Dare To Share Your Untold Story: Recent Episodes

View Details

As we continue to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 119 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on Abuse and Red Flags, finding courage, dealing with Narcissism. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 61 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 61, titled “Relationship Toxicity, Red Flags, Abuse and the Impact of not Even Knowing it”, with guest, Dr. Shelley Morgan. Her journey is a powerful example of what it means to reclaim oneself after enduring emotional, verbal, and financial abuse. Her story sheds light on the insidious nature of toxic relationships and the transformational power of self-rediscovery. Dr. Shelley’s open sharing serves as a reminder that abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of intelligence, success, or background. It's a call to recognize the red flags, break free from the cycles of manipulation, and embrace the healing process of finding oneself again. She reflects on how her mental health impacted her physical appearance, it reminds us of the intricate connection between our inner and outer selves. As she says, when you're happy on the inside, it can't help but show on the outside. Good mental health radiates beauty. This idea aligns beautifully with the concept of Mental Beauty—the consistency between what we feel internally and what we project externally. When we prioritize our mental well-being, it reflects in every aspect of our lives, from our relationships to our self-expression. Dr. Shelley's headline, "Woman Finds Herself Again," encapsulates the heart of her journey. It's about rediscovering the vibrant, active person she once was, before nearly losing herself in a toxic relationship. It's a story of resilience, of coming back to life after facing mental and emotional death.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 119:

1. Cultivate a Daily Self-Connection Ritual

Abuse often disconnects you from your own feelings, needs, and desires. Re-establishing this connection is crucial:

• Set aside 10–15 minutes daily for a grounding practice such as journaling, mindfulness, or deep breathing.

• This ritual reminds you that your emotions and needs matter and creates a space where your voice is heard—by you.

• Create a Financial and Emotional Safety Plan

Abusers often use financial and emotional control to keep you trapped. Reclaiming even small amounts of independence can help you stay anchored to your sense of self:

• Open a private bank account and begin saving discreetly, even in small amounts. Build a support network of trusted friends, family, or a therapist to validate your feelings and remind you of your worth.

• These small steps toward independence reinforces your ability to make choices and gives you a foundation for reclaiming control over your life.

• Reaffirm Your Identity Outside the Relationship

Abuse can make you lose sight of who you are outside of the relationship. Reconnecting with your values and interests strengthens your sense of self.

• Make a list of things you once loved doing or were passionate about before the relationship. Choose one activity to reintroduce into your life, like reading, taking a class, or reconnecting with old friends.
• Exploring your personal interests reminds you that your identity is multifaceted and not defined by the abuse or the relationship.

Episode 119 Takeaway:

A self-care technique called ‘The Love Letter to Self’:

• Grab a Notepad or Phone: Set a timer for 5 minutes to keep it short and intentional.
• Write as if to Someone You Deeply Love: Imagine you’re writing to someone you care about unconditionally—except this time, it’s you. Use loving, kind, and affirming language. For example:
• “Dear Self, I just want you to know how proud I am of you.”
• “You are enough exactly as you are, even on hard days.”
• “No matter what happens, I’m here for you. I’ll always be on your side.”
• Reflect on One Strength or Victory: End the letter by naming something you admire about yourself or a small win, like:
• “I’m amazed at how resilient you are, even when things feel tough.”
• “Thank you for being so kind to others and for showing up for yourself today.”
• Close With an Affirmation: Wrap up with a loving affirmation:
• “I love you, no matter what.”
• “You are my safe place, and I’ll always have your back.”

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an email to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

As we go extend to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 118 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on it’s more than just a diagnosis, coming to terms with mortality and death. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 43 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 43, titled “The Journey is more about my death than it is about the cancer”, with guest, Rishma Dhalla. Her journey is a profound example of what it means to confront our deepest fears and find meaning in the face of life's greatest challenges. Her story sheds light on the transformational power of embracing vulnerability, facing mortality, and redefining our relationship with death. Her open sharing serves as a powerful reminder that healing is not just about treating a physical illness—it's about nurturing our mental and emotional well-being, even in the most trying of times. Rishma's courage to explore the depths of her fears and find purpose in her journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Her words perfectly capture the essence of the Mental Beauty Rethink. She says, I love the phrase "mental beauty" because it evokes positivity, hope, and optimism. It's about shifting our perspective to the positive and recognizing that there is always room for growth, no matter how optimistic we may already be. It's about removing the shame and stigma surrounding mental health and embracing a new way of thinking. Rishma's headline, "My death, my way," is a powerful declaration of her journey. It's about facing our own mortality and claiming a level of control over what the end of life might look like, regardless of when it happens. It's a way to engage with the process of dying and find peace in the uncertainty.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 118:

1. Grounding Through Breath and Body Awareness

When fear of uncertainty overwhelms us, the mind often spirals into worrying about the future. To counter this, grounding techniques help reconnect to the present moment. A simple yet powerful method is focused breathing:

• Take a deep breath in through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, and exhale slowly through the mouth for 6 counts. Repeat this cycle 5 times.

• This exercise calms the nervous system; shifts focus away from future-based fears and allows you to settle right into the here and now.

• Journaling for Gratitude and Clarity

Fear often stems from a feeling of powerlessness. Journaling can provide structure and control by helping process thoughts and refocus on what is within reach.

• At the end of each day, write down:
• Three small things you are grateful for that happened today.

• One action you can take tomorrow, no matter how small, to feel more in control.

• Gratitude journaling trains the mind to notice positive moments, while identifying actionable steps shifts focus from uncertainty to small, achievable progress.

• Naming and Confronting Fears

Uncertainty often grows stronger when fears remain unspoken. Naming fears out loud or writing them down creates space to confront and reframe them.

• Write down your top three fears and ask yourself: What am I truly afraid of here?

• Challenge each fear by asking: Is this within my control? What small steps can I take to prepare for this?

• By exploring fears directly, their intensity often decreases. Naming fears gives them form and allows you to identify solutions or acceptance.

Episode 118 Takeaway:

A self-care tool called ‘Affirmation-Based Body Scan’:

• To practice, find a quiet space and take slow, deep breaths. Starting at the top of your head, slowly move your attention down to each part of your body. As you focus on each area, pair your attention with a calming affirmation, such as "I am safe and grounded"; “I am okay in this moment.”; "I trust myself to get through this." Notice any sensations without judgment and breathe gently into those areas.
• Conclude with a full-body affirmation: "I am present, I am connected, and I am okay." Allow these affirmations to settle deeply within you.
• This tool serves as a gentle reminder that the body holds calm and safety.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an email to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

As we proceed to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 117 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on Reframing Struggles: Finding Flow Through Adversity. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 87 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 87, titled “From Survivor of Circumstance to Warrior of Flow”, with guest, Inga Tkachenko Ramage. Her journey is a profound example of what it means to embrace the Mental Beauty Rethink in the face of life's greatest challenges. Her story sheds light on how we can transform our perception of struggles, moving from a mindset of merely surviving to one of thriving and finding flow. Inga’s open sharing serves as a powerful reminder that adversity can be a catalyst for growth and self-discovery. By reframing our challenges, we unlock the potential to not only overcome but to emerge stronger, wiser, and more resilient. Her words perfectly capture the essence of the Mental Beauty Rethink. When Inga speaks about redefining what truly matters in life, it reminds me that we always have the power to reframe our experiences. A single shift in perspective can open up new possibilities and pathways for growth. It's about creating a new foundation, a new way of seeing ourselves and our journeys. Inga also touches on the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in the context of trauma and accident recovery. In her field, there's often resistance to seeking psychological support due to misconceptions about what it means to prioritize mental well-being. Her role is to educate and empower, helping others understand that mental health is not about labels or diagnoses but about honouring our emotional experiences and finding healthy ways to cope.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ to Move from Isolation to Empowerment and Reframe Struggles inspired by Episode 117:

1. Cultivate Self-Compassion Through Mindfulness Begin with small practices of self-compassion to shift how you respond to challenges. When faced with difficult emotions or self-doubt, ask yourself: What would I say to a loved one in this situation? Then, offer that same kindness to yourself. Incorporate mindfulness techniques like deep breathing or grounding exercises to stay present, especially when overwhelmed by stress or trauma triggers. Remember, self-compassion isn’t about ignoring pain—it’s about embracing it with gentleness and understanding, creating the foundation for healing and growth.

2. Set Boundaries That Protect Your Energy Learning to set boundaries is an act of empowerment. Identify areas in your life where external demands—be it from work, relationships, or systems—are draining your energy or interfering with your recovery. Start by practicing small, assertive "no's" or delegating tasks that feel overwhelming. Protecting your mental and emotional health is not selfish; it’s a necessary step toward reclaiming control over your life. This shift allows you to prioritize actions that align with your values and long-term goals.

3. Reconnect and Seek Support Breaking away from isolation starts with taking small steps to connect with others. Reach out to someone you trust, whether it’s a friend, family member, therapist, or support group, and share your story. If asking for help feels too vulnerable, start by engaging in environments where connection happens naturally—community centres, volunteer opportunities, or local classes. These spaces create opportunities to rebuild your sense of belonging and allow you to see your struggles through a broader lens, transforming pain into a source of resilience and strength.

Episode 117 Takeaway:

A self-care technique called ‘Reframe & Reclaim Journal’:

• Divide a Page into Three Sections:

  • What Happened: Briefly describe the struggle or challenge you’re facing. Write it objectively, focusing on facts rather than emotions to gain clarity.
  • What It Taught Me: Identify at least one thing the experience has taught you about yourself, others, or life. Even small insights—like recognizing your resilience—can be transformative.
  • How I’ll Move Forward: Write one action you can take to reclaim control or find meaning in this struggle. This could be as simple as seeking support, setting a boundary, or practicing gratitude.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, Genevieve shares the journey of redefining success and reconnecting with her heart’s true calling. As the firstborn in a traditional Italian family—with a father who immigrated from Italy—the expectation was clear: get married, have children, and follow a conventional path. Though raised in a supportive environment, Genevieve always felt something was missing. From a young age, she held an unshakable wonder about where her family would come from, knowing instinctively that her path to connection and motherhood would look different. Influenced by societal norms and her upbringing, she pursued what she believed was success: a high-achieving career in a male-dominated business world. For 12 years, she thrived on productivity, accolades, and material comfort. But in a quiet moment of reflection, she thought: If this were the next 30 years of my life, it wouldn’t be enough. That whisper of truth opened a door to something she could no longer ignore—a deep yearning success couldn’t satisfy. She began shifting her energy toward helping vulnerable children. What started as reading bedtime stories in emergency shelters grew into something far more profound. She discovered that while these children were safe, many lacked even the most basic essentials—some had never owned a pair of pyjamas. One child’s confusion over what pyjamas were, struck her deeply. It wasn’t just about clothing; it was about love, stability, and the emotional nourishment every child deserves. Her key message to the listeners is that our loves can have many chapters and it’s never too late to start a new one; we don’t have to follow the script we are handed, we can write our own; trust what shows up in your hearts; stop silencing the parts of you that you have pushed aside; it’s okay to do something different; you don’t have to do it alone – and you’re never too late to begin again.

View Details

As we proceed to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 115 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, The Cost of Always Being Strong: Navigating Emotional Labour and Compassion Fatigue. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 54 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 54, titled “She Smiles, She Empowers, While Simultaneously Grieving & Mourning”, with guest, Saidat Abari.

Her journey is a profound example of how embracing vulnerability and allowing ourselves to grieve can lead to deeper healing and growth. Often, we believe that resilience is about powering through life’s challenges without pause. But Saidat reminds us that resilience can also mean slowing down, feeling our emotions fully, and finding the courage to share our pain. Her story speaks to the heart of what we call Mental Beauty—redefining strength and recognizing that true empowerment comes from integrating both our light and shadow. Saidat’s willingness to share her untold story sheds light on a crucial truth: even those who radiate positivity and strength need space to release, reflect, and renew. Saidat’s Mental Beauty Rethink challenges us to embrace every part of our emotional journey. Her headline, “Powerful Woman Feels Weak”, is a poignant reminder that strength and vulnerability coexist. Even someone known as the “happiness infuser” can carry deep, unspoken pain. But as Saidat reflects, healing begins with giving herself permission to feel. She’s learning to get “comfortably uncomfortable” with sharing her grief, a process that’s foreign yet deeply necessary.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 115:

1. Acknowledge Your Full Range of Emotions: Resilience isn’t about pushing through or ignoring difficult emotions; it’s about allowing yourself to experience them fully. Take time to recognize and validate your feelings, even the uncomfortable ones. Embracing your vulnerability creates space for true inner strength to grow.
2. Release Self-Imposed Expectations: Notice where you may be placing unrealistic expectations on yourself to always appear strong or positive. Give yourself permission to let go of these pressures. Resilience includes self-compassion and understanding that you don’t need to have it all together all the time.
3. Find Safe Spaces for Authentic Expression: Surround yourself with people and environments where you feel safe to be your genuine self. This could be through therapy, supportive friendships, or personal reflection practices. These spaces allow you to explore your emotions freely and strengthen the connection to your true, resilient self.

Episode 115 Takeaway:

A self-care practice called ‘Mindful Self-Compassion Journaling’:

• It involves setting aside a few minutes each day to write down your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Start by reflecting on any challenges or difficult feelings you’ve experienced, allowing yourself to acknowledge them openly.
• Then, shift your focus to self-compassion by writing supportive and kind responses to your inner struggles, as if you were speaking to a dear friend.
• Finally, note one or two strengths or positive qualities that helped you navigate these experiences, even if it’s simply the courage to reflect. This process not only promotes self-acceptance but also strengthens resilience by fostering a gentle, understanding relationship with yourself.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

As we go forward to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 114 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, Extracting the Beauty Tangled in Knots of Fear-Based Living. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 71 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 71, titled “Untangling Beauty from Her Tangled Web of Fears”, with guest, Garcia Hanson. Her journey is a profound example of what it takes to break free from the grip of fear and self-doubt. Her story sheds light on how we can find resilience, self-worth, and ultimately, beauty within the messiness of life’s challenges.

Her journey truly embodies the essence of Mental Beauty. It’s a testament to the transformational power of embracing vulnerability and using it as a tool for growth. When we consistently prioritize our mental and emotional well-being, we unlock the ability to live more fully. Garcia highlights this beautifully when she says: “The definition of success is the grace to make changes.” This idea resonates deeply—it’s about breaking free from fear, making room for growth, and allowing ourselves the space to redefine success on our terms. Garcia reminds us, success doesn’t come from perfection or from meeting external expectations. Instead, it’s rooted in finding the courage to untangle those knots and embrace our true selves. Garcia’s Mental Beauty Rethink challenges us to confront the hidden fears and self-doubt that often define our lives. Her story is a powerful reminder that behind every perfect facade lies a more complex, vulnerable reality.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 114:

1. Name and Reframe Your Fears: Start by naming the fears you feel. Write them down, and identify any underlying beliefs tied to these fears—such as “I’m not enough,” or “I’ll be judged.” Reframe these beliefs by challenging their validity and reminding yourself of what’s true about you. For example, replace "I’m not enough" with "I am doing my best, and I deserve to be valued." Reframing gives you a more supportive inner voice, allowing you to embrace self-acceptance while seeing fears for what they are: mental constructs, not certainties.
2. Practice Self-Compassion with Small Acts of Courage: Fear often keeps us from stepping outside our comfort zone. Start by taking small, manageable actions toward self-acceptance. For instance, say “no” to a request when you’re already overwhelmed, or express a genuine feeling with someone you trust. Each small act of courage helps you build resilience and reinforces the message that you’re worthy of acceptance, exactly as you are.
3. Visualize Success and Lean into Your Values: Visualization is a powerful tool for reprogramming your mind to view unfamiliar situations more positively. Spend a few minutes each day picturing yourself navigating challenges with confidence and strength. Tie this practice to your core values—ask yourself how embracing courage or acceptance aligns with your true values (e.g., authenticity, growth, love). Visualizing yourself succeeding in alignment with your values strengthens your resolve to act, helping you move from a fear-driven mindset toward one where you can live freely, guided by your truest self.

Episode 114 Takeaway:

A self-care tool called ‘Mindful Grounding’:

• This involves taking a few intentional moments each day to pause, breathe, and reconnect with your immediate surroundings.
• Begin by finding a quiet place, then close your eyes and take three deep breaths, focusing on the sensation of the breath as it fills your lungs and leaves your body. Once you feel centred, open your eyes and slowly observe five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
• This grounding exercise gently pulls your mind away from anxious thoughts by anchoring you in the present moment.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

As we extend to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 113 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, transformation of the imposter, the uncertainty and her infertility. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 45 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 45, titled “Ending the Era of the Uncertainty, the Imposter, & the Infertility”, with guest, Alyza Raithatha. Her journey is a deeply moving exploration of resilience, self-acceptance, and breaking through the barriers of mental health stigmas, particularly in the South Asian community. Her candid storytelling offers a window into the struggles that many face but rarely voice—imposter syndrome, uncertainty, and the emotional weight of infertility. Her story shines a light on the inner battle between the image we project to the world and the reality of our internal struggles. As Alyza puts it, “the external world will never know my imposter”. This powerful statement captures the essence of her journey toward embracing her authentic self, even when it feels like the world demands a façade. Her episode highlights the power of reframing mental health. Instead of viewing it as a silent struggle or a hidden flaw, Alyza embraces the concept of Mental Beauty. Mental Beauty challenges the way we think about mental health. It invites us to view it as an integral part of our overall well-being, just like physical health. It’s a shift that empowers us to embrace our vulnerabilities, recognizing them as part of what makes us beautifully human. Alyza’s journey perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Mental Beauty Rethink. It’s about moving away from shame and secrecy and stepping into a space of self-acceptance and empowerment.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 113:

1. Reframe Your Inner Dialogue: Practice Self-Compassion: Start by identifying the negative thoughts that arise when you feel like an imposter. Instead of judging yourself harshly, try to speak to yourself as you would to a friend. Acknowledge your feelings without letting them define you. For instance, instead of thinking, I don’t deserve this success, reframe it to, I worked hard to achieve this, and it’s okay to feel proud of my accomplishments. Use affirmations to remind yourself of your strengths and achievements regularly.
2. Embrace Vulnerability and Share Your Experiences: Open Up to Trusted People: Talking about your feelings of inadequacy with friends, family, or colleagues can help diminish their power. Sharing your experiences can foster connection and show you that many others feel the same way at times. You might consider journaling about your feelings, which can also help you process them and recognize patterns. By expressing your vulnerabilities, you’ll realize you’re not alone, making it easier to combat feelings of imposter.
3. Set Realistic Goals and Celebrate Achievements: Break Down Goals into Manageable Steps: Instead of overwhelming yourself with lofty goals, break them down into smaller, achievable tasks. This approach helps you build confidence as you complete each step. Additionally, take time to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. Create a ‘success log’ where you record your achievements and the efforts it took to get there. Reflecting on these successes can help counteract the imposter feeling and remind you of your capabilities.

Episode 113 Takeaway:

A self-care tool called ‘The Practice of Self-Reflection Through Journaling’:

• By setting aside a few minutes each day to write about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, you create a space for honest self-exploration. This allows you to identify the triggers and patterns associated with your imposter syndrome.
• Begin by noting moments when you feel like an imposter and the thoughts that accompany those feelings. Ask yourself questions like, What evidence do I have that contradicts these feelings? or What achievements can I celebrate today? This practice not only helps you confront and challenge negative beliefs but also reinforces your accomplishments and strengths. Over time, you'll build resilience and a clearer understanding of your self-worth, empowering you to take charge and silence that inner critic.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

Jennifer shares her raw and transformative journey from burnout to self-reinvention, proving that it's never too late to rewrite your story. Approaching her 50th birthday, Jennifer found herself at an unexpected crossroads—divorced, an empty nester, unemployed, and bedridden with a stress-related illness—all within a single year. The weight of these life changes led to complete burnout, forcing her to take a few leaves of absence from work. She felt stripped of her identity. She had always been a wife, a mother, and a successful professional, but suddenly, those roles were gone. Overwhelmed with a sense of defeat, she spiraled into deep depression, questioning, “What’s wrong with me?” Self-blame took over as she grappled with the belief that she had done everything right—checked all the boxes of a "successful" life—yet still ended up here. What she didn’t realize at the time was that her entire foundation had been built on a deep-seated narrative of “I’m not enough.” She had spent years proving her worth through achievements, promotions, and external validation, unaware of the toll this took on her mental health. The pressure to be more had been relentless, yet no amount of success ever quieted the inner critic that told her she was still falling short. Despite being driven, accomplished, and well-compensated with prestigious job titles and perks, she had always felt the need to prove her value to the world. But in the depths of her struggle, Jennifer came to a life-altering realization: this wasn’t the end—it was an opportunity. She had the power to redefine success on her own terms and build a life that truly aligned with who she was, not what she achieved. Her key message to the listeners is that no matter where you are starting from, you can choose again, one decision and choice at a time.

