Braaains

It's spooky season so let's talk about trauma and horror films and how the two intersect. We're excited to be talking to horror film writer and cognitive behavior therapist, Mo Moshaty, about her own experiences with trauma and how horror films can be used to talk about it. Of course, it can sometimes misuse and exploit traumatic experiences for chills and thrills which we also address in this episode.

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:00:33 - Trauma and horror films
• 00:01:14 - Mo's personal experiences with trauma
• 00:05:17 - Mental, physical, and emotional implications of trauma
• 00:13:48 - Changes in brain structure and body
• 00:15:05 - Understanding the Impact of Childhood Trauma
• 00:16:36 - Physical Effects of Trauma
• 00:17:31 - People-Pleasing and Ignoring Personal Needs
• 00:20:32 - Challenges in Accessing Mental Health Care
• 00:27:40 - Misuse of Trauma in Horror Films
• 00:29:35 - Realistic Portrayal of Trauma in Cinema
• 00:31:48 - Impact of Grief in Horror Movies
• 00:35:32 - Negative Female Tropes in Horror
• 00:37:11 - Realistic Depictions of Trauma in Film
• 00:39:18 - Movies with Realistic Depictions of Trauma
• 00:44:11 - Finding Healing in Literature
• 00:45:10 - Protecting Ourselves as Viewers
• 00:47:24 - Acknowledging Triggers and Setting Boundaries
• 00:50:27 - Horror as a Tool for Mental Health
• 00:55:38 - Centering Women's Experiences in Horror

CW: Abuse, assault, and childhood trauma

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-017-Horror-and-trauma-Transcript.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

On today's episode, we'll be talking about addiction and substance abuse with producer and mental health nurse, Jenny Ng-Turner! We'll discuss warning signs, triggers, stigmas, the value of having the right support systems in place, and where you can go for help.

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:01:20 - Jenny's Background and Interest in Addiction and Substance Abuse
• 00:05:37 - Definition of Addiction and Triggers
• 00:16:08 - The Impact of Drug Use and Access to Medication
• 00:16:47 - Recognizing Substance Abuse and Seeking Help
• 00:18:14 - Healthy Conversations about Substance Use
• 00:21:46 - Patterns of Use and Finding Support
• 00:27:38 - Supporting Families and Practicing Harm Reduction
• 00:31:29 - Importance of Small Successes in Recovery
• 00:31:53 - Complexity of Mental Health and Addiction
• 00:32:13 - Self-Medication and Cognitive Disabilities
• 00:34:18 - Portrayal of Addiction in Film and TV
• 00:39:40 - Resources for Addiction Support
• 00:47:07 - Overcoming Unhealthy Relationship with Alcohol
• 00:48:13 - The Stigma of Sobriety
• 00:48:43 - Fear of Addiction
• 00:49:15 - Additional Information on Addiction

CW: Alcohol and substance use

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-016-Addiction-Transcript.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Doctor Kathryn Wood joins us today to talk about rural medicine and the impact lack of medical access can have on both patients and physicians. She details what it's like to work in the Peace River area in Northern Alberta, the impact on the mental health of doctors and patients, how she chose the path of rural medicine, and what she'd love medical shows to get right about remote medicine.

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:01:00 - Dr. Kathryn Wood's Journey to Medicine
• 00:04:08 - Rural Medicine in Peace River
• 00:08:31 - Surgical Skills in Rural Medicine
• 00:11:13 - Balancing Work and Self-Care
• 00:13:48 - A Day in the Life of a Rural Surgeon
• 00:15:19 - Balancing Work and Parenthood
• 00:17:37 - Impact of Limited Medical Care
• 00:21:50 - Revolutionizing Reproductive Health
• 00:26:27 - Myths and Realities of Rural Medicine
• 00:27:36 - Balancing Autonomy and Patient Care
• 00:29:15 - Personal Growth and Training
• 00:30:47 - Challenges of Rural Medicine Recruitment
• 00:32:14 - Lack of Rural Exposure in Medical Education
• 00:37:29 - Inaccuracies in Medical Portrayals in Media
• 00:39:58 - Rural Medical Practice Opportunities
• 00:40:49 - Advice for Starting Out in Rural Practice
• 00:41:32 - Challenges Faced by Physicians
• 00:42:22 - Access to Mental Health Care in Rural Areas

CW: Medical procedures

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-015-Rural-medicine-and-lack-of-medical-access-Transcript.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Today's guest is Kahstoserakwathe Paulette Moore, an independent filmmaker, podcaster, artist and educator, who is a Mohawk citizen and an enrolled member of Six Nations of the Grand River territory.

