Ten Thirty Three

Elise also shares her own personal story of what her childhood looked like. Elise believed her childhood was “normal” until she began doing some of the challenging work required to see our childhood for what it truly was. Elise then began to challenge herself to move beyond the trauma of the past and learn how to grow beyond her experiences. This required learning new coping behavioural mechanisms. Learning how to challenge your own anger and resentment. In this episode we focus directly on the concept of forgiveness and how this may look differently for us during different phases of our healing and acceptance journey. We also look at how to create boundaries in order to help us thrive beyond what was imaginable.

Join me this week as I sit down with Jon Archambault. Jon served with the military for over twelve years. He then transferred to Calgary Police where he served for another six years; however, trauma began to impact Jon in ways he would be required to better understand. Jon shares what his journey looked like; however, how it also created an opportunity to reconnect him with nature. This ultimately lead to him launching Wired Different, a veteran owned company focused on providing apparel solutions to those who understand the value of outdoor exploration, adventure and connection.

Join me as I sit down with Julia Shelley. Julia was a flight attendant for the United Nations and during this time visited many war torn countries. Julia recounts how feeling unsafe in these environments contributed to health issues. We discuss the impacts of unsafe environments and how they can shape us we begin to adapt to them sometimes in unhealthy ways. We also discuss how this impacted Julia and caused her to begin to socially isolate. Julia's journey does not end there. Julia recognized that she this role was having a significant impact on her and reached out for help. Julia's story is incredibly inspiring as she recounts not only the difficult chapter she faced, but how she recognized that this no longer served her and how she moved on. Julia is now a fitness coach and trainer and is helping so many of people in her community achieve their goals.

Join me as I sit down Jeff Brown. Jeff is an author seven times over. We discuss how Jeff initially chased the concept of becoming a prominent Lawyer in Toronto. Jeff quickly rose to success in this role; however, faced an emptiness within that could not be avoided. Over time Jeff realized that this was not his true passion and that ultimately was losing himself in this pursuit. Jeff had a pivotal moment where he knew that in order to better connect within and the external world he would have to sacrifice his dream and pursue his own healing journey. Jeff leaped for fate which challenged him in ways he never expected. He began process years of stored emotion through traditional and non traditional ways. Upon releasing years of stored emotion and energy Jeff began to write about his journey and new found passion for life. Seven books later Jeff has amassed a wealth of wisdom and perspective into how society faces so many difficult subconscious struggles that most are unaware of. Jeff highlights how important it is to wake up on this journey in life for yourself and for others. The story doesn’t change when we pretend it was all an illusion. The story doesn’t change when when we get addicted to transcendence and float above it. The story doesn’t change when fain forgiveness and resolution. The story doesn’t change when we confuse dissociation with expansion. The story doesn’t change when we tell ourselves there are no victims. The story changes when we own our pain. The story changes when we work it through to the lessons at its core. The story changes when we are truly seen in our suffering. The story changes when we heal our heart. We are made of story, there is no shame in that. Either we work through our story or our story will work through us. ~ From the Book Hearticulations by Jeff Brown

Join me as I sit down with David Sadai. David spent years serving in the Canadian Armed Forces and recognized the impact that military life was having on himself. Through adversity David challenged himself to expand his approach to life and ultimately left the Canadian Armed Forces to begin his own healing journey. Join me as David shares how he "unravelled the madness" which later fuelled his project to become an author and write a book "Unravelling the Madness". David shares how the journey into confronting the things he avoided for years ultimately brought him healing and better connection on all realms in life.

Join me as I sit down with Jeff Depatie. Jeff served as a Joint Task Force for many years which lead to significant stress and trauma. Jeff also began his healing journey as he began to notice the impact of trauma within. Jeff shares his how his approach to acceptance, love based emotions and neutrality has changed over the years. Trauma teaches us much about ourselves; however, it is upon us to move toward enlightenment and harmony. Jeff shares his upcoming release of his project called, a documentary “Dark Night Of Our Soul”. By unlocking the mysteries of trauma and embracing adversity as an art form, this exploration of post-traumatic growth helps us remember that we are a far more resilient species than our current systems, conditions, and narratives imply.

Join me as we sit down with Retired Sgt. Major Sebastien Lavoie. We discuss an array of topics that cover a broad range of lessons learned from a life of service as a First Responder. We cover areas such as failure vs growth and why both are important. We explore gratitude and how identity is an important component of longevity. We also touch on how to accept the thought of our own death as we may take on roles in our professional lives that carry significant risk. Sebastian has become a key figure in mens leadership, not only from a performance perspective, but from a Mental Health aspect as well. Sebastien shares his wisdom on how he has managed to perform at a high level all while ensuring that he continues to grow and give back to others in need.