View Details

As we proceed to neutralize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 111 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, an empath’s healing journey despite mental health barriers. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 29 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 29, titled “The Breakthrough of a High-Functioning Empath Meets Malfunctioning Mental Health Habits”, with guest, Parul Pandya. Her journey is an open window into the struggles of being a high-functioning empath navigating a world that often misunderstands mental health. Her story highlights the delicate balance between showing up for others and recognizing when you need to prioritize your own well-being. Parul’s candid sharing offers not only a permission slip to be vulnerable but also a guiding light for those of us who sometimes feel isolated in our struggles. As she beautifully puts it, “Through growing my self-resilience, I found my own form of resistance”. Her breakthrough moment came when a compassionate supervisor asked her a simple but life-changing question: Are you okay? For the first time, she admitted she wasn’t, allowing herself to be vulnerable and accept help. This pivotal moment gave Parul the space she needed to begin her healing journey. She took time off work, explored holistic healing methods, and learned to tune into her body’s needs. Parul’s journey is a shining example of what I like to call the Mental Beauty Rethink. It’s about shifting the narrative from striving for perfection to embracing our full humanity, flaws and all. Mental Beauty isn’t about putting on a brave face 24/7. It’s about recognizing when we need to rest, when we need to set boundaries, and when we need to ask for help. Parul’s story shows that resilience doesn’t mean pushing through at all costs; it means knowing when to step back and refill your cup.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 111:

1. Speak to Yourself with Compassion: Notice your inner dialogue, especially when facing challenges or setbacks. If you catch yourself being self-critical, try to reframe those thoughts with compassion, as you would for a close friend. Practicing this daily helps you recognize and soothe that inner critic, creating a safe space for you to be yourself.
2. Honour Your Needs Without Guilt: Self-acceptance means acknowledging what you need and giving yourself permission to prioritize those needs. This could mean setting boundaries or saying ‘no’, even if it’s uncomfortable. By honouring your needs, you reinforce the message that your well-being matters.
3. Share Your Truths with Safe People: Vulnerability is a practice, and it helps to start small. Try opening up about something personal with someone you trust, even if it’s a little uncomfortable. Each time you do, you reinforce a healthy belief that your authentic self deserves to be seen and valued.

Episode 111 Takeaway:

A self-care practice called ‘Mindful Presence’:

• Start by finding a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take several deep breaths. As you breathe, bring your attention to your body, noticing any areas of tension or discomfort. Allow yourself to simply observe, without judgment. Imagine each breath filling you with a calming light that softens and releases any stress.
• As you continue, visualize connecting with your inner core—the part of you that feels safe, steady, and whole. It may take time to tune into this part of yourself, but with patience, you’ll start to feel a sense of groundedness. Let your thoughts come and go like passing clouds, gently redirecting your focus to your breath and that feeling of connection.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

As we carry onward to neutralize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 110 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on self-love, learning it fully and embodying it completely. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 83 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 83, titled “Her story unravelled as she commenced the de-layering process of unworthiness stemming from childhood”, with guest, Tara Myshrall. Her journey is a powerful example of persistence, de-layering and self-discovery. Her story, grapples with the depths of unworthiness, leaving her to fee; misunderstood and unseen in an earlier time, shows that by unleashing yourself at your core and letting go of external validation allows change to take place. Tara’s open sharing serves as a permission slip for all of us to expose our deep narratives and openly connect to the revelations, with courage and hope. As Tara beautifully puts it, “unleashing the wise feminine warrior within “. What's particularly striking about Tara's perspective is how the term 'mental beauty' opens up new avenues for expression. She believes it encourages people to share their stories more willingly - stories that need to be told and heard. This approach honours not just the outcome of our experiences, but the entire process, including the beauty found in our struggles. Tara's enthusiasm for the mental beauty concept is palpable. Her message connects the dots between our challenges and the unique beauty they create within us. It's a perspective that celebrates our whole selves, not just the parts that society deems 'successful' or 'normal'. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 110:

1. Engage in Creative Play: Set aside time each week to engage in activities that your inner child would enjoy—whether it’s drawing, painting, dancing, or playing a musical instrument.

2. Practice Inner Child Meditation: Incorporate guided inner child meditations into your routine.

3. Write Letters to Your Inner Child: Writing letters to your inner child can be a powerful way to improve self-worth.

Episode 110 Takeaway:

A self-care mantra to address unworthiness:

Þ "I am worthy of love, respect, and kindness. My value is inherent and does not depend on anyone else’s approval. I honour and embrace my true self, knowing that I deserve to be treated with compassion and care."

Þ Repeat this mantra daily, especially during moments of doubt, to reinforce your sense of self-worth and to remind yourself of your intrinsic value.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

As we continue forward to normalize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 109 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on the grit it takes to halt the deep perpetual abuse cycle. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 69 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 69, titled “Until She Believed in Herself, the Cycle of Abuse Continued”, featuring Alexandra Pinto. Her journey is a powerful example of breaking free from the cycle of abuse and how turning inward and cultivating self-trust, boundary setting, and committing to yourself fully and wholly, shows how true inner strength emerges and flourishes. Alexandra’s open sharing serves as a permission slip for all of us to rely on our inner power to set ourselves free from challenging experiences. Alexandra's Mental Beauty rethink is a powerful testament to the transformative power of self-love. She emphasizes that true beauty resides within us, and the key is to believe in our own worth. Even when confidence feels out of reach, Alexandra highlights the importance of daily positive self-talk as a way to build self-worth over time. Her approach embodies the essence of Mental Beauty. It's about self-acceptance, owning who you are unapologetically, and cultivating self-love regardless of external negativity. Alexandra’s words about finding strength in self-love and breaking cycles of abuse are both empowering and liberating. Alexandra's journey reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we have the power to rewrite our story and cultivate self-worth. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 109:

1. Journaling for Self-Reflection: Dedicate time each day to write in a journal as a way to process your thoughts and emotions.
2. Mindful Breathing and Grounding Exercises: When dealing with intense emotions or memories related to abuse, practicing mindful breathing and grounding exercises can help you stay present and connected to yourself.
3. Affirmations and Positive Self-Talk: Rebuild your self-worth by integrating affirmations and positive self-talk into your daily routine.

Episode 109 Takeaway:

A self-care technique that is particularly effective for grounding during the cold winter season is a Warmth and Sensation Meditation:

• Create a Cozy Environment
• Focus on Your Breath
• Tune Into Sensations
• Visualize Stability
• Affirm Your Presence

This meditation technique helps you stay connected to your body and the present moment, providing warmth and grounding when the cold winter season can sometimes make you feel detached or isolated.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

After over 20 years of building a successful business, Marcia’s life changed dramatically on March 30, 2014, when she suffered a stroke that turned her world upside down. In an instant, she lost her ability to speak, experienced paralysis, and had to confront the reality of rebuilding her life from the ground up. The road to recovery was anything but easy. Marcia faced aphasia, which meant relearning how to communicate while struggling with progress that often felt unpredictable. She worked tirelessly to regain her speech and mobility, but the challenges weren’t just physical—they were deeply emotional. Marcia shares how moments of frustration and anger would surface, particularly when her inability to speak made her feel like she was losing parts of herself. These struggles often led her to retreat into isolation, protecting herself from the world and limiting how much pain she allowed herself to feel. She describes how overwhelming it could be to be around too many people, how shutting down felt like a cocooning process, and how the experience of losing her voice sometimes made her feel smaller and smaller. Despite these hurdles, Marcia never gave up. Her journey of perseverance, resilience, and self-reclamation has turned her into an advocate and guide for others living with brain injuries. Drawing from her own struggles and triumphs, she now helps others navigate the complexities of recovery, proving that hope and strength can emerge even in the face of profound loss.Her key message to the listeners is that: no matter what life gives you, turn it around and make it work for you, whatever the ailment.

View Details

• Listen to Episode 25: APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SITE

As we extend to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 107 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on re-gaining control even when you feel stripped of having control. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 25 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 25, titled: ““The Dis-ease of Trauma, Murder & Death Came her way,' with guest, Carys Cragg. Her journey is a powerful example of resilience, transformation, and breaking free from the chains of tragedy. Her story, which she frames as a pursuit of understanding and healing, shows how confronting her past turned grief into growth. It's about embracing the complexity of human experiences, no matter how challenging they may be. Carys's open sharing serves as a permission slip for all of us to confront our deepest pain and admit our vulnerabilities. Her courage in corresponding with her father's murderer demonstrates that healing can come from the most unexpected places. Her story beautifully illustrates, our most painful experiences are not just scars, but potential sources of profound insight and personal growth. In essence, she shows us that even our darkest moments can lead to light - they're not blemishes, but opportunities for beauty to emerge. What strikes me most about Carys's Mental Beauty rethink is its focus on future-forward thinking. She invites us to reconsider how we view the world and mental health, encouraging us to adopt new thought processes and shifted perspectives. The term 'Mental Beauty' itself opens up a world of promise and opportunity to cultivate a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 107:

1. Educate Yourself and Others: Empower yourself with knowledge about trauma and its effects.
2. Surround Yourself with Supportive Allies: Seek out individuals and communities that understand and respect your journey.
3. Practice Self-Compassion and Assertiveness: Give yourself permission to prioritize your well-being over societal expectations.

Episode 107 Takeaway:

A self-care technique to help listen to your own inner voice and inner guidance is daily mindfulness meditation focused on inner reflection:

• Begin each day by setting aside just 10-15 minutes in a quiet space where you won't be disturbed.
• Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths to centre yourself.
• As you settle into your breath, gently direct your attention inward, focusing on what you truly feel and need at that moment, without any external influence.
• Ask yourself, "What is my inner voice telling me today?"
• Allow whatever thoughts or feelings arise to come to the surface without judgment or the need to act on them immediately.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

• Listen to Episode 19: APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SITE

As we proceed to prioritize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 106 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on mindfulness in daily life, despite your untold story. In relation to this episode topic the prior episode 19 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 19, titled: “Her Unwavering Faith Conquered the Cancer and Every Other Wall that Came Her way”, featuring Nadia Gulhamhusein. Her journey is a powerful example of feeling your strength right from your core and keeping steadfast in your faith, beliefs and a higher power, while putting your full trust in the universe. From childhood she developed a sense of positivity in her viewpoint of the world. During the hardships she had faced with cancer, she took the time to stop and reflect on what she was going through, she wrote about her challenges and difficulties – and then was able to integrate positivity and cheer herself on. Nadia’s open sharing serves as a permission slip for all of us to look at the cards we are dealt as a choice. She was faced with a choice to retreat or rise, and she chose to rise, chose ‘I can’, and step into her greatness, she took her pain and transformed it into purpose, knowing that God had more work for her to do. Nadia's Mental Beauty rethink is about being open to knowing that each part of our selves is as important as the others, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. She expanded her thoughts to include that there is a need to be in spaces that feel safe so that we can show up with vulnerability, and openly speak about mental health issues and take care of one's mental health. By creating safety to share and be open, we create safe spaces to hold the conversations. She talks about equalizing the conversations. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 106:

1. Start with Daily Mindful Breathing: This practice helps ground you in the present moment and fosters a sense of calm, allowing you to start the day with a clear and focused mindset.
2. Practice Acceptance Through Journaling: This practice encourages acceptance and helps you identify areas within your control, allowing you to approach problems with a balanced perspective.
3. Set Intentional, Positive Focus: By consciously directing your energy toward something positive and manageable, you cultivate healthy positivity and empower yourself to navigate the day with intention and grace.

Episode 106 Takeaway:

• Reflect on and Remember to Practice Daily:
  • How can I show myself kindness with whatever it is that I am experiencing in this given moment?
  • …and WTB - what's the blessing here, what do I need to see more clearly
• Engaging in this self-reflective process allows you to cultivate a deeper sense of self-compassion and awareness. When you ask yourself, "How can I show myself kindness with whatever it is that I am experiencing in this given moment?", you are inviting yourself to pause and acknowledge your current emotional state without judgment.
• The second part of the reflection, "What's the blessing here, what do I need to see more clearly?" invites you to shift your perspective and look for the hidden opportunities or lessons within your current situation.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an e-mail to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

• Listen to Episode 82: APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SITE

As we go forward to equalize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 105 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on navigating family dynamics. In relation to the episode topic, the prior episode 82 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 82, titled: “A Mother Learning to Effectively Parent Children with Mental Health and Addiction Challenges”, with guest Maureen Towns. Her journey is a powerful example of how to navigate complex family situations, especially when mental health and addiction issues are involved. Her story, which she frames as, ‘we see others as we are, not as they are’, highlights the importance of understanding our own perceptions and reactions in family dynamics. She also shares the importance of managing family relationships while maintaining your own well-being. This episode provides valuable lessons for anyone who is facing a similar challenge in their own family unit. She opens up about her journey from codependent parenting style to learning how to effectively manage these complex situations while taking care of her own mental well-being. Maureen's story depicts clearly a shift in her perspective. This reframing helped her to see the beauty in everyone's experience, regardless of diagnosis or challenges. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 105:

1. Set Healthy Boundaries, by clearly defining what behaviours and interactions are acceptable to you and communicating these effectively.
2. Practice Self-Care and Mindfulness, prioritizing activities that nurture your emotional and mental well-being.
3. Seek Support and Perspective, allowing yourself to put in place help and support to guide you along your journey is an essential part of healing and staying connected.

Episode 105 Takeaway:

• Create a ‘Personal Time Block’, follow these steps:
• Choose a consistent time slot in your day.
• Plan enjoyable activities for this time.
• Protect this time as a sacred appointment with yourself.
• Make it a daily habit.

By committing to your own personal time block, you ensure that you are prioritizing your needs and taking intentional steps to nurture your mental, emotional and physical health. By practicing this tool, it will help you to maintain balance and resilience, enabling you to handle all things unexpected that life surprises each of us with!

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an email to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

From leading a busy and fulfilling life to battling one cancer after another, Trent faced an unexpected and devastating prognosis: less than a five percent chance of survival and potentially only a year to live. Compounding this grim news were discussions about amputating his leg. However, thanks to his father’s advocacy, alternative options became available. Throughout his health journey, Trent encountered numerous challenges, including post-surgical complications, infections, and misdiagnoses. The uncertainty of his future filled him with fear, but before that fear could take hold, he needed time to absorb the shock of each new medical update that accompanied his consultations. His cancer battle unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely limited the support he could access; he was also thousands of miles away from his family. In New Zealand, where he was receiving treatment, methadone was prescribed for pain management. However, when he was abruptly discharged from the hospital, it left him without any prescribed medications or a plan to manage the withdrawal symptoms from methadone. Unaware that he was experiencing withdrawal, Trent struggled without support or guidance on how to cope. During this tumultuous period, he felt his mental well-being deteriorate, leading him to suicidal thoughts while trying to navigate the physical and emotional toll of his situation, which was marked by anger, frustration, and a profound sense of hopelessness. Yet, in the midst of this strife, he refused to give up on himself. He continued to fight for his life, constantly reminding himself of his goals and the strength within him to persevere. His key message to the listeners is that: invest in your life, make a decision, focus on your goal, remove the negative influences, work on yourself, be willing to help yourself, you need to make drastic changes to see drastic results.

View Details

• Listen to Episode 77: APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SITE

As we proceed to normalize the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 103 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on taking charge of your mental health and owning your parts. In relation to the episode topic, the prior episode 77 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 77, titled: “The Entrepreneurship Struggle: Unspoken Hardships Refined and Transformed”, with guest, Ethan Fung. His story is a powerful example of perseverance, transformation, and breaking free from limiting patterns, and it's a story which he frames as ‘becoming the generation of change’, showing how empathy for his past turned fear into faith. It's about embracing authenticity, no matter how different it may be. Ethan's open sharing serves as a permission slip for all of us to expose our struggles and admit to our own vulnerabilities no matter the rawness of them. Ethan's mental beauty rethink is about accepting vulnerability and struggle, rather than shoving it aside. It's about confidently sharing who we are and what we're going through. He gives us permission to be vulnerable with each other, reminding us that we are all human and we are all going through something significant and of importance and it should not be Swept under the rug. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 103:

1. Practice Self-Compassion, it allows you to understand yourself well, especially during times of difficulty.
2. Identify and Challenge Negative Self Talk, by paying attention to the internal dialogue, as that shapes your self-perception.
3. Set Boundaries and Prioritize Self-care, learning to set healthy boundaries with others to protect your time, energy, and emotional well-being.

Episode 103 Takeaway:

Boost Self-Love and Self -Worth with Mirror Talk

• Stand in front of the mirror
• Recite positive affirmations
• Use your name
• Smile and breathe
• Feel the words

Incorporate this simple mirror exercise into your morning routine, it's a great way to start your day with the boost of positivity and self-affirmation, setting a strong foundation for the day ahead.

Links

• Can we add direct links to episode 77 which directs ppl to the corresponding show notes page here

• Links for Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an email to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

• Listen to Episode 46: APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SITE

As we continue to embrace the unique concept of mental beauty, episode 102 of the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, focuses on navigating seasonal mental health challenges and changes. In relation to the episode topic, the prior episode 46 has been selected for further exploration and deeper dive. In episode 46, titled: “Stepping into an Unexpected Path of Truths, Leading her to Something Incredible”, with guest, Stephanie Jones. Her story is a powerful reminder of the resilience and courage it takes to face mental health struggles head on. The episode taps into the power of vulnerability and what it is like to stand in her truth living her truth. Stephanie's idea of embracing her truth aligns perfectly with the mental beauty rethink concept. She conveys from her own experience that the mental health stigma prevents many from seeking help or being open about their mental health challenges and her message emphasizes that everyone's journey is beautiful an important, and if it's true happiness that you're searching for, it can only be attained by being true to yourself and addressing any unresolved issues that you are bearing within you. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 102:

1. Establish a Routine
2. Engage in Seasonal Activities
3. Stay Connected

Episode 102 Takeaway: Mantra– “I am worthy of love and compassion. I embrace my journey and celebrate my mental beauty”. Take this mantra with you and let it guide you through your day. Write it down, repeat it to yourself, and believe in its power.

Of course, remember, if you want to share something amazing that you would like to have a shout out for on your behalf, just send an email to mentalbeautycommunity@gmail.com.

Spread Mental Beauty, Stop the Stigma!

View Details

• Listen to Episode 16: APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SITE
• Listen to Episode 17: APPLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SITE

The first of its kind, introducing the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, Mental Beauty Segments, as we have surpassed the 100th episode, it’s time to forward into a direction that allows us to continue to extrapolate learnings and shed light onto mental beauty. Up until now, we have had guests come on to the show sharing their true untold stories and its impact on their mental well-being, as well as sharing their individual take on what sparks for them when they hear the term, the mental beauty re-think. In prior episodes, by guests answering this question quite spontaneously, it has ignited rich dialogue on meaning, intention, things to remember and self-reminders. So as we introduce this new element of the podcast, this episode focuses on how mental beauty relates to the theme of overcoming stigma in mental health.

In relation to the episode topic, prior episodes 16 and 17 were selected for further exploration and deeper dive. Episode 16, titled, “Getting There – An Inner Knowing, Despite the Repressed + Uncovered Memories”, with guest, Ross Taylor, and Episode 17, titled: “The Limitless Possibilities of not Knowing her Diagnoses”, with guest Barabara Arrowsmith-Young. Both guests share their journeys of rethinking life perspectives and overcoming significant challenges which had a profound impact on their mental well-being. Ross's journey highlights the importance of seeing mental health not as a burden but as an integral part of our overall well-being, while Barbara’s story showcases triumph over adversity. Listen to this episode as we take a deeper dive into this topic.

3 Practical ‘Mental Beauty Tips’ inspired by Episode 101:

1. Reframe Negative Thoughts
2. Practice Self-Compassion
3. Seek Support

Episode 101 Takeaway: Affirmation – “I am worthy of love, kindness and mental beauty”. Repeat this to yourself whenever you need a reminder of your worth, and even when you don’t!

View Details

Can you believe it? We have reached the 100th episode milestone, with the opportunity to celebrate and honour brave guests who have come forward, take stock of how it all began and where we are headed. Salima takes the daring seat to share the journey to the 100th episode. She openly shares thoughts she entertained as well as what she didn’t even think about as she kept her focus on spreading the word about breaking down the barriers of mental stigma and embracing the concept of ‘mental beauty’. In this episode she shares how she believes the intention of her podcast is being fulfilled and shares with the audience more about her uniquely coined term, ‘the mental beauty re-think’. Salima also shares the backend of what goes into producing an episode, how guests are selected, how guests get into the interview space and what the preparation is like, particularly around not coming in with a prepared script to share their story from. Salima shares insights about what she has learned about herself over the 99 episodes that led her to the 100th, and how she has been impacted by each guest and story, and even lets us in on some cherished moments of about seven or eight episodes that she brings to light, particularly from the first year of the podcast launch. Salima’s authentic sharing of all these episodes also touches upon her own personal growth moments as it relates to the podcast as well as what has changed for herself along the way of this podcast journey. She opened up and got personal about what her perception of mental health was growing up and how that differs from her present-day perspective. Salima shares habits that she has personally developed to take care of her own mental well-being and discusses her biggest challenge with overcoming her own difficulties. She takes time to share more about what it is like to set boundaries and implement these, and other relatable tips for the audience at large. This is a wonderful episode to listen to as she also gives a gentle nudge about what’s next on the horizon for the Dare To Share Your Untold Story Podcast, as well as what’s next to come in her overall work as a mental health professional.

Find out more at Dare to Heal

Passionate about:

**Join the Dare Squad:

**Enroll in NTC

**sign up for mental beauty webinars!

View Details

Deriving from her personal perspective of colourism and how she has been impacted by it in the form of oppression, Francoise shares her own personal experience and witnessing in her own family and with various skin shades based on the eyes of society. She delves into how emotional well-being is intertwined into colourism, and the focus and interpretation of beauty and how its perception can tie in with racism, social acceptance, and environmental factors all play a role in the by-product of colourism. Francoise talks about the tremendous negative implications on mental and emotional wellbeing as it relates to research that she has come across. Her perspective is that if one believes they are beautiful then they also show up with confidence, emotional stability, and career success levels tend to be higher. Francoise provides description of how majority of her siblings are lighter skin tones, and there are a few with darker skin tone, and they grew up feeling insecure, not feeling beautiful because she was dark, and didn’t feel she would be able to be successful in life or aspire to any sort of life due to the darkness in her skin tone. Francoise spoke about her young cousin who attempted to wash her skin colour off in the shower by rubbing stone on her skin during her shower, bleeding after her shower in attempts to look lighter skin like the others in the family. Francoise was witness to all these scenarios from the tender age of nine, and colour differential was never something that crossed her mind until these circumstances arose amongst her siblings, which then inspired her to change the world from this young age. She expresses that the stories that heard from a young age plague self-worth and amplifies the biased standards of beauty. Her key message to the listeners is that: colourism is an insidious form of discrimination that favours those of those with a lighter skin tone; when it comes to blackness, colourism takes a dimension of attack on the emotional, mental, social, and professional aspects of a person and leads to low esteem, internalized racism, feelings of unworthiness all leading people to enhance black skin tones; remember that beauty comes from within.

Visit Dare to Heal to find out more.

Passionate about: Fundraising for My Skin Global

Shoutout: https://www.paypal.com/donate/hosted_button_id=LZHU6SCXV8CUN

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoise-mbabazi-219a2925/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myskinglobal/

Email: info@myskinglobal.com

Website www.myskinglobal.com

View Details

Living in Toronto, Ontario, Gladys spoke about a particular time in her life during 2020/2021 where she faced extra demands in her work role, as well as marital discord as the relationship with her now ex-husband had taken a toll on her. Flooded with demands at work and on the go in her multifaceted work role and then only to return home to a negative and intense environment dealing with some tough interactions. She describes that there wasn’t really a place for her to really think she can sit down and breathe. Her mind was racing, between tasks, and thinking ahead, and preparing for the next thing before the current task is even completed. Work friends, faith community, and close heart connections are all involved in her story. It was her work colleagues who initiated an intervention to help her recognize the burnout she was facing, specifically because she was unaware of it. Initially the approach being gentle, recommending extended time off or taking a sabbatical, or encouraging her to take her vacation days. She also received messages to slow down, she endured physiological symptoms such as headaches, neck and back pain, difficulty sleeping, and overall body pain. For a long time, Gladys sat with denial, and whatever discomfort she did experience, she chalked it up to other reasons other than what was truly going on with her. After consistent messages over time, she started to contemplate the physical pain and her sleep deprivation, seeing as she was unable to stay asleep for any length of time, she started to relate her experience to the intensities of what she had been enduring in that season. Gladys expressed that it took a village to realize the state that she was in. During this difficult time, she spent a great deal of time ruminating, she shifted towards the ‘freeze’ response, as she didn’t have time to feel her feelings, didn’t feel present, and was unable to connect emotionally to people. Her key message to the listeners is that: pay attention to the people who care for you, notice the message in what is being communicated to you; stay away from reasoning or downplaying; be intentional and build and surround yourself with supports and lean on them; don’t be afraid to pause and take time off when you need it.

Visit Dare to Heal to find out more.

Passionate about: Fight For Freedom

Shoutout: https://www.fight4freedom.ca/give.html

Guest Links: IG https://instagram.com/fight4freedom.ca FB https://facebook.com/fight4freedomCA Email: gladys@fight4freedom.ca Website www.fight4freedom.ca

View Details

As a child Farhan was always told that he would be a failure and that he didn’t have potential. He faced resistance from family; however, he forged a pathway forward to becoming the helping professional he is today. His story includes himself, his family and society at large. Being a first- generation South Asian queer male, growing up in Canada, he realizes that his family was doing the best that they could, though they had specific expectations that resisted the pathway. Farhan described how he consistently felt he must work harder than most, he had to find constructive ways to put aside any idea of imposter syndrome, and even went through a colour identity crisis. There were many beliefs systems Farhan had to combat, the many negative messages he received that impacted his self-perception began at age 7, and even so, he chose the path unchosen. Desire for acting was a disapproval from his family, acting on television and getting in the media was a journey of its own, first, difficult to get parts being a male of colour, and then when colour was accepted, he wasn’t the right colour. The narrative of not being good enough is something Farhan internalized deep within, leaving him to struggle with deep sense of belonging. Farhan experienced intense feelings of isolation and loneliness. He further highlighted how it all would surface, such as showing up with what he chose to share about his work and progress at family gatherings, he felt his energy got smaller, he knew he wouldn’t get celebrated by the people in his life even when he was accomplishing and having wins of his own, so anything he attempted to share with people in his world would get dismissed or ridiculed. It took time to realize that external validation was not where to focus his energy and desire. His key message to the listeners is that: it’s important to be true to yourself, fundamentally learn that you are betraying yourself when you are not true to yourself; reflect on what’s more important, yourself or others, as there will always be others who will be disapproving; choose yourself, don’t deny yourself; your path is all about making choices that don’t betray yourself.

Visit Dare to Heal to find out more.

Passionate about: The YMCA

Guest shoutout: YMCA North York

Guest Links: Instagram - instagram.com/farhandhalla/ Website – Farhandhalla.com Instagram - Instagram.com/farhanpodcast_elevateyourlife/ Podcast - www.farhandhalla.com/podcast Twitter - twitter.com/farhandhalla Facebook - www.facebook.com/farhandhalla Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/farhan-dhalla-a477283/

View Details

Olga dives in to share that even when she was on the brink of burnout, initially she could only see it as a stress leave from work. Her story unravels her experience of her lost sense of self while battling through burnout as she worked with students and clients in the international students and immigration sector. It was September 2022 when she identified there was a shift in her energy, feeling frustrations and irritability, simultaneously the political unrest that continued forward with the invasion of Russia on Ukraine. The events of this war further perpetuated another lost piece of her identity, as she expressed feeling shameful to identify herself as Russian. At her place of work, Olga supports both Ukrainian and Russian students amongst other races and backgrounds and she internalized all the suffering she experienced, witnessed, and endured. Olga mentioned that this external event affected her ability to cope, so she sought out support for her mental wellbeing and actively participated in the therapy process. The intense shame that she experienced took a toll on her physically, like stomach pain became intolerable, severe migraines and a great deal of crying and tears followed. She explains that the support she provides to her students, is beyond study permit regulations, she learns about each student’s individual life and students tend to confide in Olga with personal details of their struggles to get to Canada, which was a contributing factor of the battle that led her to burnout. It took a great deal of time for Olga to admit after being on stress leave and seeking out some additional supports, guidance and building her coping skills that she came to terms that what she was experiencing was in fact burnout. Her key message to the listeners is that: take action by allowing yourself to explore all of what you are going through; give yourself time, be open minded, explore help and resources that are out there; and even when you know what to do, do the doing because knowing is not enough.

Visit Dare to Heal to find out more.

Passionate about: Ruben Gagarin (spouse) and his YouTube Channel providing a way for individuals to develop their own #mentalbeauty.

Guest shoutout:

YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.Gagarin

Guest Links: Email - info@canpassgroup.com

Website – educatedimmigration.com

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-gagarina-mba-rcic/

View Details

Funmi shares the impact of an unfortunate teenage sexual assault, immigrating to Canada, marital challenges, the loss of both her parents within the span of 18 months, shame, and regrets along the way and how it all has forged her character and identity of who she has become today. She details that it took her a decade to work through the trauma of sexual assault and violent rape endured at age 17, which robbed her of her virginity and her innocence. This led to further impact of her sense of loss and mistrust, and amplified negative perspectives she held about men and family and maintaining long-lasting relationships. She described overall how her mental health was impacted such as, what being on autopilot looked like to her on an everyday basis; the self-blame placed on herself thinking she didn’t deserve a good life and that she brought on these problems onto herself; and what it took to break free from her patterns, learning she can work through her healing process and realized she can still claim her life. Funmi spoke about the emotional pain and turmoil of the death of each parent and how debilitating this was for her and still is on some days. Some moments of her life became unbearable to the point where she entertained suicidal thoughts, thinking that life would be easier for herself and others if she disappeared and not have to deal with any further consequences. Her key message to the listeners is that: life is totally worth living; know that there is an even deeper untold story within your untold story; diver deeper, as it will produce so much more motivation to be exactly who you are called to be; there is so much more to life than what you are currently experiencing, so rise up to your full potential; each person is a work in progress.

Visit Dare to Heal to find out more.

Guest Shoutouts:

https://immersecoaching.co/

Visionary Compass Accelerator Program (https://myvisionarycompass.com/)

Guest Links: Instagram – www.instagram.com/funmiayowole

Website – www.thefunmiayowole.com

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/funmifatonaayowole

Podcast - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thesoulclinic1

View Details

Phoenix grew up in East Germany, still communist in 1972 with an enabling father, growing up being parented with a narcissistic mother she explains. Phoenix shares that she grew up in darkness, and her mother was lost within herself, not knowing her own identity, Phoenix slowly started to get to know herself, and as she did this, she felt she was shedding light on herself. Phoenix expressed that she really struggled to sort out who she was and what she wanted to be and felt that she was not lovable. Her childhood experiences led her to feel unworthy, insignificant, and small. She explained how she was unable to foster healthy relationships or understand how to manage conflict, or cope with difficult people and situations. Phoenix indicates that any relationship she entered, fell apart due to her insecurities and unfinished business with her prior life growing up. Phoenix shared a narrative that was running on repeat for herself was she was not enough, love could only be conditional, and this led her to learning art and precision in walking on eggshells. She later moved to West Germany, and later at the age of 21, she moved to New York to be a dancer, and found a way to express herself through dance. Along her journey, Phoenix believed that to be loved, she needed to be what the other wanted her to be. Her auto response became tuning in with every moment and plan her expressions based on what she thought they wanted her to say and how she was expected to behave. Phoenix admits that this was a mask, and this was not her authentic self, this way of expressing herself that she learned was not conscious, but felt the need to wear a mask, deeply entrenched in mass insecurities and filled with self-doubt. Her key message to the listeners is that: healing can happen, believe it; darkness may show up, but it’s not as scary as you think; look at yourself with more courage and fall in love with who you are; you are not alone, whatever you are suffering, you can hide it successfully, but it’s too isolating; isolation creates more shame; ask for help and break the pattern.

Visit Dare to Heal to find out more.

Guest Shoutouts:

Free Radical Self-Love Practice

Facebook Group for Women

Guest Links: Instagram: Instagram

Facebook: Phoenix Facebook Page

Website: Free Coffee Chat with Phoenix

LinkedIn: LinkedIn

YouTube: Youtube

View Details

In his early 20’s, Sergio was living his best life, while performing well in secure employment that was inclusive of salary, pension, benefits, vacation time and all the bells and whistles. Sergio was excelling in his career, landing achievements and promotions, and studying part time. His life took a sharp turn after he sustained severe injuries following a car accident as a passenger coming home from his birthday celebration. Given the driver went into shock, Sergio was the one to make the 911 call to get help, realizing that he was unable to move his body. Sergio shares details of the time it took to get back moving with ease and what it took to get his mobility to increase while his pain level decreased, he found a way to shed fear, anger, and resentment. There were many themes and obstacles that Sergio faced during his rehabilitation journey and transitioning back into his work life, describing a time where he felt like a “disabled guy”. After undergoing his second surgery to remove the hardware put in, he came to heads with seeing limitations in being able to live life the way he did pre-accident. Filled with sadness and despair, Sergio felt behind, self-defeated in areas of his career and healing relationships. Through the thick of it, Sergio described his mental health at the time was impacted by intense anxiety and minor depression, experiencing sadness as he was not able to do the things he enjoyed, performing differently in the workplace, facing irrational fears, and difficulty being a passenger in a vehicle with any driver. His key message to the listeners is that: it is important to slow down because if you are on the go on a regular basis, it can get you into some trouble; even when you want to be in a hurry, you need to slow down, there’s benefit to slowing down, take time to think things through; there is no need to get somewhere so quickly, it can actually slow you down in ways you can’t expect or desire.

View Details

Sarah delves into a moment when she was 10 years old experiencing her very first panic attack, not knowing what it was at the time. Growing up in a Christian faith, Sarah believed that she would get the support she needed given her belief that God helps to overcome the sensations of panic – the promise of faith. She later experienced depression in her first year of university when she experienced 3 losses in her life from suicide, heart disease and cancer. The latter was her maternal grandmother whom she saw go through it and then was unable to attend the funeral after she lost her grandmother. At school Sarah suffered a sports injury, which led to losing her hockey scholarship, which prompted her transfer to another University in Ontario. Sarah had a moment of deep understanding after the passing of her grandmother that she needed help to work on her mental wellbeing outside of her many supports at the time. After she completed her undergraduate studies, she reconnected with a friend learning that she was a victim of human trafficking, and after learning this, Sarah panicked that she would lose another person from her life. Sarah wanted to help, at the same time, she didn’t feel credible to help with the issue. After having conversations with others, and Sarah started to catch audiences, it inspired her to compete for the Miss Canada pageantry, while she had to work through imposter syndrome to take the initiative forward, she believed she could through pageantry, and focusing on the cause that she is raising awareness for – anti human trafficking. Her key message to the listeners is that: find out where your identity is; ask yourself what defines you; where are you placing your time, energy and resources and can you potentially reallocate these; remember that you are so loved, even when you don’t feel it.

View Details

Sonia’s untold story revolves around her breast cancer diagnosis starting in 2017. She experienced physical and emotional trauma combined with heightened feelings. She had to work hard to overcome overwhelming thoughts and emotional pain when dealing with relationships during her cancer journey. This experience has been eye-opening, particularly in learning who she can rely on as her backbone and who she felt she still needed to support while under-going her own duress. Outwardly, Sonia was perceived to be a strong individual even during her time of challenge, she repeatedly heard the comment, “you got this”, from those around her. She echoed the sentiment herself and kept busy with projects, with the aim to distract her mind. However, internally, her reality was starkly different. Sonia harboured intense fear and anxiety, and kept these and other tough emotions to herself, she didn’t want to bother anyone with her internal experience. The internal struggle took a toll on Sonia. The constant stress she suffered with on the inside, manifested physically on the outside as brain fog, physical exhaustion and felt she needed to keep it together as much as possible. Sonia shared that only few people really showed up for her to support her the way she needed to be, sharing that she felt ignored by many and felt like she didn’t matter. There were some instances she described, where people couldn’t hear her talk about her cancer experience, and these same individuals were not there for her during her time of difficulty. This further affected Sonia as she chose to isolate more to protect herself emotionally, and truly felt that she and her journey of what she underwent medically was not a big deal, resulting in minimizing her true experience. Her key message to the listeners is that: it’s okay not to feel okay, learn this; stop pretending and stop spending time in this energy zapping space; go through your feels; be kind to yourself; do the best you can and remind yourself of this regularly; have gratitude for yourself; process the pain and don’t store it in different places in your body; slow down and process what you are experiencing.

View Details

Her untold story reveals the levels of toxicity and bullying Stephanie experienced as she entered the workforce in a professional capacity, the way in which she tolerated workplace harassment, and how she eventually learned to handle the distress she endured. Stephanie shared that while her work role was at an established organization and she was not doing any physical labour, she found that the emotional and mental toll she experienced because of the workplace toxicity and negative environment was a great deal of physical impact. She describes feeling extreme fatigue and burnout, headaches, stomach discomfort, high and low emotions, crying spells, all while not knowing how she was being treated at work was harassment and toxic and also not being able to recognize that what she was experiencing was a cause for concern. She assumed this is what work life was supposed to be like. With all the suffering that Stephanie underwent, she ended up requiring a medical leave, later being let go from her position. During the peak of her distress, she was affected by imposter syndrome, and it chipped away at her confidence and her inner resiliency. She noticed that her personal interactions were impacted, she was not able to stay present for conversations and events, Stephanie described feeling so low that it was difficult for her to feel joy. Overall, she explained that she felt completely isolated, alone, didn’t think that anyone else would understand, even her close friends, and she ended up staying in a negative feedback loop for some time. Her key message to the listeners is that: pay attention to your gut and the signals your body gives you; put healthy boundaries in place for yourself and speak up when you experience that something is not okay; if you are experiencing burnout, this is a red flag – so it needs to be addressed at its earliest; don’t ignore your internal experiences, because if you do, it will be detrimental to your health or life circumstances, instead – take action.

View Details

Anthony dives right in to share how what he experienced from childhood to adulthood greatly influenced his present-day life. It began at the tender young age of six and carried forward until adulthood with multiple and continuous experiences of how he was impacted and influenced in his achievements and failures. When he arrived in Canada, he provided details of how he felt he had to start from the ground up again. After he retired, he developed an illness that kept him wheelchair bound, he later endured a wheelchair accident, where he was struck by a motorist while Anthony was taking his dog for a walk, which has limited his accessibility. Given that he was born at a time and place where poverty was rampant, social stratification and feeling at the bottom, themes that consistently showed up for him were about continuously having to restart, not fitting in, and keeping himself small. He took time to describe how he felt like a burden at times and full of inadequacy, and even though he believes he has healed a great deal of the trauma, Anthony constantly feels that he relives the trauma from his past. He explained his desperate attempts to prove himself and contend with the feelings of unworthiness and the on-going struggles, so he really felt the need to work extra hard to be accepted. This led him to have on-going battles with self-doubt, having bouts of depression, intense worrying and rivaling with imposter syndrome. His key message to the listeners is that: we are all broken in some way, whether you are missing something, shifting from something, or feeling incomplete in some way and yet each person is resilient and can overcome struggles; it takes time and effort; you have the right to be happy, it’s in your reach; it’s your right to seek happiness and accept nothing less; it’s not over until it’s over.