Our conversation deep dives into the importance of language, community, and the impact representation (or the lack thereof) can have on you. We also discuss how losing and/or gaining a language that connects you to your community and who you are affects you.

Kahstoserakwathe Paulette Moore is also a founding member of The Aunties Dandelion: a relationship-centered media collective. The organization seeks to revitalize community through stories of land, language, and relationship.

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:01:31 - Importance of Representation and Language
• 00:03:18 - Kahstoserakwathe Paulette Moore's Transition to Independent Filmmaking
• 00:11:52 - Return to Mohawk Community and Language Revitalization
• 00:15:42 - Ancestral Connection to the Land
• 00:16:05 - Giving Gratitude to the Natural World
• 00:18:45 - Revitalizing the Mohawk Language
• 00:22:49 - Embracing the Role of the "Auntie"
• 00:25:46 - Story of Skywoman
• 00:29:24 - The Power of Community and Relationality
• 00:33:07 - The Impact of Workplace Perks
• 00:35:45 - Loss of Language in Indigenous Communities
• 00:39:31 - Filmmakers Preserving Mohawk Language
• 00:43:29 - Mohawk Language in Film
• 00:48:23 - Indigenous Stories in Media
• 00:49:26 - Sharing Indigenous Stories
• 00:50:11 - Immersing in Mohawk Language
• 00:53:11 - Embracing Mohawk Language

CW: Discussions about residential schools and genocide

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-014-Launguage-Transcript.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

On today's episode, we interviewed Marie-France Guerrette, documentary filmmaker, director, and producer who created the feature doc, Sans Maman or Unmothered.

In this touching documentary about her family, Marie-France blends home-movie footage and interviews to give viewers a window into her own personal experience of grief. Through the lens of the film and beyond, we discuss the death of a parent when you're a child, and how this impacted Marie-France's life and work as a filmmaker.

CW: Discussions about death and dying

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Today, we deep-dive into OCD - Obsession Compulsive Disorder - and discuss symptoms, treatment options, and the impact OCD can have on your everyday life. Our two guests include photographer Dallas Curow, who recently started sharing her story about OCD, and Farah Zerehi, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in California. She's a specialist who works with OCD patients and has OCD herself!

CW: Discussions about self-harm and POCD

DOWNLOAD THE TRANSCRIPT HERE

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:08:06 - OCD Diagnosis
• 00:11:59 - OCD Adaptations
• 00:15:06 - Breaking the Silence on Mental Health
• 00:19:01 - OCD in the Creative World
• 00:21:06 - Depictions of OCD in TV and Film
• 00:27:28 - Dropping Rituals to Overcome OCD
• 00:31:50 - Specializing in OCD Treatment
• 00:33:27 - The Long Road to Diagnosis
• 00:38:57 - Signs of OCD to Look Out For
• 00:41:10 - How to Seek Help for OCD
• 00:44:48 - Misunderstandings about OCD
• 00:45:29 - Genetic factors of OCD
• 00:46:24 - Intrusive Thoughts vs. OCD
• 00:48:05 - Coping with Bad Days
• 00:52:06 - Types of Compulsions
• 00:59:58 - The Stigma of OCD

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Editing: Blair Drover

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Today's episode is all about Aphantasia, also known as mind's eye blindness. Those with Aphantasia can't visualize scenes, people, experiences, objects, and memories, and it can impact other senses as well. This lack of mental imagery was described as early as the late 1800s, yet it has remained a relatively unstudied phenomenon until 2015, when a study first introduced the term, Aphantasia. Since then, the amount of research about Aphantasia has continued to grow.

Our two guests today, who both experience Aphantasia, include Tom Ebeyer who is the founder of the Aphantasia Network, and Jana O'Connor, writer of the upcoming feature film, PICTURE IT, probably the first long-form film highlighting the experience of having Aphantasia!