Join us as I reflect on season three which featured some of the amazing people that help first responders begin their own mental health journey. With gratitude we finish the season and dive into Season four!

Join me as I sit down with Avery Breau. Avery embarks on her journey into becoming a RCMP Officer this year. Making the transition from civilian life to policing is a large undertaking. Many times we may feel like this challenge is insurmountable; however, often times many not only achieve this but flourish in the profession. We discuss different perspectives of what it means to become a cop and some of the challenges in the profession. Join me in a three part series where we focus on the journey from civilian life to that of a Police Officer.

Join me as I sit down with Avery Breau. Avery embarks on her journey into becoming a RCMP Officer this year. Making the transition from civilian life to policing is a large undertaking. Many times we may feel like this challenge is insurmountable; however, often times many not only achieve this but flourish in the profession. We discuss different perspectives of what it means to become a cop and some of the challenges in the profession. Join me in a three part series where we focus on the journey from civilian life to that of a Police Officer.

Join me as I sit down with Avery Breau. Avery embarks on her journey into becoming a RCMP Officer this year. Making the transition from civilian life to policing is a large undertaking. Many times we may feel like this challenge is insurmountable; however, often times many not only achieve this but flourish in the profession. We discuss different perspectives of what it means to become a cop and some of the challenges in the profession. Join me in a three part series where we focus on the journey from civilian life to that of a Police Officer.

Join me as I connect with Emily Day. Emily is a modern day healer and a holistic wellness counsellor who works with first responders who are recovering from traumatic experiences. Emily herself has an incredible story of seeing first hand the devastating impact first responder work can have on men as her father was a police officer and her father. Emily shares how her own journey into her past trauma and pain ultimately led to more pain and suffering; however, in time also set her free. Emily challenged herself to work beyond the trauma of the past and begin to promote healing and positive change. Emily's focus is establishing the mind, body, spirit (and emotional) connection that exists within each person. She does this through different practices including yoga, breath work and meditation. Emily sees first hand the positive impact this is having on first responders as many begin their healing journey thanks to her.

Join me as I connect with Larry Peyton. Larry has served with the RCMP for over two decades. Due to repeated traumatic events it eventually led to Larry being diagnosed with PTSD and ultimately over time it worsening and complicating his health. Larry realized the impacts of PTSD and began learning about often misunderstood injury many First Responders carry. Larry knew that in order to heal he would have to stop hiding his pain and suffering and start being more vulnerable by expressing what his experiences looked like. This ultimately led to him creating his own podcast "PAPA TANGO SIERRA DELTA" which again aims to remove mental health stigma from the world of First Responders and promote vulnerability and courage. Larry's professional approach to podcasting and amazing story telling ability blend for an experience many who serve can relate to. We often times experience the same emotional response from traumatic events and often times struggle to find the right words to express what we are experiencing due to overwhelming emotional reactions to trauma and triggers. Larry again shares not only his knowledge but his journey in hopes of helping others heal! Join me for another amazing episode aimed at promoting wellness within First Responders Mental Health working lines!

Join me as I connect with Debra Kine. Debra holds a Masters degree in Theology and a Masters degree in Psychology. Debra has spent many years serving others as they often themselves navigate some of life's most difficult moments. Debra initially worked with many as a chaplain in paediatric ICU at McMaster Children's hospital and at St. Michaels emergency ward in Toronto. Debra later joined the Edgewood Health Network Rehabilitation Centre in Nanaimo, B.C. She joined the team as a clinical counselor and began helping first responders from all working lines to heal from the trauma of their past experiences as front line workers. Along with Debra Kine, Edgewood officially launched its Concurrent Trauma and Addiction Program (CTAP) in June of 2018. Candidates for this program include first-responders who experience mental/physical health issues and are dependent on alcohol or drugs. In March of 2019, Edgewood launched its Trauma and Psychological Injury Program (TPIP), a program for first-responders who experience mental/physical health issues but don’t struggle with a substance use disorder. Noting that not all injuries are visible, Debra says first responders coming into CTAP or TPIP suffer from a psychological injury that’s triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. This injury creates high levels of stress, which flood the body with stress chemicals and create ensuing physical and emotional issues. With such a psychological injury, the ability to control one’s behaviour diminishes, and people experience feelings of anger, rage, and depression, resulting in fractured relationships and isolation. Edgewood has treated thousands of men and women who are first responders that suffer and need support in order to begin their healing journey. Join me as we continue to hear from those that are dedicated to helping us heal!

Join me as I sit down with Dr. Nick Withers. Dr. Withers professional accomplishments span decades of emergency medicine and even time with the Canadian Armed Forces including time with Special Operations. Dr. Withers has been caring for military and RCMP personnel for years and understands those that serve their country in these positions. Dr. Withers joined the CannaConnect team a few years ago after challenging his own views on medical cannabis and its potential therapeutic value for treating PTSD. He continues to see and treat many active and retired veterans while promoting healing through access and support around providing clients with medical cannabis. The success stories of the many patients that have been treated by Dr. Withers and CannaConnect are incredible. The positive impact to patients and their lives is profound. Our conversation spans significant ground, we talk patient process, the benefit or risk of medical cannabis, the history of cannabis and the stigma that still exits and other insightful topics! Since doing this podcast Dr. Withers has attended a continuing professional development event and that confirmed medical cannabis does not worsen sleep apnea unlike other sedatives. This makes THC perhaps a safer alternative to there conventional sleep aids.

Join me as I connect with Reverend Chris Pilon. Chris is an Anglican Priest and also a Chaplain for the Canadian Armed Forces. Chris also serves the RCMP and its membership from a roll of support and care. Chris shares his incredible life story of what service to those that serve us looks like. He has dedicated his life to caring for others and investing his time into ensuring those that carry the burden of service life are properly supported. In our conversation we discuss the importance of spirituality and compassion. We also dive into the distinct difference between religion and spirituality and Chris' perspective on how these are different yet both important. I am truly honoured to connect and learn from Chris as we give back to the First Responder community!

Join me as I connect with now retired Inspector Stephen Gloade. Stephen is one of a few Indigenous RCMP members that made it to the commissioned ranks within the RCMP. Stephen recounts what the journey looked like in regards to recognizing that his own personal Mental Health was degrading due to years of service as a Police Officer. Stephen acknowledges that his journey became so dark at one point that suicide a part of the thought process. There is no shame in this as Stephen sought help and began to understand what he was suffering from. Stephen began to learn about the very real impacts of PTSD and the cost to service life; however, recounts some of the very personal stories from his experience from a positioned in senior management with the RCMP. Stephen also acknowledges that his life is continually improving and shares what his life now looks like as his healing journey continues. Join us as Stephen takes the time to share what he learned about his journey and how he continues to want to serve others to ensure others stay well in the journey of life.

Join me as I connect with Constable Kyle Stubbs of the RCMP! Kyle shares his personal story as he began noticing the behavioural and emotional changes from the impacts of Police work and traumatic experiences. Kyle recounts how his journey into how he was shutting down and numbing out eventually began leaded himself to relationship issues. Kyle's spouse eventually raised the red flag and brought the issue front and centre to Kyle causing Kyle to reflect and do some hard internal work. Kyle chose to challenge himself from this moment on to acknowledge and begin to accept and heal from previous coping mechanisms. As Kyle grew beyond the initial stages of this self discovery he then began to see a need in helping others. He pursued certification and courses in order to properly lead individuals through their own healing journey and now offers his services to First Responders that understand the value in this type of support and services. Join us for a truly inspiring story of how Kyle grew beyond his suffering and turned it into an opportunity for growth not only for himself but for others!

Join me for our last episode, of this series, with Dr. Jasmine Dean. Taking the off, or going on sick leave, from First Responder roles can be incredibly difficult for us to accept. We may know we need this for some time, but hang on in an effort to avoid the inevitable. The toll of First Responder work is intense and it is incredibly common for First Responders to need to "take a knee" to focus on themselves all while promoting healing. This step in our careers is often shrouded in secrecy though. Many of us don't know what to expect or how we will be perceived. What will happen to our career and our job? How long will we need to go off for? What does a return to work look like and how we will be supported. How will our peers perceive us. All of these very legitimate thoughts happen and often times complicated what matters most, which is that we need to do what is best for ourselves. Join me as we wrap up an incredible series that highlights an inside perceptive of what to expect when you sit down with a psychologist. An incredibly thank you to Dr. Jasmine Dean for the countless hours put into this series.

Join me as I sit down with Shane Urowitz and Lee Grossman from CannaConnect. Shane and Lee are two of the founders of CannaConnect. Their mission is to empower Military and RCMP Veterans on their journey to wellness through medical cannabis. CannaConnect is committed to providing opportunities to engage with a supportive community through connection and conversation at their wellness lounges from coast-to-coast. CannaConnect leads with compassion and care to enable our community to learn, heal and thrive, while working to end the stigma around mental health. This conversation focuses on how CannaConnect was born and where this idea blossomed from. Serving our veterans is incredibly important and new ways of promoting wellness needs to be explored. Along the way Shane and Lee explain what they've learned while caring for the Veteran community and how we can best serve them. Creating an environment that feels safe, caring and judgement-free allows our Veterans to show up and realize that others care and that they are not alone. We also hear how CannaConnect offers many additional services that contribute towards the overall wellness of their Veteran clients. CannaConnect is leading the way in caring for and supporting Veterans across Canada. Join me for an incredible conversation and if you have the opportunity stop into a lounge to experience it for yourself!