View Details

Fatima’s untold story is about being raised by her grandmother from 18 months, in Barbados after being born in Canada, and then returning to Canada at the age of 8, not knowing that her scheduled visit after so many years was going to become a permanent life change for her. She speaks about themes like navigating relationships, abandonment, grief, and loss, being stripped of everything that was familiar to her, learning to adapt to new situations, encountering racism that was not experienced back home, and connecting to her cultural identity. As Fatima grappled with learning who she was, she also had internal fears that she was unable to articulate, lots of self-doubt, poor self-confidence, feeling unworthiness and not feeling like she belonged. When uncovering her new way of life had become abundantly overwhelming, she found herself with a great deal of internal turmoil, with a great deal of emotional withdrawal, physically her legs would get shaky, and she had a deep desire to get back to Barbados in some way. Fatima shared that she felt quite misunderstood by her classmates, many times bullied, made fun of due to the differences in her accent and texture of her hair, and when she would rely on support from her teachers, she often didn’t receive it, and instead would often feel as though she was being punished. Through her experience, she learned to swallow suffering and bury it down, if she cried at home, she might get spanked, so it got to the point, where she suppressed all emotions that she felt, those that were undesired and desired. Her key message to the listeners is that: no matter where you are in life, age, or circumstances, there is hope; once you have hope you can climb and get over the wall; just love yourself perfectly and wonderfully; whatever you go through, there is a reason for it, so search for purpose and on the other side there’s hope.

View Details

Inga’s story begins at a time when she immigrated to Canada at the age 16 on her own, with minimal knowledge of English, and this didn’t stop her to pursue her education, which is when she decided to commit to the idea, the need to prove herself. She operated under the narrative that of things she must overcome, the harder life shows up for her, even though she unlearned this narrative later in her journey. Inga also highlights she experienced fear of judgement by others, which resulted in comparing herself to others, spent money she didn’t have, and entertained an internal dialogue of not being good enough, particularly at networking events. She goes on to share that there was a great deal of internal turmoil that she was battling with, as she found her footing her world. Inga would need to make herself believe she was better than everyone else and would put high expectations and standards on others for her to value interactions with people, all these actions unknowingly were to protect herself from her core fears. Inga later suffered a car accident, sustaining several injuries in addition to fear of driving. There were times that her mental health had taken its toll on her and she would cry, felt immense stress and disempowerment, difficulty sleeping, felt stuck, as she didn’t know how to regain happiness. She was able to get herself out of the victim mindset once she started to engage in the rehabilitative process. Her key message to the listeners is that: take a bird’s eye view on any situation you face and look at what is happening not your interpretation of it and see what new perspective you can gain; this is it, this is your life, not your practice life; give up fear of being judged; go live your life.

View Details

Karima dares herself for a second round on the podcast, to share further developments on her mental well-being journey. She speaks about how she currently manages and copes with her diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and bipolar 1 and her process of daily coping. Karima takes time to share what it’s like identifying as a neurodivergent woman of colour, what tasks, or actions she finds difficult doing, unlearning certain habits, and learning boundary setting within her household as well as out in the world. Karima contended with her identity and feeling like her identity at times was based on how she was seen, or how people in her life who would decide for her if she was sick even if she wasn’t and she shares her process in re-writing her life script. She has been working through tough themes like fear of abandonment and learning its roots, crippling loneliness she felt, emotional work she has put in place to halt her impulses, understanding her triggers and frustrations. Karima spends time discussing how her mixed ethnic background and cultural roots have impacted her in a way where she did not receive the emotional supports from her family that she needed even when there was ample intellectual stimulation. Her key message to the listeners is that: the block or mute buttons are beautiful features and are helpful to regain control of your wellbeing and taking charge of your life; there is always power to choose, and to choose what is best for you in the absence of guilt; take space to breathe; disconnect from screens; take moments to be in nature and reground yourself.

View Details

Leon immigrated to Canada when he was 10 years old unexposed to the world of financial challenges and this continued to follow him when he reached post-secondary education. During his time enrolled in university, he met credit card representatives where he was encouraged to sign up for high value credit cards, not knowing that he could go into credit card debt or understanding the implications of making high ticket purchases he couldn’t afford. Leon shared it got to the point where interest accumulated on his amount owing on payments and eventually, he was left with his only option, to declare bankruptcy. Through this financial struggle, he would have nightmares, experienced a great deal of frustration and anxiety, even just seeing his name appear on the envelope of what he knew was an enclosed bill. This led him to withdraw from his social circle and isolate himself even more, he felt ashamed and embarrassment and didn’t feel he could face people. There were numerous questions being asked of him by his family members, he felt a loss of control, and continued to feel the high pressure of expectations placed upon him culturally to excel and to do well, in addition to being first born sibling. Leon shared how this took a large toll on his mental well-being, feeling like a loser, feeling hopeless and desperate, he started to rely on alcohol to escape all the complex emotions he experienced at the time. He did regain his momentum which led him to undo the financial distress that he was in by getting external support. His key message to the listeners is that: financial planning is for everyday folks; you can have a worry and debt free life; be honest with yourself and don’t let your ego take over; there are people who are willing to help, so just take that first step to seek the help you need.

View Details

Born in Korea, Jackie shared that culturally, emotions are not discussed with the family, it’s still taboo to address mental health related issues. The way issues were dealt with in the home were not dealt with in a healthy way, she was exposed to explosive reactions or not speaking about it at all. At the age of 12, she travelled to Canada alone to study internationally and resided with a homestay family. She describes her story as a life-or-death battle with herself, where for three years of her life she was preoccupied contemplating thoughts of suicide daily. Jackie felt deep shame about herself and who she was. While practicing as a lawyer, no one around her knew that she was struggling, she was able to mask it well, she indicated she couldn’t afford to show that she was not okay. Jackie had her first anxiety attack in law school, not knowing what anxiety was at the time, though she experienced the symptoms every day. Jackie admits that her way of coping with the discomfort she experienced stemmed from avoidance and escapism, until she ended up having the anxiety attack. She explains that she had a loud inner critic and got used to bullying herself as she didn’t always feel comfortable and emotionally safe while she took steps to uncover her identity while growing up all on her own once she moved to Canada. Jackie shares that she would stand out for hours on her balcony of the twenty-fifth floor, after any trigger she experienced – until one day, she realized that this is not the way she wanted to die. Her key message to the listeners is that: opening up to people is what changes your experience; seek help, keep learning and shift to a different framework; look at your current framework – check if it’s outdated and faulty; there is no shame in getting help, we all need the help; keep going, life is a journey; keep working on yourself, learn more and it will bring you new perspective.

View Details

Throughout Tara’s life, she struggled with feelings of unworthiness, never feeling like she fully fit in, coming from a mixed background and being the only girl in a family of five. Growing up, Tara learned to attach her worth to her achievements and based on other external factors. Tara got used to supporting others and being present for others, prioritizing them and it always trumped her own worth and what she kept within her. She desperately looked for love, but the men she attracted didn’t value her worth or treat her with respect. When she started to work in the tech industry, this was only enhanced further, and she found herself believing that she wasn’t worth it and if so, she would have to prove her worth. Tara explains that the theme of not fitting in continued, she didn’t feel that anyone had her back, and because she knew how that made her feel, she didn’t want anyone else to ever feel this way. During her journey and self-discovery, she endured physical and sexual abuse, grief, and loss of loved ones, became gang affiliated, endured even more trauma, suffered a stroke and other curveballs too. Tara reached a point in her life where she wanted to end it all as she felt so misunderstood and felt unsafe. Until she got herself to a place where she started to put the focus back on her, she started to practice forgiving herself, and started to take back control of her life. Her key message to the listeners is that: unworthiness can show up in many ways; allow yourself to be where you need to be; stay with the metamorphosis of life; shed and rebirth; love limitlessly; stay true to your core values; listen to your internal compass and be sure to stand for what you stand for.

View Details

Maureen tells her story of learning to be an effective parent to four children with mental health and addiction struggles, and her own recovery process from codependent parenting styles. She shares details of three of her children who all grappled with their mental health in different ways. One child engaged in self-harm, another suffered drug-induced episodes with suicidal tendencies, and a third child hiding out in her room isolated, hiding from everything and everyone. Maureen expressed each time she was hoping for a break to catch her breath, there was another crisis, which gradually took a great toll on her. It got to the point where she didn’t know where to go or who to turn to, what help to ask for and where to get help. Maureen described feeling isolated and frightened. She explained her process was on repeat, where she felt the need to rescue a child from an incident, direct the next steps, and before she knew it there was another crisis at hand. In this process, she was extremely fatigued, until it led her to completely deplete, feeling numb and immobilized. She explained that she felt like a failure, because in her work as a nurse, she was able to manage crises and solve problems that came her way, however, this was not the case with her family. Her role in the family felt like a case manager, where she developed a fear of rest, no concept of self-care, took to emotional eating, all until she was able to take a step back and look at herself, the possibilities, and rediscovering parts of herself that were neglected due to her attention being focused on her children. Her key message to the listeners is that: you’re not alone, you don’t need to do it alone, even when you feel alone, go seek treatment; for parents think terrible things when their children are unresponsive - maybe you just need to change the parenting; you are not responsible for creating the problem, even if you played a role in creating the chaos; there’s help out there.

View Details

Dennis’s story is rooted in being raised in a sheltered Asian household, while feeling immense pressure to perform academically. Dennis articulates that as a child growing up, he had difficulty understanding others, and experienced a great deal of confusion over emotions he experienced. Dennis describes feeling caged in from parents whom he felt were overprotective, in addition to his siblings. His path was defined by focusing on academics and he was discouraged to take time to cultivate friendships, participate in extracurricular activities and engage in daily socialization. He highlights a moment in his final year of high school where his grades slipped by a few percentage points, and this resulted in feeling disowned by his family. Dennis expressed feeling loneliness, not having any privacy, no healthy space to take risks and even make mistakes and was not given permission to make many of his daily decisions. It was ingrained into him that he had to meet a certain set of standards, and if he couldn’t, this left him feeling like the black sheep of the family, feeling invisible. Dennis mentioned that he found his circumstances depressing at times, and even in an uncaged environment once he reached university, it was quite overwhelming to navigate socializing, taking risks, and doing what brought him pleasure, because for so long life was dictated to him. His key message to the listeners is that: be kind to yourself, take things slowly and go at your own pace; work on self-improvement and beat your previous self, enjoy the process; it’s not impossible to take your first step, it gets easier and becomes more manageable; failure is a first step in learning, so go experiment and improve.

View Details

Ally takes a deep dive to express and share when mental illness began to take hold of her, and her emotional literacy and self-awareness were highly compromised. She indicates that she didn’t have the ability to ask for what she needed in times of crisis, in the process her family had to engage in a great deal of guess work of what she needed and while they were in several crises of their own, her parents were trying their best even if it wasn’t the best or most effective method for Ally. After self-injurious behaviour that Ally was engaging in became known to her parents, this is when her mental health journey amplified. Ally explains that she comes from a loving family however she struggled to feel loved and had regret for expressing her true feelings when she was asked by her father. She experienced feeling guilt for adding more stress to parents already difficult load with her older siblings who already faced their own mental health difficulties, and felt the only approach that parents had capacity for was the medical model, which did not allow space for empathy, compassion, or gentleness. However, she didn’t share her true experience with her parents as she wanted to give them a break. Before she found a way to cope and regulate the intense emotions for herself, she endured a great deal of shame, heaviness, consumed in thoughts, and a great deal of emotional turmoil. Her key message to the listeners is that: doing bad things, doesn’t make you a bad person, it gives you room to work on healing; be kind to yourself; don’t beat yourself; don’t rush to make amends before you’ve fully worked your process; unsavoury things happen when you struggle the key is to learn about it.

View Details

Emily dives into her story that began in 2013, turning to substance use, she met someone through work, a close person she trusted. She embarked on a vacation with this friend and a few days into the trip, she was informed that they had to both bring drugs back through the border and this left her feeling trapped. Emily was coerced into strapping drugs to her body on the return flight, followed by her arrest at the airport, plead guilty on charges for importing drugs and spent four years in federal prison. Emily expressed feeling devastated, stupid, and regretted missing the signs and red flags that were present that she hadn’t paid attention to. The red flags were not apparent until much later. Emily experienced feeling more furious at herself than she was at the friend who got her into the situation. Initially on house arrest for two and half years followed by the guilty plea with four years in the federal facility. She experienced a great deal of shame after her bail hearing, had difficulty looking at her parents, and seeing how terrified they were. She later explains that her mental health was on the back burner, she was in a frozen state, feeling in limbo. While in prison she felt revenge on the person who influenced her situation, and in prison, she was surrounded by people who condone violence, and this perpetuated a desire to punish her friend. Emily went through a roller coaster of emotions related to anger and revenge and fixated in an anger trap is how she describes it. Her key message to the listeners is that: you don’t have to be in a physical prison to be in prison, whether it’s marital, financial, environment or injury prison, but it’s more about what you do with it; focus on growth; allow your emotions; no one can dictate your journey; mistakes are universal and so are comebacks.

View Details

Dawson unpacks how he was in survival mode in his third year of university, impacted by academic stressors, resuming in-person learning post COVID restrictions and a simultaneous process with his ailing grandmother who passed away from a long battle with Alzheimer’s. For Dawson, the impact of the various stressors meant a fierce contest with depression, lots of uncomfortable emotions, enduring lots of crying, a difficult encounter with a university professor and the considerations brought to Dawson’s attention to pause academics. Through this journey, he was struck with lack of motivation and imposter syndrome. When he was contending with the 6-month battle with depression, his ability to function daily was limited, he managed to take care of his needs, however, with a great deal of lessening the demand on himself and with each small task requiring great efforts. He found himself comparing himself to others, feeling intense confusion and turmoil, and feeling lost. He constantly wondered and worried about what was going to happen to his grandmother, among other future worries. Dawson also grappled with questioning his self-worth, completely stifled and crumbling as he questioned his own core self. His key message to the listeners is that: you are important and the things that make up your life are not meaningless; no one is or does anything meaningless; you matter; your existence is valuable.

View Details

As a first-time entrepreneur, Ethan struggled to recognize his own self-worth and would tie it to the success of his company’s revenue. He speaks about how self-doubt played a role, where in the past he would think that others can persevere and take the leap of faith, but not him, leaving him to stick to predefined ideas of what he thought other people wanted him to be. At the time, the internal dialogue he entertained is that whatever he struggled with is what he just had to endure. Any mistake that he encountered tampered with his self-worth. Ethan held an inaccurate definition of failure and dealt with a great deal of anxiety around needing to execute each task perfectly. He shared his experience of growing up in an Asian household as the eldest sibling, showing up as an obedient child – wanting to please his parents, show them respect, which only led him to developing a level of codependency. This perpetuated themes of pleasing other people, finding satisfaction in how others saw him, and this partly defined his version of what success meant for him. Ethan shares a mindset he operated from keeping him in survival mode, which in time led him to experience bitterness and resentment when he started to tap into his gut instinct and then brush it aside as he continued to please those around him. Ethan was not okay with making a mistake, feared messing up and worrying he would not be lovable. His key message to the listeners is that: don’t hold yourself back, you have so much potential, ability, skill and experience; don’t put yourself in a box and predefine yourself based on other people’s expectations; there’s more joy when you embrace your authentic self; take time to get to know yourself with all your flaws, blemishes and beauty.

View Details

Jagdeep dives right in to share some integral parts of her life that gave her a wakeup call to pivot and take charge of her life in a different way. She delves into the perfectionism within her and how this impacted her ability to parent as she started to see how controlling it was on external parts of her life. She examines the damage that perfectionism had on her marriage, and expressed feeling she was destroying her life unknowingly and putting herself to feel unnecessary grief. Jagdeep converses about her process in uncovering unconscious choices she was making and looking at what habits were passed down to her. It wasn’t until Jagdeep had a mini stoke that she encountered her lightbulb moment of recognizing a change was needed. While she was in the thick of her journey, she faced her marriage falling apart, she learned to let go of the ‘picture perfect life’ she worked hard to carry on the outside view of how other’s saw her life, and reflected on what she was modelling for her children and what she wanted to model for them instead. Jagdeep dealt with competing thoughts of feeling like a failure, feeling that she had put her family to shame, self-blame and self- critical, and getting to a point where she had to chunk her day into small parts so that she could focus, function, and survive with demands of her life. Her key message to the listeners is that: it’s not all on you, you are not in control over everything, and you’re not supposed to be; the world doesn’t have to be on your shoulders, free yourself; take responsibility for what you are accountable to; when you recognize you are not in control of everything – start to accept it.

View Details

Held back by fear and core beliefs, Faizan was brought to his vulnerability to face his own truth, despite his deep knowledge and understanding of human behaviour. After reflecting on his own belief systems, he expressed that approximately 5 years ago things started to change for him when he dealt with his own financial failure and experiencing the intense feeling of almost losing his wife to the darkness of depression. Faizan talks about fear he experienced keeping him from being able to help his wife during the fragility of her ailments. He admits that while he had the knowledge and tools on how to help himself, he didn’t know how to embody the concepts for himself. He tapped into a crucial pattern he would come up against of this need to have control in his life and he took a deeper glance of where it came from. Faizan worked through narratives of feeling unlovable, unworthy, and not feeling good enough, and intense worries about his wife leaving him. He realized he struggled to let love in, and then started to work on his process to continue to build awareness and gain new insights about his core. Learning to trust, asking for help, and finding support led him to see how important it is to be able to lean on someone that can hold that light of hope. His key message to the listeners is that: don’t take anything personally, whatever is happening out there is not about you; always do your best no matter what and acknowledge that you have given it your best, then embody it; give others the benefit of the doubt, they too are doing their best; do your emotional work, introspect and take responsibility of your emotions.

View Details

Paige’s untold story is predominantly about finding her mother dead at their familial home at the young age of 17, and the impact her mother’s death had on her during such a developmental age and fundamental time. Paige takes us through her journey highlighting changes she experienced personally and professionally resulting from this devastating life event. Paige willingly uncovers the impact it had on her mental health as well as all other aspects of her life. Following this incident, she was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She explains that being diagnosed with PTSD was quite a peculiar thing to come to terms with since she experienced a great deal of false information circulating alongside the diagnosis, particularly in her young age demographic at the time. When Paige uncovers some of the darkest moments she experienced, she describes it as feeling completely shattered, not knowing what to feel or even do. She experienced a great deal of emotion such as guilt, shame, and at times disallowing herself to come to terms with what she was experiencing by minimizing her circumstances and telling herself that “someone could have it worse”. Paige took time to explain how she experienced survivor’s guilt, numbing feelings when it was too painful and living in denial that she even experienced a trauma. Her key message to the listeners is that: listen to your body, mind, and heart; if you start to notice a different experience or feeling, there is no shame in seeking help and searching for answers; recognize that you can only heal by reaching out and connecting; through healing and progression, you can take the tragedy and use it to your advantage.