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:00:34 - Understanding Aphantasia
• 00:01:04 - Interview with Tommy Ebeyer
• 00:01:44 - Aphantasia Network and Community
• 00:04:55 - Impact of Aphantasia on Daily Life
• 00:13:51 - The Relationship between Imagination and Body Response
• 00:14:22 - Research on Aphantasia
• 00:16:37 - Personal Experiences and Unique Imagery Profile
• 00:21:00 - Resources for Aphantasia from Tom
• 00:24:42 - Jana discovering Aphantasia and Writing "Picture It"
• 00:28:27 - Impact on Daily Life
• 00:32:04 - Grief and Aphantasia
• 00:36:24 - Creative Professions and Aphantasia
• 00:39:11 - Aversion to Descriptive Passages
• 00:40:10 - Childhood Horror Experience
• 00:41:25 - Approach to Writing and Performing
• 00:43:21 - Visualization and Learning
• 00:45:14 - Challenges of Standardized Testing
• 00:49:44 - Representation of Aphantasia in Film and Writing
• 00:53:01 - Writing and Visual Imagination
• 00:53:40 - Evolution of Television and Writing
• 00:54:35 - Aphantasia Resources from Jana

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-011-Aphantasia-Transcript.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Ahhh! Animals! On today's podcast, we're talking to Jocelyn Nand, executive director of the Family Counselling Centres in Alberta. Her work includes animal-assisted therapy with the help of her co-therapist (and dog!), Watson. We'll talk about the work that she does to help a variety of clients deal with emotional dysregulation issues, impulse control, behavioral struggles, anxiety, low self-esteem, as well as work with those who have sensory struggles.

We'll also discuss our impact on the mental health of animals and how positive reinforcement when training pets can go a long way.

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:01:29 - Jocelyn Nand's Background and Interest in Animal-Assisted Therapy
• 00:05:42 - Impact of Watson (the dog) in Therapy Room
• 00:08:33 - Clients Who Benefit from Animal-Assisted Therapy
• 00:13:07 - Other Animals in Animal-Assisted Therapy
• 00:14:34 - The Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapy
• 00:16:37 - Pet Preferences and Personality
• 00:18:10 - The Impact of Mental Health on Animals
• 00:22:07 - Training Animals for Therapy
• 00:27:47 - Integrating Animal-Assisted Therapy into Counseling
• 00:29:04 - The Therapist's Attachment to Her Therapy Dog
• 00:31:29 - Utilizing Watson's Strengths in Therapy
• 00:32:55 - Challenges and Limitations of Animal-Assisted Therapy
• 00:36:11 - Misconceptions and Ethical Considerations in Animal Therapy
• 00:42:44 - The Role of Animals in Grief and Loss
• 00:45:19 - Resources for Animal Therapy
• 00:46:18 - Becoming an Animal Therapist

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-010-Animal-assisted-therapy-Transcript.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

This episode is part two of our conversation around abortion. Today we're discussing the research conducted for the Abortion Onscreen program which examines how abortion is portrayed in American popular culture. The principal investigator, Dr. Gretchen Sisson, is a research sociologist with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) at the University of California, San Francisco. She's joined by her colleague Steph Herold, who has a Master of Public Health and conducts mixed methods research on the portrayal of abortion on television and in film.

CW: Discussions about surgical and medical abortion

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

With the US on the precipice of recriminalizing abortion, we're having a two-part episode on this medical procedure, the impact it has, and the importance of the right representation in media.

Today's episode features an interview with Rachel Dyer, the Board of Director's Chair of Exhale Pro-Voice, an international nonprofit organization that provides non-judgmental and abortion-positive after-abortion emotional support via text line, and trains medical and mental health providers to better support the emotional well-being of people after their abortions.

The key moments in this episode are:

• 00:03:01 - Abortion Experiences and Stigma
• 00:06:48 - Supporting Individuals Before, During, and After Abortions
• 00:09:01 - Overcoming Stigmas and Changing Dominant Culture
• 00:15:41 - Breaking the Silence on Abortion Conversations
• 00:17:27 - Abortion Stigma in BIPOC Communities
• 00:22:41 - Fake Clinics and Accessing Reliable Resources
• 00:25:00 - Supporting Future Reproductive Healthcare
• 00:28:42 - Clinic Escorting and Medication Abortions
• 00:30:38 - Importance of Education and Knowledge Sharing
• 00:31:10 - Supporting Exhale and Their Work
• 00:32:43 - Importance of Non-Partisan Support
• 00:39:42 - Importance of Conversation and Education

CW: Discussions about medical abortion

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-008-Abortion-Transcript.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Design: Perpetualnotion.ca

Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao

Editing: Blair Drover

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast