the right choice for every child and family The benefits of homeschooling Whether there are any drawbacks to homeschooling, including the possibility of less socialization Whether or not one needs to have a background in education or working with children in order to homeschool them Whether or not children who are homeschooled typically continue with homeschooling into high school How older teens, entering college or university programs after being homeschooled, fare, socially and academically, for example