View Details

Claire’s parents were told by their family physician when she was just around 4-years- that what Claire had been presenting with was obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but it was something she would grow out of. This informal diagnosis was not shared with Claire until she was in her mid-20’s nor did she grow out of it. Once she learned about OCD and how it shows up in her life, it took a great deal of healing to even come to terms with it, learn how to cope and manage it, and choose a path that led her to who she’s become today. Claire shared openly that while she was unaware of the OCD, she did have her own rituals and compulsions, and this resulted in limitations to her social skills and was a victim of school bullying. She suffered through anxiety, grew up with people pleasing tendencies, she felt that her true self and voice were silenced and suppressed, experienced intense sadness, became fearful to express herself and her inner critic was loud. Claire explained that her parents were extremely supportive of her, though they were aware of apparent struggles that she faced, it was attributed to emotional growing pains, like being shy, low self-confidence, and masking parts of herself. She spoke about how much of what she experienced had been internalized, she was so afraid to be judged and not accepted, afraid to let people witness her talents, and worried she wasn’t good at anything or competent. Her experiences have taught her determination, drive, what she is passionate about, and has found a way to conquer her fears by not giving into the voice of fear and learning how to work through the complexities of circumstances that come her way. Her key message to the listeners is that: it’s worth giving yourself some time to reflect; allow yourself to be big and bold; invite your true authentic self wherever you go; belong in your space, so express yourself -- therefore, it’s vital to get to know yourself and love yourself fully.

View Details

Johnny takes us through his journey where he describes the difficulties in growing up without a father and the impact it caused to hunger for acceptance in all other facets of his life. Johnny elaborates on his journey, speaking about the lessons he learned from the absence of a father figure and how he drew from his own difficult experience and committed to giving his children fully what he was deprived of growing up. Johnny talks about feeling emotional emptiness, which led him down a path of drugs and alcohol, feeling abandoned and not evening knowing it at times, and battling through narratives stemming from questioning his own worth and questioning is abilities and capabilities. Johnny relied heavily on external validation, struggled with his own identity, and even contemplated suicide at some point. He shared that no one knew about the inner turmoil he experienced, expressing that he had a yearning for missing and wanting a ‘dad’ in his life. Johnny shared his new identity naturally developed when he finally was able to meet his self, he was stable, found a way to be his own self and claim who he was with the support of who is his wife today. When he truly felt accepted and safe, he was able to choose himself and understood the importance to care for himself. His big moment was when his first son was born, that moment in the hospital, connected for Johnny missing ingredients in his life and what was most important for him. His key message to the listeners is that: learn your value, otherwise others will get you at a discount – they will devalue you and you will too; learn who you are and surround yourself with mentors that can guide you to do things better; learn healthy boundaries; get counsel and therapy; you are more than what you’ve become.

View Details

Garcia shares her untold story and extracts the two extreme themes of growing up in what was seen as a perfect life on the outside, while feeling broken on the inside. Garcia battled with imposter syndrome, constantly held back due to fear, and openly spoke about the state of her marriage and how fearful she would be to take steps forward in her life as she experienced emotional consequences for actions she took. She expressed how she felt like she was leading a single life while being married and a mother to four children. Garcia longed for attention from her husband and didn’t feel she got the attention or affection she was worthy of and didn’t feel like she had anyone to turn to when she fell ill. She lists all the different ways fear showed up in her life and all the many things she was afraid to do. She didn’t feel like she had her own identity, she was so busy being afraid and worrying how her husband would react to any situation whether it be an everyday purchase for herself or the family or whether it was about pursuing career goals of her own. Garcia describes the mental toll from all the stress and anxiety experienced and found her way back to herself through her faith. Her key message to the listeners is that: you don’t have to live in silence; you are not alone; there’s healing to be done; if you are going through something as a couple, talk about it with each other, get support; things do get resolved; listening helps a great deal; experience fear and take action inspite of it; the light won’t come unless you work through the storm.

View Details

Rafiat details her untold story is all about how she followed her own intuition to leave an emotionally abusive relationship and toxic work environment. She explains that by doing so, she is able to live her life on her own terms and has made peace and joy her standard. Rafiat uncovers her mental health is tied to her financial health, when she was about 14 years old, her family lost their home, having to sell to avoid foreclosure, her parents were getting a divorce because of financial constraints and mother learned that father wasn’t paying the mortgage. They were able to get another home a couple years later, mother fell ill, and they cycle repeated itself, soon not being able to afford the home and again needing to sell to avoid foreclosure. Rafiat speaks about the burdens and pressure that she took on wondering how she needs to save her family, and how can she fix it. Rafiat shares emotionally she was left feeling she was running out of time and losing hope in the process. She identified several faulty narratives around money, success and taking responsibility, which were damaging to her mental well-being.

View Details

Alexandra taps into being raised with a strict parenting style, where she experienced emotional and psychological abuse, sharing her mother’s parenting style mirrored her grandfather’s style of parenting that Alexandra’s mother experienced. She left her life in France to come to Canada to live a new life and pursue her dreams and goals. Soon after she met the father of her child, she participated in a toxic relationship for several years and experienced emotional, physical, and financial abuse. Alexandra expresses the abuse she endured in adulthood was parallel to her childhood experience. She thought this is what she deserved and admits at the same time she was blinded in what she believed to be love. Police and child services were involved, and she did seek solace at women’s shelters. Alexandra shares she returned to the relationship even when she didn’t want to due to severe financial constraints. Alexandra’s mental health was impacted to the extent she had no love to give herself, she lacked confidence, she would end up putting herself down, and didn’t take care of herself emotionally or physically. The more toxicity she experienced in her relationship, the more distant she became from her friendships and decreased her interactions with family, resulting in bottling up all her emotions. Eventually she put up her own boundaries and started to make clearer choices that were good for both her and her son. She explained that when she found her inner strength and started to use her voice, it got loud, and she would no longer hold back. Her key message to the listeners is that: believe in yourself and know that you can do great things; you can have success; believe that you deserve better and more; believe that you are worthy of love, life and success – it can all be yours; search for resources, they are out there.

View Details

Rachael dives deep into sharing that part of her untold story where she ignored her inner voice, got married, later divorced, and through the process she gained clarity, courage, and confidence, which permitted her to recommit to herself. She identifies as a supernatural human from a young age, she found it difficult to tame her gifts, given she couldn’t make sense of her experiences. This later led her to feel vulnerable and exposed. Rachael frequently questioned her identity, wondered who she was expected to be, while she had a great deal of awareness as a baby and toddler, it was difficult to communicate what she was experiencing before she could verbalize and could articulate her needs. As she grew up, she was conditioned to believe she’s not safe to express and reveal, and who she was had no place to be. She developed a pattern which informed how Rachael would show up in the world, she didn’t feel she could trust or integrate with others. She experienced a great deal of loneliness which she normalized, but continued to feel like an outsider, never felt included even when others included her. Rachael shared she really didn’t know how to let people into her life, as she felt she would be harmed in some way. Rachael described how her mental health was impacted over time. She describes feeling she disappeared inside of herself, in a prison with no freedom; feeling arrested, stuck, full of self-doubt, churning in confusion. Rachel felt disconnected from herself, felt she had to numb all feelings at times wondered she could survive this life and stay afloat. Her key message to the listeners is that: the world is waiting for you; you are worthy of prioritizing your life; your wants and needs matter; people are waiting for you to share your story and hear your voice; unapologetically be you, you are who you are; we are all valuable to each other.

View Details

Mira starts to share her story by pointing out that problems don’t go away, but it is about how an individual chooses to carry them. She delves into her story as a child of deaf parents, immigrating from Iran to Canada, and the identity crisis that she faced along the way. While growing up in Iran, she didn’t have the same opportunities that her peers had. She struggled to share some of her emotional experiences with her parents, communication was limited, and she took on a large parenting role to her parents and became their eyes and ears as their education too was limited given the circumstances in Iran at that time. Mira mentioned that immigrating to Canada was tough, she struggled with new culture and language, which led to depression. She expressed feeling rootless, which created a deep crisis in her life which impacted her health and her relationships. She soon reached a crossroads where she was forced to decide whether to be drowned by her sufferings or to swim to another shore where freedom from fear and suffering was possible. It was during this time that she met Jivasu and began exploring the teachings of Somatofulness. These teachings and meditations provided her with the most authentic path toward living a meaningful life. Living according to her nature has led her to the path of awareness and has moved her toward a more natural way of self. She has now become less bound by fear and sorrow and enjoys a sense of well-being and peace. Her key message to the listeners is that: strike a balance to increase capacity, embrace the unpleasant, only then will you create space and allow the presence of it all to just be without putting yourself in harm’s way; everyone has a story, it’s the blueprint of getting to know yourself, take time to get to know yourself, put your story together, put an end to living someone else’s story, and start owning your own.

View Details

At 17, Melane was hospitalized, fighting leukemia. Through her cancer journey and miraculous recovery, she gained an understanding of her purpose, faith, and the power of a positive mindset, all of which laid the foundation for her business success. She takes the time to delve into the initial career focus starting as a nurse and what prompted her in this endeavour was the substandard emotional care received while she herself was hospitalized. She wanted to ensure that she could positively impact other patients in a similar predicament. She takes time to speak about the backstory of what it took to build her business, during this time, she endured panic attacks, anxiety, bouts of depression, financial distress, and working long hours regularly to meet her goals. She described moments how she soothed her inner child, took time to check in with herself and breathe, and disengage from thought spirals and engage in deliberate relaxation to keep stress levels to a minimum. After navigating a crushing bout of burnout in her late 20s, she took to understanding her purpose, joined it with her faith, and with no business experience or training and minimal capital, she found a way for her business to begin being both impactful and purpose driven. Her key message to the listeners is that: deal with your scars, honour and examine these scars; you are not alone; surrender to the process; know there’s hope; celebrate your wins; operate yourself from a place of purpose and passion.

View Details

Salima dares to share for a second time, tying her initial interview revealing herself as a miracle baby, and now expanding on multiple themes that presented in the deep layers of perfectionism. She explores the underlying themes and narratives that have fuelled perfectionism in her lifetime, such as feeling defective resulting from health challenges; contending with the idea of not feeling truly seen because of feeling “defective”; getting consumed by fears and anxieties held by her immediate family members, and some patterns rooted in cultural norms, family dynamics, sibling hierarchy, and facing differential treatment due to gender. Perfectionism didn’t always show up in blatant ways for Salima, it would sneak up on her, in activities she was passionate about pursuing, within the academic realm, and perfectionism disguised as procrastination. She identified with old narratives housed in the back of her mind, like they always know better, anything that must get done must be perfect to avoid consequence, feelings of paralyses would come over her when she was faced with new tasks, just drowning in fear-based assumptions, and thought spirals. She also identified with this need to sort what she could control and how much she would want to control, with this idea, if she could just prepare a little more or do this one thing differently than she could fix or anticipate what was to come. Her key message to the listeners of the show is: If you’re a perfectionist, own it and work through it; lean into the discomfort bit by bit; get in touch with the stories that you tell yourself and check out the facts; perfectionism can be unlearned; allow yourself to be perfectly imperfect and recognize that striving for perfectionism is toxic, instead, embrace your true authentic self.

View Details

Kwasi’s story unveils the struggle he experienced with his deep desire to be successful, the immense pressure he put on himself, and the mental toll he endured as a result of his process. He expressed that he was desperate for approval, and no matter what success he captured, it never seemed to be enough. Kwasi shared the many barriers he faced which put additional stress on his desire to perform with high standards he set for himself to meet goals he set out. Kwasi shared that being alone with his thoughts was detrimental to his self-esteem and confidence, he would analyze each interaction with others, and it took him quite a bit of time for him to understand the need to connect to his needs and give himself the same approval that he would seek out from others. Kwasi can relate to imposter syndrome, symptoms of depression, and feeling the weight of the world. When he encountered dark spaces, he described the feeling as a weight too heavy. Knowing how heavy the weight was that he was choosing to lift or attempt to lift, knowing it was too dangerous, he would still go for it even if he felt he was sinking further and further down to the ground for whatever he was attempting to achieve. He speaks about what his mental wellbeing was impacted by as he only allowed himself to experience emotional toll behind closed doors. His key message to the listeners is that: give yourself room to feel what you need to feel; unpack what needs to be unpacked; validate all emotions and give yourself that space to acknowledge it too; be kind to yourself, check-in with your inner voice and set it straight if it starts to misalign.

View Details

Dr. Burger shares her story based on true determination as her driving force to recover from a car accident which resulted in sustaining numerous physical injuries, some of which required surgeries, in addition to a traumatic brain injury. She lived by a mantra that she told herself repeatedly, “I will work, and I will get better”, which is exactly what transpired. She indeed worked extremely hard and battled many rough patches, even on some of the toughest days she kept going, and she did get better and found a way to build a life that she thrives in, in the present day. She recalled the turn of events at the time of impact dating back to 1991, as a single mother, getting picked up by a companion after a long shift as a charge nurse, picking up her son along the way, and this is when the accident took place. The vehicle flipped over more than two times, and she woke up in the emergency room, learning she had to keep still and she was trying to understand what had happened to her. Initially when she first gained consciousness, she was told by doctors treating her that they didn’t think she would be able to move and feared she would be paralyzed. Later, while being treated by multiple other specialists, they advised Dr. Burger that she was a medical marvel, the accident she was in, only 1% of people who undergo an accident like this survive. She was also advised that she likely would not be able to work a day in her life again, this was untrue in her case. In addition to the physical battle, there was a simultaneous mental battle where loved ones around her couldn’t understand what she was going through, as symptoms were internal and not visible to others. She was feeling misunderstood by so many loved ones, the pain, memory issues, and internal struggle were intense for her. Her key message to the listeners is that: it doesn’t matter what happens to you, it matters what you do with it; find your supports; healing from trauma is when you take control back, and it doesn’t have to impact your whole life; you are not letting the bad thing that happened to you control you or govern where you go with it.

View Details

Sophia openly speaks about her journey with depression and how she was living a good life that she was grateful for and is exactly the image she portrayed to others. However, Sophia had a great deal of inner turmoil that she combatted with which was kept hidden from her external world. She shares that during her 20’s she started to experience symptoms of depression, though she wouldn’t have known at the time this is what she was experiencing. At that time, she developed feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness, despite having a reputable career, a solid social circle, and healthy family dynamics. Sophia explained that though she could function daily, she in fact had a tough time getting out of bed, but somehow managed to complete any task at hand and attend to work, however, she was miserable on the inside. Beyond crying there were moments where she considered to drive her car off the road. Sophia clarified that she didn’t really want to end her life, but felt she needed time to rest and recover from the internal suffering. Her desperation of needing a break of some kind brought her to irrational thoughts where the idea formed that if she was injured enough, then she would have an opportunity to rest and recuperate and sort out what her next steps would be. Sophia shared, in addition to dark thoughts, she also engaged in unhealthy behaviours like comfort eating, isolating self from others, partying and excessive drinking. Her key message to the listeners is that: dark thoughts, feeling hopeless, or worthless without a reason is okay, you don’t have to feel ashamed, help is there; don’t hate yourself for going through whatever it is that you’re experiencing; remember when you feel this way, it’s a signal that mental health support is needed; and you are not alone.

View Details

Shelley brings forward a story where her first deep relationship transformed into marriage, and later a relationship so toxic that even she could not recognize its depth. After giving birth to each of her 3 children, she developed postpartum depression, which gradually shifted into situational depression. She describes how her third pregnancy was tough and the morning sickness she endured was around the clock, not to mention many other factors that she faced. Shelley shared that her husband at the time was absent from the marriage, not there to support her as he himself was overwhelmed with his career, leaving Shelley to feel helpless. She opened to speak about how abuse was never physical for her, rather deep subtleties, and overtime the person she was began to shrink and continued to become smaller. She was on the receiving end of manipulative comments, intimidation, blaming, being gaslit, and this only influenced Shelley to strive for more and more perfection, yet unable to attain perfection. She spoke about the many ways she was bullied and lectured through long emails, and later faced a period of financial abuse. Shelley expressed there were moments she felt scared, judged, inadequate, and she also began doubting herself. This idea of not being able to make a mistake haunted her and made her out to lack confidence in herself and her abilities, all which produced high levels of anxiety. Her key message to the listeners is that: get help, take the risk, your life can be free; photocopy all documents and information, and know where all your paperwork is kept; keep a separate account; prepare while you wait; the narcissist never changes, so make the necessary changes yourself.

View Details

As early as 6 years old, Candace recalls experiences of sexual abuse which she openly speaks about, she expresses as a child it was a confusing period for her, knowing it wasn’t right, but not knowing what really to do about it. Candace grew up in a dysfunctional home, and continued to strive to make her mother proud, but felt she could not no matter how much she tried. She was struggling with her mental health at 14, needing time and attention, her father came to recognize her needs which led to relocation to live with her father. The relocation resulted in being far away from her familiar surroundings, family, and friends. She shares at that time how she attempted suicide, and despite being able to see life from a different angle, she still found herself in multiple tough situations. At 17 she was forced into a sexual situation, became pregnant and then gave birth, 13 months later she then gave birth to a stillborn. Candance speaks about her journey through substance use, how she was introduced to it, the downward spiral she went through, learning of mental health diagnoses, the marriage she was in before she made changes to her life that stuck. Candance found light at the end of the tunnel, she describes how hard it was to work on herself and face her demons, but with her newly built support system she made it to where she never thought she would get to. Her key message to the listeners is that: when feelings of hopelessness and helplessness show up, know that people can relate to you; people care about you; there are resources out there; if you don’t know where to start, start with your national suicide prevention hotline, any resource line is a good starting point.

View Details

Sara shares an emotional journey she experienced at the age of 21 when her father died, only 4 weeks after a health diagnosis. She mentioned that her journey of grief started 10 years before that when her parents separated, and she had to learn how to accept not seeing her father every day. Sara explained the relationship with her father growing up had its own challenges and differences, while they both shared the ability to use humour, they didn’t connect with morals and values all the time. She was able to learn from her father distinctly who she wanted and did not want to become. Sara grappled with the idea of what in her life she could control, and food became that way for her, she started to control what she was eating, until it became unhealthy. She realized at a later point that she had a false sense of power thinking. She described herself as being happy and outgoing on the outside but lacked confidence and felt like the inner turmoil was too big. In her grief process, Sara recalls how she remembers her father and how she focuses her control in grief work. She did learn how to navigate control, understand how to set healthy boundaries with herself, while making sense of all the other confusing emotions brought on by the experience of death. Describing her experience as a combination of tragedy, sadness, betrayal, transition of shock, longing for her father, and feeling as though she was left behind. A big learning is that she couldn’t control all aspects of life, or all things that happen in life. Her key message to the listeners is that: challenges are chapters of your life, not the whole story; emotions will be triggered, and they will feel awkward; find ways to bring them in the light; seek help, commit to the process, and stay determined to put in the effort; overtime effort will pay off; there is so much more of your story yet to write.

View Details

Michael openly speaks out about physical, emotional, and sexual abuse he endured from childhood. He has suffered through post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, amoung other painful experiences. Michael emphasized that he was leading a regular life, until an encounter he had with a mental health facility, at a time when he underwent a nervous breakdown, he attempted to seek help, as he sought to make sense of the flashbacks. He shares that his story is deeply rooted in stigma and shame he suffered, carrying the label of ‘mentally ill’. He shares his experienced of being invalidated by the healthcare system and being told ‘it’s all in your head’ after struggling with a mild traumatic brain injury. Michael’s story in its entirety is about the cumulative effect of all these events that had taken place in earlier parts of his life and how he had to cope and find his way with each experience. Michael was heavily medicated at times, and at times, uncertain if treatment was in alignment with his diagnoses, in addition to not feeling that the medical and mental health teams were deriving any of their practices from a trauma-informed space. Michael talked about other rejections he faced in later parts of his life, reprimands he felt he withstood once people found out about his mental health background, and how trying it was with many new starts he had to undertake. His key message to the listeners is that: there’s a wealth of resources to look at, to listen to, to read; find your path and keep trying different things, even if you must keep at it; borrow ideas and create your own healing; healing happens on all levels.

View Details

In this episode Carla unveils with true vulnerability her experience of burnout that she endured in 2020 simultaneous to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. She came to realize that even though she was doing all the right things to ensure she was engaging in regular self-care, self-care just wasn’t enough to feel better. Carla described that she wasn’t functional, she couldn’t work, she experienced a great deal of confusion, darkness, and she expressed feeling as though her own identity was crumbling. She took time to share how hard she had worked to get to the place she was at in terms of her career accomplishments and working in a place where she had longed to work at, at the same time, the internal experience took its own toll. Carla got sick, her nervous system was all over the place, she developed shingles, even then she continued to seek answers to understand what she was going through, knowing she was burned out, she just couldn’t find the answers that resonated with her true experience. She experienced repeated triggers at work all within the same week, she took this as no coincidence, and came to heads with her inner child and tapped into shadow work, delving into Jungian methodologies of treatment. She was able to reconnect with deeper parts of herself, ask herself difficult questions, answer them, work through them, and re-position herself. She was able to identify recurring themes from earlier times in her life, unresolved trauma, and a committed to a great deal of boundary setting and re-setting. Her key message to the listeners is that: darkness and hard times is not the end; it might actually be your start; the light will come when you do your work; have the courage to let go of layers so you can re-bloom; and then keep going.

View Details

Tanya takes a deep dive in sharing some delicate parts to her untold story. She explained that she went from being an out-going, full of energy, enthusiastic and bold in personality, to suddenly losing her voice, finding herself with the inability to communicate. Her story dates back more than 20 years ago, where she entered the corporate world as a young female of colour, heavily dominated by alpha males. There were many contributions to the loss of her voice, one of them a term not known to her at the time, but that of microaggression. It got to the point where she wouldn’t speak, contribute, or give her opinion in meetings, even when she was asked. During the conversation, Tanya was able to connect to what contributed to the loss of her voice, getting in touch with her inner critic, learning about imposter syndrome and reclaiming her voice. Tanya highlighted how the immense stress that she was under manifested into a physical health ailment – hypothyroidism, she learned about this illness, and learned that there was a connection where “it was all stuck in my throat”, and that it is the stress that brings it out. She experienced difficult emotions that she required to process such as fear and sadness, and often felt frozen or numb and had a hard time feeling peace or calmness. Tanya also shared how her lack of voice penetrated in her personal relationships and connected to some generational aspects where women are seen and not heard and raised with the mindset that one must take care of others before themselves. She spoke about the moment of realization that she has what is needed to contribute, while she is staying quiet, others would share exactly what she had in her mind. Her key message to the listeners is that: everything that shows up outwardly, starts inwardly; if you don’t take care or advocate for yourself, you are not using your voice; it is important to take care of yourself first so that you can stand up and take care of others.

View Details

Thalia tells her story of the murder-suicide attempt of her grandparents when she was a young teenager, the lives of her grandparents had deteriorated in many ways which led her grandfather through a period of desperation. Her grandparents were later separated and hospitalized for what ended up leading into the loss of her grandparents within the span of a year. Thalia spoke about the differences in her experience with the death by suicide with both of her grandparents and with her high school friend. She described the death of her grandparents as a drawn-out path to the end of their lives and her close high school friend was instantaneous, hanging himself in his bedroom ending his own struggle with depression. She speaks about how she coped with these significant losses, sorting out her emotions, her thoughts, the inner turmoil, and external pressures. Thalia mentioned she missed a great deal of school post loss of her school friend and explained that she became emotionally numb to the amount of pain she faced and turned to attending parties and drinking heavily to find her solace. Thalia shared that she would chase anything that could aide her in continuing to feel numb, she has since scaled back and taking to vices are no longer a concern for her. In her reflection of these heart-breaking experiences, she recognizes that the common thread for her losses, is that no one believed the magnitude of their hurt and pain, and how challenging each of their circumstances were. A pivotal moment in Thalia’s story is her interest in suicide research has blossomed from the grief and loss she experienced during her adolescence. Her key message to the listeners is that: when someone is in pain, believe them; don’t minimize the pain of others; don’t compare people in their pain.

View Details

In Saidat’s story she openly shares about all the inner triumphs which get brushed under the rug while she talks about being a parent to a child with autism, a journey which began 20 years ago. She expresses what it was like to not have the opportunity and not give herself the opportunity to sit with that pain, knowing that it is a grieving of its own kind, to know that she must embark on a different parenting path. Saidat explains that when you are a parent to a child with an exceptionality, it is easy to have all your time get swept away looking for answers, resources, advocating, presenting as hopeful and with a positive spirit. She mentions that she felt this need to feel strong constantly and not let others know about her story of the pain she endured. Saidat has come to a clear recognition that she was not so much in denial as she was unaware of her emotional experiences at the time. She had been so used to hiding her emotions and moving on because there didn’t seem to be time to do the feeling, she is still learning to be completely vulnerable with herself. Saidat had a positive encounter with yoga, a certain kind that allowed her to just focus on just being vulnerable to the world. She took time to talk about how it would feel so overwhelming to navigate her world, and the life of social media and the pressure she felt from the posts of other parents -- feeling the need to do what other parents did, experiencing guilt from all sides, wondering if she did enough of something, while not enough of another, or perhaps needing to try something different all together. Her key message to the listeners is that: feel all your feels -- happy, sad, angry, frustrated; it is okay to grieve the life you have; it is okay to seek support you need so you can be supportive and courageous for your child; take care of yourself first, so you can take care of your child too; it is okay not to be okay.

View Details

Belinda conveys that initially her story begins with grief and losing her mother to illness, which expands to larger circumstances that were seen from the lens of a minority, a black African woman, raised in a culture where there was no permission to have a voice. Belinda articulates the obligations of this cultural upbringing are some of what her mother endured which Belinda witnessed. The witnessing being about her mother’s bravery and courage to overcome working through a marriage the best that she could, knowing when to exit and not give up on herself; the observing of her younger brother’s illness from his young age; later seeing her mother mourn for the loss of her 5-year-old son; and her mother battling a journey through cancer and giving it a fight right until the end. Belinda expresses that it was at the time of her loss, that she got better acquainted with hidden emotional pain, and learned that it is okay to walk away from things that are not serving her any purpose. She first experimented with using her voice to assert and set boundaries with others, she learned to connect with herself and only surround herself with people that she can feel supported and replenished by and soon recognized that even though it might hurt to move forward, it is healthy to move forward. Belinda shares that by taking the time to sit and process her grief, feel the pain, and work through the devastations she faced, she connected to deeper layers of healing which she needed to go inward to explore, and since then commenced on her transformational journey. Her key message to the listeners is that: show your emotions, feel your emotions, but know that you are not those emotions; give yourself the right to feel each emotion, pause, embrace it, and don’t make emotion driven decisions; get comfortable to speak up when things don’t feel right; take triumph as an opportunity to fight like you are fighting for your life.

View Details

Justin expresses the depth of his experiences with trauma, substance abuse issues, cycling through the system, mental health challenges that have been part of his journey, and the recovery process which all led him an opportunity to pave his career successes in the field. He shares what it’s like to be raised in a religious cult led by prominent family members who also met with mental health challenges of their own. Justin mentioned he was not allowed to interact with anyone outside the cult, with consequences of being “harmed by the apocalypse”. He shared that when he was taken out of the cult and attended public school, those beliefs from the cult life stuck with him, making it hard for him to make sense of the life of the cult and public life outside of the cult. Justin openly talks about drug and alcohol use starting at age 14, after a close friend of his died as well as learning about the death of his grandfather which was announced on the front page of the newspaper, the leader of the cult. As addictions escalated, focus on school lessened, and he continued to escape from the pain that he endured. Justin shared how he cycled through several opportunities where he got cleaned, yet things continued to waver even after his period of incarceration. He spoke about what rock ottom looked like for him and how he got himself back up. His key message to the listeners is that: treat people equally, you don’t know what the other person is going through; learn about what trauma means so you can approach both individuals and situations with sensitivity and care; don’t take things personally; it’s okay to get help, remain hopeful; your voice matters.

View Details

Shirley identifies herself as an introvert who stepped into a male dominated workspace, and found her way to shine, despite facing barriers as a black woman, facing gender inequities, pay disparities, and finding her voice. She spoke about what it was like to work ten times harder than others for less opportunities, and for whatever did come her way, she needed to be gracious for it, and sacrificed a great deal to get an ounce of what another in the same position would receive. Shirley chose not to speak up at first, out of fear, she internalized majority of her painful experiences and learned to have all her feelings and reactions in private, safe from other’s view, so she wouldn’t appear “weak”. She expressed that she was afraid to look weak as vulnerability was not accepted or welcomed in the workspace. She spoke about the more she held her truth back, the more physical toll she withstood, and it got to the point where she had a physical response to the emotional and mental turmoil, psychosomatic pain – in her case, it was back pain that impacted her so greatly it was difficult to walk, sit, stand, or lie down. Shirley shared that one consequence of showing up with assertiveness would be interpreted by others as having an attitude; she carried the weight of many stereotypes; stayed small and didn’t take risks; and she worked hard to manage multiple perceptions. Her key message to the listeners is that: value your authenticity, it matters, learn about yourself and learn to show up that way; connect with your purpose and core values; know your worth, own it and communicate it; and be open to feedback so you can keep growing; don’t shrink yourself, speak up and use your voice to get what you need; separate fact from fiction and don’t let your inner critic guide you; do it scared, be courageous.

View Details

Melissa unpacks details of a childhood that was unpredictable, intense, and full of turmoil. She delved into what it was like to grow up in an alcoholic household that was very abusive, particularly after her mother’s death. She explained that her parents were divorced, and while living with her mother, at 8 years old, mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer suddenly and deteriorated quickly, this led Melissa to return to her father’s care. She spoke about the emotional abuse that she endured, the manipulation she had to take from her father, and though she was the youngest at home, she took a protective stance and wasn’t afraid to speak up, call the police, or handle the landlords at various times. At the young age of 12 she attempted suicide, having a tough time tolerating all the abuse, witnessing abuse and all the unpleasant facets of what took place inside the home, while masking it all in the public eye. At age 14, Melissa left home and charted her own path, continued to compartmentalize her feelings, experiences, and pain. Through her journey which encompassed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), she has relied heavily on therapy, and has worked on managing themes of overcompensating with independence, not letting people in, not being able to admit to being a victim of trauma until adulthood and processing all the trauma that she endured along the way. Her key message to the listeners is that: you can always figure out whatever is in front of you, it may not go as expected, but you can sort through it; only go where you are happy, do the things that make you happy; take ownership of your “stuff”; become aware of the power of labels and how you might unknowingly label and limit yourself in the process.

View Details

Jennifer describes what she experienced as an emotional divorce, finding herself in a situation where she made a choice that she would have never thought could be something she would follow through with -- an affair. She speaks about the consequences to her mental well-being and how it affected others. The big change in her life started when she came across the most devastating email. She openly shares that she found herself in the same place of where her husband was a few years earlier, being outside her comfort zone, and being at war with herself with regards to values and morals with that one decision she made at that time in her life. Jennifer became so unforgiving of herself for the choices that she made, she engaged in self-shaming, and expressed how alone she felt. She sat with the emotional pain and suffering until with support she gained the perspective that she can separate herself from the choice and not get consumed by the guilt of it. While it might have been a poor choice, it doesn’t negate her entire character and doesn’t define who she really is as a whole person. Jennifer speaks about taking responsibility for her actions and being accountable to herself and those involved. It took her a great deal of time to calm her inner critic and to stop seeing herself as a hypocrite. She learned to make peace with the idea that while her intention was never to hurt anyone, even though the impact of the actions did hurt people she cared most about. Her key message to the listeners is that: whatever you experience today, doesn’t have to define your tomorrow; believe you can get through; there is a lesson to learn, so take it and go forward; relish in great things; and don’t let negativity bias define your character.

View Details

Wynnikka is no stranger at sharing her story of living with a disability since birth, due to a birth injury and having to navigate through life because of the irreparable impact on her overall well-being. She openly speaks about having a wealth of support from her parents, extended family, good friends, and solid mentors, all guiding her to reach her potential and become the woman that she is today. Wynnikka expressed the many difficulties that her parents had to navigate on their own as there was little support available to families who underwent obstetrical (birth) brachial plexus injury. She poured her heart out on what it was like to feel like an outcast, being bullied by other school children, deliberately to have fresh starts. In addition to discovering her way through life, disability and pursuing forward, she kept her own momentum going to complete academics and quickly grow up to help raise her younger siblings from the age of 18 after her mother suddenly passed away. Through her journey, she has learned to love and accept herself fully, has worked to heal from trauma, anxiety, depression and working through suicidal ideation, and has reached a place in her life where she has been able to find meaning and love in her personal relationships, while having clarity that she can reach her full potential with anything she puts her mind to. Her key message to the listeners is that: give yourself all the compassion you need and foster less self-blame; healing takes time and it does get better with time; people’s perception of you, is not you, so don’t let them define you; not everyone will recognize disability, and you may not be aware of one’s disability, don’t judge what you see, get to know their full story.

View Details

Brittany gives us a deep dive into her challenging upbringing as a child and all the disorder that came her way. While facing adversity, she highlights how she drew from a place of strength, resiliency, and perseverance that has shaped her into who she has become today. Some of the odds that Brittany faced included coming from a family of divorce and having a young mother (who is currently a missing persons’ case) who did not know how to parent, instead maintaining her ‘party life’ and leaving Brittany at the age of 6 to take care of her younger siblings, as well as struggling in school and overhearing a teacher share an opinion with her father that she wasn’t going to make it through higher education. All of this culminated in Brittany developing people-pleasing tendencies, low-self-esteem, and learning to bottle her feelings and not express what she truly felt. Brittany expressed what it was like to crying all alone at times and she just didn’t know how to sort out articulate her difficult feelings, she felt confusion about having to constantly adjust to the living standards between each parent’s home and sat in silence bearing the agony of deep pain. Her key message to the listeners is that: everyone has hardships in life and it doesn’t matter where you come from, what matters is where you want to go and where you go is really up to you; if you want that chance, it is yours to take, it will come with a great deal of effort and trying times -  many will tell you that you will fail, but connect with what you want and set your mind to it; and feel all your feelings, including extreme sadness and know there is always someone to reach out to.

View Details

Stephanie takes a plunge into sharing how she has lived her life from a young age, coping with mental illness while learning to hide it from the outside world, including those she is close to. As an individual who has encountered trauma at age 15, worked through suicidal ideations, and combatted diagnoses of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, she openly speaks to what it has been like to navigate the mental health system and how she had to become her own advocate. Stephanie acknowledges that her journey has been long, colourful, and tumultuous, yet it came with numerous lessons along her way. While she claims she is currently at her most optimal state of mental well-being, it was a rough path that she endured, and it didn’t come without panic attacks, roller coaster-like emotions, and moments where she lacked motivation to get out of bed. It took Stephanie time to learn how to regulate her emotions and apply self-soothing skills she learned both inside and outside the therapy room. Her key message to the listeners is that: keep an open mind about where your support system can come from; don’t be ashamed about what you are going through and what you need; it is okay to speak up; push to find your right fit support – no therapist must be permanent, you have choices; there are a variety resources out there, so do your research; and always be honest with yourself.

View Details

Alyza pours her heart into sharing how the imposter within her emerged, while successfully masking it for years to her external world. She speaks about the internal struggle of fearing to let her guard and let herself see her true worth. Alyza openly talks about what it is like to grow up in a home where she witnessed her father’s abusive personality take a toll on her mother, while not having any abuse directed to herself. She found she often walked on eggshells as it was unclear what tone her father would be expressing on any given day. Alyza speaks about how second guessing herself became her nature, continuously wondering if she was ever enough, and battled to accept her accomplishments and successes as they occurred. She also shares how her overall mental well being stifled which led to the development of coping with anxiety, worrying about worst case scenarios, constantly in anticipation of something to happen, suppressing her emotions and shutting herself down as she didn’t know how to talk about it or even acknowledge it. Once she was able to seek out therapy and have her supports in place, she started to openly share with others what some of the life struggles she has experienced, how this activated the imposter from within and how the anxiety manifested for her. She is an advocate for mental health now while she continues to pay attention to her own mental well-being. Her key message to the listeners is that: look at mental health as a whole; it is equally important to go see a doctor for physical health as it is to check out your mental health and check in with yourself and have conversations with therapists; and stop worrying about what others may think and consider what is most important to you.

View Details

Returning guest, Asante speaks about the providence in being vulnerable and nourishing himself with emotional and psychological tools rooted in strength, truth, and honesty. Asante explores what the last two years of his public life experience has been behind closed doors, and how he needed to take a step back to re-evaluate his goals. He also identified what he was working towards by taking a second look at what he truly valued about his successes; and what is truly important to him at the centre of his core. Asante details how his mental energy and stamina would be consumed, and how he needed to ensure that he wasn’t getting pulled into the crossfires of advocacy work misinterpreted. After much re-evaluation of priorities, Asante discovered that his ‘family first’ motto was his way forward, which led him to the tough decision to leave advocacy work, which allowed him to feel freer once he leaped. Asante shared the dangers of the ‘ego’ and chasing something that isn’t what he thought he was after. He spoke about the bitter truths about running on zero fuel, keeping a public face, and dealing with the depth of depression and burnout all served on one platter. His key message to the listeners is that: in leadership, there are more considerations that are required to be made which the public will never learn or be part of; when you are in the public spotlight, it is easy for people to think that individual’s life is perfect; don’t make judgements about people and automatically think they are or have done something terrible, check it out first.

View Details

Her cancer diagnosis necessitated her to come to terms with facing death and mortality. Rishma elaborates on how her cancer journey ran deeper than just the physical toll, preparation, or adjustment during and after treatments. She gave herself an opportunity to turn inward, connected to herself and did some soul-searching. She identifies with some prominent thoughts that played on her mind in the early stage of her journey and her positioning to get curious, leading up to her own conclusions about death and dying. Rishma shared, in addition to physical pain she endured, she tapped into a deeper meaning of her hair loss experience and feeling as though she had lost parts of her identity. She delves into details about the exhaustion she experienced; worry thoughts as she wondered what life might look like; what would happen if she didn’t make it; time spent facing her truths; planning for potential outcomes and worrying about her children and husband. Today, she explains that she doesn’t have constant thoughts about the cancer, though in full awareness acknowledges how it has completely changed her life as she lives each day to the fullest. Her key message to the listeners is that: don’t be afraid to die that you don’t allow yourself to live; indulge in life; and if you do fear death -- get curious as to what is getting in the way.

View Details

Peter took the opportunity to dive deep into an area of conversation that he typically doesn't express publicly too often. He shares his journey growing up and coming to Canada as a young immigrant, starting his own businesses from such a young age, and getting caught up in success and living the life he thought would bring him happiness. He shared details of what it was like to experience that level of confusion of what success was meant to be. It took a toll on his mental health and started to rely on alcohol consumption, not having the desire to wake up in the mornings, with many other impacts that questioned what true happiness meant for him. Peter detailed how it all started with looking at how to improve his professional and financial gain, until he started his path on his spiritual journey. He started with looking at gratitude, incorporating meditation practices, learning to embody being present consistently throughout each day, not just when he sits in mindfulness and stillness. Peter spoke about how encountering all the strife on his path, allowed him to connect to his true self and learn the meaning of true authentic happiness. His key message to the listeners is that: take time to retreat, to reflect in the quiet, take time to connect with how you feel and what is going on for you in the inside; find what works for you, it will look different for each person, but there is something that helps you understand and settle yourself that has the ability to ignite your energy.

View Details

Laimina’s story goes well beyond her journey through taking leaps of faith and entering career success, she took the time to take us down memory lane and share what it was like to find a way to support her young son’s inability to hear from a very tender developmental age. She detailed what it was like to scope out all the possibilities for her son’s future, what decisions had to be undertaken to ensure balance between quality of life, financial stability, the emotional toll, and the trust in the universe for all things that remained unknown. Laimina, speaks about fear that played a role in the back of her mind, and how once the intensities post son’s surgery, had her subconsciously leave the entire experience behind and re-shifted her focus on to her professional career. She spoke about the shock from learning about her son’s condition and dealing with all the curiosities she wondered her son may have experienced; she spoke about details of what she observed and how she and her husband took time to immerse themselves to learn about the best ways to support their son. She expresses, now she can look back, and she notices she’s emotionally stronger, her son is her motivator in all thing’s life, and she has learned a great deal about adversity. Her key message to the listeners is that: It is difficult and tough to take the time to look back to tell your story but tell your story anyway; have someone to look up to and find what sparks your motivation, for Laimina, it was her son.

View Details

Ifeoma describes what it was like for her to transition from a highly successful and driven young professional and pausing her career for a decade to raise her four children. She expressed what it was like for her to watch her former classmates progress in their careers and finding herself constantly questioning her life choices, leaving her to feel tormented that she let her education go to waste. During this 10 year gap in her career, much of her interactions and conversations were all about children and children related activities, and she yearned for adult interaction and conversation. Ifeoma also discovered going through this period in her life, how much she neglected her own needs, emotions, and desires. She held on to this idea that if she is not working, she is not earning, therefore she doesn’t have any money to spend on herself. She clarified that there were no restrictions placed on her, just what she had placed on herself. Ifeoma admits that her entire life revolved around her children, she lost herself in that process, and wasn’t even aware how much she sacrificed or denied herself. She recognizes the importance of letting her ego down, allowing herself to live without the intrusion of guilty feelings. Her key message to the listeners is that: if you are a stay-at-home-mom, explore how relationships are impacting you; you cannot give from an empty tank; recognize your identity as a person and this will empower you to do more; be creative in how you value yourself.

View Details

Zak dives right in to talk about how her life had been impacted by depression and how some of it was rooted in fear of how she would be judged or interpreted by others, which resulted in the fear of showing up authentically and being seen. She unveils that the depression brought her to an all-time low point in her life, she recognized that this wasn’t who she was, she continued to seek outwardly the approval of others and really it came down to looking for love externally. Zak reveals that a big ‘ah-ha’ moment for her was tapping into this idea that she spent a great deal of time, energy and efforts externally waiting for the validation that can only come from an internal place, referring to it as an ‘internal job’. At first, she was afraid to express who she was -- Zak explains that she had this gift of being able to see and hear spirits from a young age about 13 years of age. The depression took over in her late teens and early 20’s, simultaneously diagnosed with cancer, she grappled with an overwhelm of highs and lows experiencing raw emotions of guilt, shame, fear, sadness and more. She reflects on the idea that energy is expensive, so it is important to pay attention to where and to whom you are giving it. Her key message to the listeners is that: connect with what you truly want; ask yourself how you are going to get it; remind yourself how badly you want it; whatever you want to water, be sure to water.

View Details

Felicia openly shares that her upbringing began with a mother who suffered with undiagnosed schizophrenia, and when she was the tender age of 6, one day at school, she met her two older brothers at the school office where they were then taken and placed in foster care. She remained in the foster care system until she was 18 years of age. Felicia connects with difficult moments and unknown feelings, never feeling settled anywhere, in addition to her identity as a mixed-race child, being raised in a predominantly Caucasian area, she carried a great deal of shame, not wanting others to know her full ethnic identity. She explores the difficulties from childhood right to adulthood, impacts post foster care, and learning later about her brother’s mental health diagnosis. Felicia expresses how difficult it felt to catch a break, feeling heartbroken all over again as what her brother would go through is what she lived through with her mother. She talks about the direct impact to her mental well-being over the years, habits she developed, co-dependencies that became constant in her life, and how the traumas that she has lived through have shaped who she has become as she has learned to re-balance her life. Her key message to the listeners is that: if you are in foster care -- aim for any kind of stability; don’t leave a stable situation, whether it be a home, job, relationship; don’t ever think you are crazy for things falling apart; open your heart to love again.

View Details

Marnie’s story is all about bringing her son, Joe, into the world as the dust was settling in New York from the 9/11 attacks which became a transformative experience for her. Her story circles around her experience of getting pregnant and having a scheduled delivery on that same day, while residing in downtown Chicago, where the city was bracing itself to be the next hit after New York. Her experience as she describes it is one of vulnerability and gratitude in the face of fear. Marnie explains that she was supposed to be induced that day, two weeks after her due date, she was considered a high pregnancy, but felt like a million bucks. It was the day of, when she received a phone call from a friend to check the news, this is when she and her husband realized getting to the hospital would be a challenge, as Chicago already started to shut down. Marnie takes her time to detail the experience of getting to the hospital, what it was like at the hospital, observing those in helping professions that were scared and worried and some hysterical as they could not reach their loved ones. The entire time, she found a way to hold space with compassion for others, indicating that it was the only thing that she could do, this is the time where she realized that she was part of collective humanity. Her key message to the listeners is that: build a mental health toolkit that you can carry around with you in your pocket; collect tools and sharpen your tools, so if ever faced with adversity or unknown emotions, you can turn to your toolkit; practice gratitude; be curious, ask more questions, go deeper -- the more information you have it leads you to good and right choices for you.

View Details

Dr. Naira takes the time to convey what it was like to be a child of divorce from the age of three being brought up in Moscow, Russia. Expressing that her mother was busy with her personal life and her father oblivious to her needs, Dr. Naira felt alone from this young age. She grew up having self-doubt, not confident in her abilities, though aspiring to be a perfectionist in anything she put her mind to. She married at the age of 16 where she strongly believes that after marrying her husband this is where the beginning of her personal growth began. She immersed herself in several career avenues, had two children and parted ways with her ‘shying away’ tendencies. Dr. Naira suffered an unimaginable loss of her husband’s murder at the age of 23, where it took twenty days to recover his body, after which she contemplated ending her own life. During her professional training and exploration with Jungian theory, she was able to connect with grief and loss for the first time and found herself in tears for the duration of a week. All these tears led her to a transformation of smiling where she had not since childhood, learning to laugh, feel her feelings and have fun. Her key message to the listeners is that: you’re not alone; even when you don’t feel it, there is someone there for you; go seek the element of your missing puzzle piece; plant your seeds into the soil -- growth takes time, it won’t be seen right away, but take care of your soil.

View Details

Karima voices what it has been like to be caught in a system she believes has failed her by giving her a false mental health diagnosis leading to a life altering narrative, combined with the difficulties that come along with her identity as an ethnically mixed Muslim woman of colour. She shares details about feeling like the odd one out growing up, being bullied not just with appearance but also in her line of thinking and expression. She openly discusses the experience of her first psychosis induced mania episode which she had not been equipped to handle, later bringing her true diagnoses forward of bipolar 1 and borderline personality disorders. She describes the experience of shame and associated feelings that lingered, cognitive impairments that she has suffered because of these episodes, losing people important to her, and lacking a sense of belonging. Karima expresses that throughout the journey, whatever strife she has encountered, she is grateful for her diagnoses and now has a new perspective on life. The journey has taught her to write, reflect, and know the importance of cherishing herself. Her key message to the listeners is that: when you want to speak, do it, express your emotions; use your emotions as signals to communicate with yourself and others; you get to choose who is on your team, and you need to be on your own team.

View Details

Christine openly shares how she has struggled with depression since her teen years, undiagnosed, with some re-occurrences post-partum. She explains that her parents’ marriage had fallen apart and the narrative that was created in her mind was that her family had fallen apart. The breakdown of the family unit was a major theme in her struggles growing up. Christine shared that at the time of her parents’ divorce was also a time where divorce was uncommon, and there was a great deal of stigma placed on women who divorced. Her parents were both going through their own emotional pain and suffering, and they did not recognize Christine’s. She openly speaks about how it rattles her to her core when she doesn’t have control over a situation, particularly a stressful one, and anytime there appears a massive change. There were numerous mental health impacts, such as predominant sadness, zapped energy, and inability to complete simple tasks. Some of the impact manifested in weight gain, she ate her feelings, sensation of taste was heightened only to ‘feel good’ in the moment.

Her key message to the listeners is that: social health is so important; you are braver than you think you are with a deeper capacity than you might give yourself credit for; your journey will have hills and valleys -- neither last forever.

View Details

At around eight years of age, she identifies as the last generation born in Estonia, Maria was raised in the Soviet Union, taught the Russian language, and brought up amidst chaos where the country was re-starting from the ground up, in addition to being abandoned by her father. At the age of fourteen, she watched Western culture on TV, which inspired her to be there one day. During her upbringing there were a great deal of pressures that felt cumbersome at times, feeling in ‘survival mode’, she felt lonely, which led to questioning her self-worth. Maria shares that her story is based on the premise that it wasn’t about giving up when it felt like everything was against her. She speaks about the introduction of the ‘Alien Passport’, it was known that if you were Russian, this is the documentation that would be given, classified as a non-citizen with no permissions to travel, bound to remain in the country. She was surrounded by discrimination, poverty, desperation as she witnessed her mother face many struggles. She expresses there was no one to care for her feelings and experienced a lack of self-identification both with her nationality and profession. When the opportunity to immigrate to Canada became a possibility, she took the risk at the age of twenty-four, without adequate finances, language barriers, minimal support, and today is the proud owner of a boutique law firm. Her key message to the listeners is that: love and believe in yourself; if there is something you want to achieve, work on it, but be your own team; learn self-respect; fight your inner critic; and learn to enjoy the present.

View Details

Cindy conveys that no one really understands what a marriage is going through behind closed doors and what it is like to be married to a ‘covert narcissist’. She shares that this is a difficult personality to identify and has a grave impact on a person’s sense of worth and mental well-being. She describes the experience to include gas-lighting, subtle and unseen manipulations, and a great deal of oppression. Cindy mentioned that she was afraid of being alone, she wasn’t in a position of recognizing red flags, and in hindsight is able to now see that there was a parallel between the mannerisms of her father and husband of the time. She indicated during the midst of the marriage falling apart, she was reliant on substances and through the divorce, initially there was depression and a great deal of anxiety. Cindy’s experience taught her to rise above and put her game face on, though she says that sweeping issues under the rug didn't make issues disappear, it only built up further until she felt lost. She shared that it took five years to come to terms with the need for divorce. She learned to lead, did her work to lead, not letting the lawyer be in the driver’s seat, she was able to call the shots and be the one in charge. Her key message to the listeners is that: take it slow, it’s a marathon not a sprint; you need more than just a lawyer for support; acquire third party support to help navigate the process; unpack the traumas that the divorce brings; and keep your focus on a response rather than a reaction.

View Details

Svetlana’s story begins when she talks about building her first business in Russia, during a time where she had to deal with not-organized Russian Mafia. She claims it was a disaster as the Mafia were forming different groups. As soon as privatization was born in her country, that meant she could own a business, and so she immediately took her first steps to get registered and started her venture. Being one of the first female entrepreneurs in Russia, she learned all her skills from men, she got to know the banking system were boxes of money, there was opportunity to make money fast, however, it came with a price. She explains that it was the experience of criminal activities, the more money she had, the more problems she had, as there were 12 groups that had to be paid off. Svetlana shares that there was need to pay people to protect her and her family, she witnessed criminal torture, and it wasn’t until the time where threat was placed on her son, this was her defining moment where she made the decision to immigrate to Canada. She speaks about the abuse that she endured from her former husband, and the strife and struggle it was to adjust to a new country with limited support, language barriers, though feeling the toughness, she felt welcomed into the country which allowed her to build skills, learn and grow. Her key message to the listeners is to: surround yourself with positive people -- it takes effort and time; learn to communicate; dreams big or small take time to build, but take the time to build it anyway; never give up or settle; lead with tremendous love for all people; and engage in the world.

View Details

Shelly uncovers what it was like to be bullied at school, residing in a small town where there are ‘small town unspoken rules’ to abide by, dating all the way back during her pre-teen and teen years, and the emphasis on one particular year that took a toll on her overall mental well-being. It is from this experience that she believes self-worth has been her core life-long issue in her journey and therefore, she must implement consistent strategies and tools to combat that unwanted voice from showing up. She spoke about her love for life, her extroverted personality and strong voice and the inner feeling of being able to do anything she wanted, quickly came to a halt when the bullying she faced exacerbated. Shelly shares how it felt to go from an extrovert to an introvert, how she felt so “little”, and would proceed with caution as she felt the need to tip-toe around her peers. She mentioned not having any support, no one really checking in on her or opening safe dialogue for her to converse, she just went silent. During the toughest part, she held back from things she liked doing, she didn’t feel worthy or good enough, there was a great deal of pressure that she placed on herself, there was a need to be amazing at any task she was assigned. She talks about self-awareness that she cultivated, she matured faster, was able to tap into inner resources, and has allowed herself to connect to community. Her key message to the listeners is that: tap into those fears, unlearn behaviours that hold you back, your voice and story matter, when you feel down and low, reach out to people and help them understand what you are going through -- even when you don’t feel like it, don’t let your past define you, and whatever you are sensing and feeling no matter how awful it is, you have the power to beat it down.

View Details

Parul goes all in to talk about what it is like to struggle with anxiety, depression, and insomnia and when all three came to heads with each other -- there was no amount of coping strategies or tools to equip her for what she was facing on her own. She openly shares how much she internalized and protected herself from the outside world and how this translated as showing up as high functioning despite the inner turmoil she faced. She expressed feeling an empty feeling no known to her, she was unable to experience joy, she had given so much of herself that her depleted energy could not handle anything more. Parul speaks about her path to reconnect with childhood trauma, the courage she needed to pull it up from those suppressed places, and how it just took one person to recognize that she wasn’t coping well to ask her how she was, and for Parul to take that opportunity to face her truth. When Parul describes facing her reality, she felt it was a start to exploring healing from all angles, not just pharmaceutical interventions which was a journey of its own, but also looking into alternative medicine and other resources that she could tap into to help her dig deeper and heal from deep within. One thing Parul was clear about is that she didn’t want a band aid solution, she was looking for true growth, and genuine healing right to her core. She takes a stand to talk about the importance of mental health, by humanizing, normalizing, and neutralizing conversations and creating safe spaces to explore the discomfort. Her key message to the listeners is that: be patient and kind to yourself; be open to trying new modes of healing that could help and find what truly works for you; give your options a chance, if one therapist is not a good fit, try another but don’t give up on the treatment; give yourself the compassion and kindness that you show to others; take the time and space to seek support, heal and be empowered.

View Details

Rish takes time to open up and share aspects of her entire journey which she has not openly shared to others outside her social circle and made some poignant connections with grief literacy. Rish converses about the multi roles that she played being a daughter, caregiver to both her parents while studying in university and now wife and mother. She describes how tragedy she witnessed as very young adult has shaped her outlook on life and how she wants to make a difference for others to persevere regardless of what life might throw at an individual. She recounts her personal grief journey and how it took years to overcome and therefore ultimately laid the foundation for her own personal breast cancer journey at the young age of 37. She speaks about what it is like to grieve, having to get her life back on track at a young age, dealing with ongoing deaths, and her own personal health journey. Her key message to the listeners is that: everyone has their own personal issues which they undergo, but you don’t have to go through it alone. She encourages people to reach out to someone if they are going through something and she openly invites anyone who wants to chat and connect to do so.

View Details

Farahana shares how she has encountered a great deal of emotional pain and suffering through her life and took the time to expose publicly for the first time the traumas of growing up. She discloses being raised in a household where her parents did not get along, there was physical abuse that she witnessed, and she learned to set her own needs aside to become her mother’s referee and protector. With vulnerability, Farahana shares that her parents today are not reflective of who they were while she was growing up and that she has always been protective of them, thus, keeping her true experiences to herself. She conveys deeply how embarrassing or hurting her parents in any way is not something she ever wished to do and is the reason why she has waited until present day to share this ‘untold’ part of her story. Farahana also uncovered a dysfunctional marriage that she was in and how she fought and tackled cancer. Part of the pivot in her spiritual journey is when she encountered mindfulness and learned how to leave the part of her life that was led by anger, rage, and confusion. It has taught her to shift her mindset, look at semantics and language to redirect her thoughts. Mindfulness has given her the ability to decipher between fact and narrative. Her key message to the listeners is that: as people, we aren’t always going to have it together -- it takes work, even inner work will be a lot of work to tap into, inner work takes commitment on a daily basis, take time to look into the mirror without judgement and go through each layer, one at a time.

View Details

Shirin’s untold story is mostly a told story at this point; however, she connects deeper to share vulnerable aspects that light is not often shed on. She speaks about two dysfunctional marriages she experienced and how it all started when she became a single mother. She moved to Canada to start her second marriage and quickly learned that this is not the life that was promised to her, while enduring a struggle with facial palsy and battling cancer. She spoke about a core theme of how being a woman is wrong, and how this message showed up intensely in both marriages. The message was so deeply embedded, that she felt there was something wrong with her, that she was the dysfunctional one, so it led her to put up with physical and emotional turmoil as she experienced what she felt was failure to thrive and shame for inabilities that were a constant message she repeatedly had to stomach. Shirin spoke about feeling torn to have been divorced in the first place as this went against her beliefs. There came a point where she recognized she needed to live a different life and walk a different path, which required her to take extreme risks. She describes impacts to her mental health, having post-partum depression, contemplating suicide, not having control of any finances or access to money, and being deprived of the truth. Her key message to the listeners is that: verbal, emotional and mental abuse is devasting, and no kind of abuse is okay; if you are experiencing any type of abuse, reach out to someone; you deserve help, you don’t deserve abuse; you don’t need to do it alone; it can get better; take control and know that you matter.

View Details

Carys straight away delves into the sharing of her story, where she describes the gruesome night at age 11 where her father was murdered by a stranger who broke into their home, the impact it had on the family dynamics, surviving loss and re-stabilization. She shares that there was an almost immediate dis-ease that entered her body, telling her that she could never be safe or have fun and will need to plan out all parts of her life as she spent a great deal of time worrying. Twenty years later, she pursued the crime aspect of this loss and started to correspond with her father’s murder who was in jail -- she describes that this changed her to the very core, and it was a path back to her own wellness, peace and moving forward. Through this journey, she adopted full steam perfectionism as a means for coping with life, prioritizing her education, and describes that she was a silent sufferer succeeding at life. Depression came about in a unique way for Carys accompanied with multiple subtleties that did not make it easy for her or mental health experts to put a finger on it until much later. Carys intimately shares after she met her father’s murderer, with two years of correspondence, that the dis-ease she had been plagued with, had finally left her body and she never felt it again. Her key message to the listeners is that: listen to that loving, gentle, safe, kind voice inside you -- not the voice that is telling you what to do; tap into your inner voice; be open; access your voice through writing or meditation or another way; that inner voice that’s respecting you is the one to pay attention to; and if you listen to this voice, you could feel just a little bit better with good intentions.

View Details

Dr. Shemine Gulamhusein shares that as a young person she struggled to understand the value of reading, writing, along with finding her sense of belonging. It was only after she started to play sports actively in her pre-teen years that she began noticing an increased sense of self-worth and belonging and saw a significant improvement in her academics. She delved right in to share the difficulties that were brought on by expectations to meet certain developmental milestones -- she explains the nuances of differences in development occurs differently, for any individual. She unveils how joy and passion were ignited within her as she continued with sport. Dr. Shemine has learned how her muscles twitch, and values how particular sensations help her to stay connected. She shares about the innate capacity her body acquires to signal to herself that she is safe or not in any given encounter. Dr. Shemine claims a much deeper underlying theme of ‘shame’ and how she felt misunderstood. She expresses after commencing with sport, her body twitches were rewarded, the movements started to make sense, and this sense of belonging was everything she required, and it brought herself to a place where she could feel that the people around her understood the world from her perspective. Her key message to the listeners is that: spend time learning your movements -- take the space to create, develop, and express; to parents and caregivers, recognize and build awareness of the movements of others and get curious about them; power flow through those movements; there are multiple ways to move, so express yourself in different ways.

View Details

Rishma unveils a heart-wrenching story about losing her husband to cancer and the journey through being his caregiver and knowing that their time together was limited. She described and detailed her husband’s character viewed by many -- he was a magnet towards all people. She portrays that her personal grief journey is like that of peeling and unravelling of an onion, with each grief layer looking unalike, and therefore she embraces ‘grieving with gratitude’. She speaks about what it is like to grieve during the global pandemic, there were no traditional rites and rituals performed or known gatherings of family, friends, not being able to receive hugs from her heart connections, and how she had to run a completely different course than what was familiar to her. She takes time to open up her story to share aspects of the grief journey which she has not openly shared before and made some poignant connections with grief literacy. Rishma converses about the multi-roles that she played beyond being a wife and mother, she jumped into advocacy and detective hats to ensure that there was no compromise to her husband’s wellbeing and quality of life. She has learned the importance of soft skills and connecting with empathy. Her key message to the listeners is that: lots of people go through this alone -- you don’t have to; be sure to reach out to someone; “reach out to me”; find resources, there are many in the community; each person has their own story filled with their own pain and loss -- you are not alone.

View Details

Asante opens up about a childhood that is filled with instability, lack of response, lack of support, and coping in survival mode. He shares his learnings about how life is not linear, it is unpredictable, filled with disappointment and triumphs. He talks about his story through the lens of race, equity, understanding problems and looking for solutions. Asante describes the hope he represented to his family as he had many gifts and talents, how it fell apart when there was no one there to pay attention to his needs and parent him, and how he used his determination to persevere through tremendously difficult odds, including working through serious mental health challenges, caretaking for his mother who had mental health challenges and even other difficulties that she tried to hide from her children. He let his guard all the way down as he spoke with vulnerability to share the emotional turbulent world he lived through, what it was like to feel all alone, confused, nowhere to turn, feeling that anyone he could talk to wouldn’t have any semblance of what he felt. He turned to writing hip-hop lyrics and basketball as a way to process anger and regulate other emotions, he later found courage to talk to friends about what was going on, and much later in adult years he was able to reach out and trust the supports provided by professionals. His key message to the listeners is that: never give up; all pain is temporary - - whether it is for a minute, one week, one year, or ten years, it does end; go to therapy and you can launch your rocket.

View Details

Kelly talks about what it was like to grow up in an extremely patriarchal environment, where women were supposed to be a certain way, where they needed to come across as nice, to be not outspoken, to be educated, but to also be geared towards marriage and children as the completion of what all is meant to be for a woman. She shares how it’s hard to constantly be fighting to be acknowledged and to pave her individual path on her own terms. Kelly shares how initially she was studying medicine at first and later quit medical school when she was exposed to the idea that she can have a life of her own on her own terms. She speaks about how there is no sexual education taught in public schools, that teachers would tear pages out of teaching books, and this led her to her own curiosity of erotic literature and sexuality. She speaks about suffering from depression and going through some dark moments and expressed the gratitude for being able to have the resources to overcome it. Her key message to the listeners is that: mental health looks differently for each person, what you need will look different from one person to another; friends and family can be there to support you but not fix you; not matter what the struggle is, get professional help; don’t follow a path because someone wants you to do it -- do it because it’s something that sparks passion and curiosity inside you.

View Details

Sheliza dives into a conversation where she explores what it is like to consider both surviving and thriving in order to make it in the world. She delves into internalized emotions that she endured along the way like, sadness, anxiety, shame. She balanced many competing identities related to social identities, racial trauma and imposter syndrome. She shares denying her own roots, rejecting her identity, and her big coping mechanism was to shove her experiences aside or hide behind them. She accounts for what imposter syndrome manifested within her, and that knowing she was put together and looked put together to the outside world, but what she had to do in order to stay put together really came at a cost. She explores what it was like under pressure to please others; the unhelpful concept of othering others; unwilling for years to acknowledge the colour of her skin, the sound of her name, and fear associated with being ‘brown’. Through her journey, she has been able to contribute to social justice work, personal growth, and be given opportunities that she can choose to share learnings with other women of colour, and mentor other young women. Her key message to the listeners is that: be kind and compassionate with yourself; each person is a learning and growing being, so keep learning; listen to yourself – physically, mentally, emotionally; think about the resilience of ancestors; and keep working to love yourself.

View Details

As Nadia begins to tap into her story, she shares that leading up to her university graduation ceremony, she was feeling incredibly sick for 4-6 weeks, going in and out of medical clinics without any answers, until ended up visiting the local emergency room at age 24, this is where she learned of the cancer diagnoses. She described this part of her story as her degree comes with a diagnosis. Nadia shares the power in her faith to overcome cancer, firmly planted in the roots of her faith and of a higher power -- she speaks about choosing to take the pain and transforming it into an influential, positive purpose. She learned the true art of taking a challenging situation, embracing it, and then transforming it into a beautiful journey. Nadia is clear that though she was never defeated by fear, there were moments where she was scared, where she was numb, where she was restless, however, she found a way to bring herself to deep reflection, and writing about her challenges, acknowledging them and creating a new perspective and narrative on what she would choose to internalize. Her key message to the listeners is that: we cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can always choose our perspectives; feel your feelings fully; show yourself some compassion; choose ‘you’ to believe in yourself; it’s in your nature to be able to rise over and over and over again.

View Details

Manu speaks about the initial struggles that his family endured when his family first immigrated to Canada, and as his story unfolds, he unveils what it was like to grow up with being a recipient of both physical and verbal abuse. He shares about how all the emotional pain churned inside him, leaving him confused and second-guessing his actions and pursuits in life. Manu shares how his upbringing shaped and influenced his later life when he got married and resulted in his first marriage dissolving. He openly walks us through his journey through dating in what seemed like a ‘new world of dating’, learning about himself as he explored the world through meeting others, connection, having unfamiliar conversational topics, and then meeting and marrying his true love. Manu highlights how he went through a period of self-discovery as he turned to meditation, found a community where he was able to find a sense of true belonging, and shares that he awoke energy from within his core. His key message to listeners is that: have faith, seek help, no need to feel embarrassed; surround yourself with positive people; your experience is not ‘your’ fault; believe in yourself, no one can take that from you; if you want something badly, then you need to be up for the full-throttle to do the necessary; be your own saviour.

View Details

Barbara authentically shares what it was like growing up with severe learning difficulties, having no known diagnosis at the time. She was pressed to carve and navigate her own path through feeling that she couldn’t fit in, feeling that going to school was meant to ‘feel stupid’, feeling ashamed that she couldn’t learn what others could, that at times it got so emotionally and mentally unruly that she had to fake illness so she could get out of going to school. She never told a soul what she had experienced, endured, and suffered through for decades. Barbara presented with exceptional strengths, so it was easy to mask the true struggle. Barbara shares with vulnerability emotions that emerged -- hopelessness and despair, questioning how she could be successful when she often found herself guessing the answers -- at times she was right and other times she was not. She expresses that what she endures had no logic in her world, unable to decode language, whether it be in reading, writing or comprehension of verbal communication. Through perseverance, she worked her process and overcame her learning difficulties when she immersed herself into the science of neuroplasticity and created meaningful work, that is her life’s work today. Her key message to listeners is that: there are solutions; there is hope and optimism in every situation if you look, so test it out and challenge what you know; never give up; keep investigating, ask questions, get curious; there is no one size fits all answer.

View Details

Ross' story began when he was just 5 years old, when his father was arrested for a white-collared crime, and though Ross was witness to this, he has no recollection of this time in his life. Ross openly talks about how this experience manifested into a multitude of emotions and behaviours as a young child. He talks about dysregulated emotions where he would act out physically, destroying all his belongings, developed a speech impediment, and though he was a high performer as he progressed on the academics side, he discloses that he was bullied and struggled throughout elementary school and high school. Ross came to heads with what he knows now as ‘depression’, is not what he knew at the time when he began university. In this interview, he pours into details about the various emotions he experienced like sadness, anger, confusion and self-blame. With courage, and support from loved ones, he has been able to journey though it all, and now contributes to the mental health field and hopes his contributions make it a better place for others. His key message to listeners is that: just start to open up and reach out to one person, people deserve more credit than you might be willing to give, but if you do - it can really help. It’s all about reaching out and starting with just one person.

View Details

Amy tells her full journey filled with turmoil and shares what she endured that culminates the story of loss, unknowingly becoming the sacrificial lamb of the family, a marriage filled with uncertainty, battling cancer twice, and reeling in with all her might walking away to start a new beginning. She spoke about how perfectionism kept her stuck in a domestic situation where she endured verbal, emotional and physical abuse, and how she leaned in with bravery to find herself, her inner strength, and looked in the mirror to gain clarity with what she was prepared to do so she could live on her own terms. Amy came to terms with her position and says that she has owned up to her own role in her demise. She learned to embrace her inner child, give herself the love she needed, and worked through the many difficult emotions that showed up throughout her journey. Her key message to listeners is that: shedding the exterior of an old shell is possible; it’s not about the diagnosis, it is about the experience; start to acknowledge your hurt and your pain, and you will understand the deeper layers of yourself and your true wisdom.

View Details

Mary takes the plunge and dives right in to speak about what it is like to go through an already long journey of her and her partner to be together, and then to be hit with a curveball when she least expected. She shares about how she quickly went from being newlyweds with exciting new beginnings, to becoming a 24/7 caregiver to her husband. Mary talked about the devastation of her husband’s illness, and how nothing could stop her from doing whatever it took to fulfill her duties as a partner, and in doing so, not realizing that she put every other aspect of her life on hold, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. Mary admitted that it took her a while before she recognized how her self-care routine was in the negative, she started to recognize that it is okay to receive help, take breaks, and keep her stance to help her partner fight his health battle by also looking after her basic foundational needs. She openly shares about all the mix of emotions she experienced, like how nervous and anxious she became and needed to control the situation in any way that she could, to feeling scared and frightened about what is to come, and what she eventually turned to, in order to regain new fuel. Mary’s key message to listeners is: Be strong and choose to be resilient; choose to shift your mindset; get up when you fall; put things into perspective; self-care matters; letting go actually makes it better; and trust the systems.

View Details

In her sit down, Dr. Saira without holding back, shares her story about her journey with depression, the depth and impact of her most recent depressive episode, living through food addiction and how she copes in day-to-day life with it, and how this all showed up in its fullest form after an encounter with her brother, who at the time, was homeless and suffering through addiction of his own, and disconnected from the family. She shares what it is like to be in denial, what it is like to reach out and accept support from close friends and family, and how she chose to get back in the ‘game’ to get herself to where she is today. As a therapist and community leader herself, she was tasked with meeting her obligations to her profession while wearing a mask and attending to her own mental health. Her key message to listeners is to: Shake the idea that you have to do it alone, because you don’t and you shouldn’t do it alone; it is important to lean on people, so find your people; whatever you are going through, it is not forever, even in the darkest of nights - look for the moon; she has an inspiring mantra which is, “change your story, change your life.”

View Details

Rahim shares and details his intimate experience with coming out to his family and identifying himself as part of the LGBTQ community. He took the time to explain that the journey was a long process, it takes time, there are more parts than he realized that are part of the coming out process. He took the time to walk through several elements of his journey, including the parts where he was questioning if who he was was wrong. He identified with feeling displaced and unsafe in social circumstances at school, indicating that he was bullied during his younger years and kept it a secret all along with all the shame mingled together. He talks about what he turned to in order to cope with the emotional pain and what behaviours he displayed - all parts of what needed to be part of his safety net. He shed some light on what changed for him when he explored what the community that he now belongs to was like for him at the time. His key message to listeners is: Remember that it is a process, it takes time, there are no quick fixes; adversity is your greatest strength; struggles faced do shape who you become for the better; there is a silver lining, even if you can’t see it at the start!

View Details

Clarity sits down to talk about the depth of dark times in her journey as she shares about having no healthy memories of her childhood, having endured trauma, physical abuse and patriarchy. She talks about how she was desperate for love, affection and attention. She shares how she felt misunderstood and disconnected from her father, brother and sister, and because her mother was the only person in her life who was not an abuser, Clarity idealized her mother and didn’t see the reality of her mother not showing up in a way that protected her. Through this difficult journey, Clarity expresses that she has found the spark in her heart for her inner child. She explains that when she took the time to look at her inner critic, this is when she started to heal, when she took care of her inner child, she was able to feel and experience compassion for herself, and when she allowed herself to expose her wounds, she could actually experience the wound itself and move through it. Her key message to listeners is to: Always have hope; there is always something that we can do; any journey will require strength, and even the little things count -- since small things do add up; the inherent innocence of the inner child spark and heart is beyond all experiences; and we are all more powerful than we think.

View Details

Reena talks about what it is like to be diagnosed with a skin condition known as psoriasis from the young age of 14, and how it remained unacknowledged for about 17 years. She shares how she lived a life defined with pain, self-hate and denial. Reena shares that for so long, no one knew what she was truly bearing inside of her, she believed that her thoughts were actually just thoughts of vanity and ended up minimizing and invalidating her experienced pain, which remained silenced. Reena shares the life changing experience of attending a silent meditation retreat which she attended with the intention to cure her skin condition. When she arrived at the retreat centre, she quickly learned what it meant to meditate, connect with herself, sit in silence, and be with her thoughts. She learned that by acknowledging her suffering it shifted the pain, softened her as a person, and she gained awareness and insight into how she can choose to live her best life. When she completed her retreat, she walked away embracing all parts of herself and owning all parts of who she is, even the psoriasis. Her key message to listeners is to: Recognize that we are our own best teachers; everything each of us need is right in front of us and within us; things change -- so don’t give up on yourself, there’s hope in a new day; you are okay right here right now, as you are.

View Details

With vulnerability, Farah shares the unimaginable experience of carrying a twin pregnancy close to full term, learning that one baby passed away and that she had to carry on the pregnancy to keep the other alive. She shares that there is always more to a person’s story than what we may know looking from the outside in. Farah shares her experience of what it was like to connect with her stillborn baby after delivery, and her baby who was quickly taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and then unexpectedly, she was admitted to the intensive care unit where she was fighting for her life. All these events left her husband on his own to grieve the loss of their twin baby, care for their newborn and keep his faith that Farah would be able to pull through. Farah shares how she had and has been impacted by this stillbirth, along with what she is grateful for encountering on this journey. Farah says that what she wants to remember about this experience is that she is not alone, everyone has their story, she has learned that it is a process and each person’s process with healing looks different. Her key message to listeners is to: Be brave, if you are dealing with something, know that it is okay to talk about it -- it doesn’t make you less, weak or wrong; it’s okay to get help or talk to your employer; give yourself permission to talk about it; you don’t know what the other is going through, so be kind, show compassion and cut people some slack, let’s not be quick to judge!

View Details

Andrea provides insights into her journey of depression and how it may not be captured while looking at her from the outside in. For Andrea, it took something of intense caliber to realize that she needed to get the help, and she shares that when a person is faced with depression, they do not have to wait for things to feel so out of control or overwhelming before asking for some help. She shares what it is like to be on antidepressants, what the adjustment was like when she first started on the medication, and how she is grateful that along with being equipped with a strong support system and healthy coping strategies, the medication has been her lifeline to manage on a regular basis. She shares that it is important for her to remind herself that asking for the help and then doing the work to heal is something she wants to keep in the forefront of her mind, and she doesn’t hold and shame for asking for what she needed at the time – and doesn’t ever want to forget. Andrea’s message to listeners is: don’t be afraid to ask for help, it is available, and you don’t have to go through it unassisted; when you do ask for help it is a step forward; and attending to basic physiological needs - this is a helpful start to getting you to take time to put the focus back on yourself to get back on track.

View Details

In this episode we hear from Neilin, who is the mother of one of our earlier guests – Khayali Dhanji who had shared the depth of her own mental health journey. With Khayali’s permission, her mother Neilin shares her own take on this mental health voyage that is parallel to both of them. Neilin describes how scary it was to see her child in that much emotional pain, knowing that it was her daughter’s journey, and there is nothing that Neilin can do to fix it for her daughter. She also recognized through process of relinquishing control, knowing that the onus was on her teenager to ask for help, follow through and learn her own triggers, was a big task to take on, but one Neilin knew she had to surrender to and to date is grateful she stuck to it. Her message to listeners, particularly other parents is that: it is helpful to let your child get help, a parent may want to fix everything, however professional help is okay; if your child suffers with mental health this doesn’t mean your child is broken; if you are accepting professional help, let them do their job; support your child with unconditional love; relinquishing control actually allows you to feel more in control.

View Details

Gulshan shared the unexpected grief that she encountered after losing her husband, with unexpected turns to follow. She had to take a step back from a life that not only she was thriving in, but she was also deep in her career path and enjoying all parts of her life, particularly spending time with her husband and children. As Gulshan shares and her journey unfolds, she talks about post traumatic growth, how she turned to a holistic means of healing and developed and experienced her own spiritual growth. She talks about how to detach from the pain in order to reflect and go inward and experience all parts of herself. She takes the time to share her perception on grief, loss, the death of someone close, and how she found new meaning towards how to keep the loss of her loved one alive. Gulshan’s message to listeners is that: grief is not a linear process; there is more than just the medical model to heal; pay attention to your own judgement and socialization of grief; there is a need to shed your past; and there is sweetness even with ‘the’ bitter encounter.

View Details

Karen shares her intimate journey of how she captivated love for herself after a dire suicide attempt, and how this became her benchmark for the work she does now as a therapist herself, where she leads the role of guiding people through their ‘dark soul of the night’. Karen talks about how she has worked her path so deeply and intuitively that she is no longer emotionally triggered as she thinks back vividly to such a dark time in her life. Karen expresses that she can feel all her feelings and still feel fully intact - because for her, integration has occurred, and she now has the capacity to talk about the painful experience, remain present in the here-and-now, and not be triggered. Karen unveils how this single experience, the attempt on her life, changed her and with openness towards metaphysical literature, and commitment to life above all else. Karen’s message to listeners is to start with a spiritual practice if you don’t have one already even if you are not religious; learn to sit in silence and transcend your thought-based way of living; don’t waste a good crisis; whatever you do, don’t have tea with the monster; invite self-compassion in and really let it kick in.

View Details

Jasmine talks about the unique experiences of what she went through as a woman at the start of her law career, what strife she faced, worries she endured, and how she powered through it all. She expressed how community and cultural perception plays a role with judgement, “what will people think”. As a successful lawyer and inspiration to other women, Jasmine shares that not many people know the details of her story, and she talks about her experiences of those not knowing her past and envying her success to date. Jasmine talks about the time she encountered a fork in the road and took a firm decision, and she chose to swim, or at least do whatever she could that would lead her to the path to swim. Jasmine imparts her wisdom here to listeners by discussing how the sky is the limit -- and if you want it, you do need to put in the work, it won't come easy, but if you keep at it, it surely transpires.

View Details

As a teenager, Khayali shares the intimate details of her self-discovery journey through the lens of mental health, and not only sharing about her struggles with anxiety, but that of depression and everything else that tagged along. Khayali, braves with vulnerability and discloses her mental health diagnoses, how things went sideways before they got better, and shares details of the exact moment that things started to shift for her. Through it all, Khayali has been able to find the silver lining in her struggle, she has been able to identify where she feels she sits in this her part of the journey, her reframe of the feeling of thriving as she faces her adversities, the hard truths of what she was impacted by, as well as her overall growth as a person. She talks about how empathy has become her superpower and Khayali shares words of wisdom to all listeners to unapologetically embrace all parts of yourself and show up that way in the world.

View Details

Farzana identifies with the Bohra Community that has become known for ‘khatna’, which is a form of surreptitious female genital cutting that happens around the age of seven. As a khatna survivor herself, she speak about her transformation into becoming an activist, breaking the silence of female genital cutting. As Farzana’s personal story unfolds, she uncovers for us how she has moved beyond the traumatic moment, while honouring her process. She talks specifically about how she was impacted as she went through her journey to the activist she is today, what she is grateful for encountering, and the toll it took on her mental health. She shares a special message with listeners – encouraging people take what actions they need to take in order to see change, that without taking uncomfortable steps, we cannot see change. Through her story she shares the importance of taking time and being gentle with yourself if khatna is something you have also been a victim of.

View Details

She leads by example as Salima takes the dare to share her own personal story and journey. At the time of her birth, named and known as ‘the miracle baby’, Salima speaks firsthand from her perspective -- what her life was like after she overcame the odds of survival when she endured a traumatic birth. Her story extends beyond what took place at the time she was born to the unspoken expectations, that led her to experiencing a life filled with anxiety and what contributed to the conditioning for her to show up with perfectionism in all aspects of her life. Salima shares a few key messages with listeners: celebrate your wins, all wins; healing takes time, take your time; no matter how fast life is spinning around you, be your own first responder; get comfortable uncomfortable; show up perfectly imperfect.