No Magic Bullet Podcast - An Honest Discussion on Mental Health

“Exercise and health and how it is the single biggest factor that's going to impact our life, our longevity”

Vanessa Ast Biller

People Got to Move: An Insight into Therapeutic Movement with Vanessa Ast-Biller

In episode two of season three of a podcast, host Bobby K.  interviews Vanessa Ast Biller, a renowned therapeutic movement instructor part of the Beaver Valley family. Vanessa speaks about her passion for exercise therapy, an approach that blends physical movement and mental exercises, to foster overall well-being. She discusses her professional journey, dealing with clients suffering from diverse mental issues such as ADHD and addiction, and how a mindful movement practice can lead to improved mental health. Vanessa speaks on her own experiences with neurodivergence and HSP, helping to shape the empathetic perspective she applies to her work. The conversation also touches on the support network Vanessa has cultivated, including friends, family, and her husband as key contributors who have been vital throughout her continuous learning process.

00:01 Introduction and Background

00:28 Guest Introduction: Vanessa

03:34 Vanessa's Journey and Challenges

06:08 Exercise Therapy: A New Approach

15:20 The Role of Exercise in Mental Health

24:02 Dealing with Addiction and Complexities

25:28 Vanessa's Support System and Advice

27:28 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Links:‌ ‌ 

https://www.instagram.com/vastfit/

http://nomagicbullet.org/

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

“Since I've acknowledged PTSD and what's going on, and accepted the facts, and stopped seeing it as a sign of weakness, I've made some progress.”

— Wilson Taguinod

Facing our challenges is the first step to healing, according to guest Wilson Taguinod. On this episode of What’s In Your Toolbox: An Honest Discussion on Mental Health, host Bobby Koven has a deep conversation with Wilson about his challenges with PTSD and depression, as a veteran of the Vietnam war and a person who lives with cancer. 

Wilson has developed several coping tools to manage his mental health struggles, including fly fishing, reading, woodworking and puzzles. But he also relies on his family, specifically his wife, who helps him to reframe and put into perspective, the thought processes that lead him towards depression. Wilson has developed intuitive strategies to notice negative thoughts, and reset, and has begun learning how to manage anger based on cause and effect.

Tune in to learn what Wilson’s advice is for anyone who is struggling with mental health, and learn how he developed his coping strategies so that you can apply his learnings to your own experience.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌

✔ PTSD as a war veteran

✔ Strategies to reframe negative thoughts

✔ The power of acknowledging the thing that is challenging you, to work towards recovery

 ‌  

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01 Intro

02:34 Meet Wilson Taguinod

04:28 Wilson’s experience with PTSD

10:40 Fly fishing as a tool to manage mental health

16:22 How Wilson managed his anger

18:11 Obtaining a university degree despite mental health challenges  

22:02 How Wilson’s tools have helped him

25:45 Wilson’s Amazing Support Team  

27:58 Wilson’s advice 

29:13 Wrap up

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

“We age with success when we are in connection with others, it's relational.”

— Sue Lantz

On today’s episode of What’s In Your Toolbox: An Honest Discussion On Mental Health, host Bobby Koven has a conversation with Sue Lantz,  a boomer who is hoping to live a long and healthy life, and founder of Collaborative Aging. Sue is passionate about sharing her healthcare, housing, and caregiving expertise in a way that helps her peers – along with the people who will be supporting them – to envision and fulfill their best possible aging transitions and experiences.

Sue discovered early in her career that designing systems and tools for various populations requires an immense amount of collaboration - not just from individuals but from organizations as well. She took this wide breadth of experience with collaborations to develop Collaborative Aging, a platform that offers educational and consulting services to help individuals, families, and communities, to prepare the way for healthy, empowered aging and balanced caregiving.

Tune in to hear how Sue’s journey with elder care crossed over with various mental health experiences, and for some inspiration to plan your future as you age, collaboratively.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

✔   Forming teams of care providers to age on your own terms

✔   The effects of aging on our mental health

✔   The importance of planning for care and support as we age

 ‌  

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01  Welcome

02:29 Meet Sue Lantz

05:10 Collaborative Aging  

09:17 How Sue’s path led her here

14:02 Sue’s career journey 

23:01 What’s in Sue’s toolbox 

26:01 Sue’s journey with mindfulness

27:40 Aging and mindfulness

29:01 Sue’s Amazing Support Team 

31:10 Sue’s advice for collaborating with aging parents 

34:40 Next episode teaser 

Links:‌ ‌ 

www.collaborativeaging.com 

https://optionsopen.org 

https://instagram.com/optionsopenguide 

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains content around self-harm and suicide and brief mention of sexual violence against children.

“They tried to ‘fix’ my stigmas to make me like everyone else, rather than leveraging my gifts. I said, ‘screw that, I'm gonna manage my gifts.’ And I started developing my gifts and ignoring the stigma.”

— Tim Nelson

In this episode of What’s In Your Toolbox: An Honest Discussion on Mental Health, Bobby Koven interviews Tim Nelson about his mental health journey. This conversation is raw and authentic, and at times may be triggering to some listeners. We have noted the timestamps for the triggering content.

Tim Nelson is an expert problem solver, but he wasn’t always able to use his dyslexia and dyscalculia to his advantage. Tim was diagnosed in his early twenties, but through the lens of stigma. And his late diagnosis prevented him from integrating into the mainstream school system.

But as a creative problem solver, Tim chose to see his diagnoses as little annoyances rather than burdens, and followed the path of his dyslexia as a gift. 

In his youth, Tim developed seven skills that helped him navigate his childhood through learning disabilities and other mental health challenges. The skills are creativity, coaching projects, running programs, improving people, knowing oneself, understanding interactions and defining standard work. Developing these consistent skills was key in overcoming the challenges of dyslexia and dyscalculia, and the consistency has paid off, putting Tim in charge of some of the largest projects in the world. 

Tim has also put his RECOVER system into practice to recuperate from life events that had a massive impact on him.  RECOVER is an acronym; R is receive help, E is exhibit compliance, C is care, O is outline a schedule, V is venture out, E is establish purpose, and R is reach for the stars.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

✔ How dyslexia and dyscalculia impact learning and education and self-esteem

✔ The seven skills Tim developed to overcome dyslexia and dyscalculia challenges

✔ Tim’s RECOVER acronym

 ‌  

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01  Intro

02:53 Meet Tim Nelson

09:10 Tim’s Gifts

11:33 Growing up

12:48 Tim’s seven skills

15:08 Diagnosing dyslexia and dyscalculia

20:55 Leveraging gifts

22:57 Bipolar diagnosis and mania

23:52 TRIGGER WARNING: Self-harm and suicide

26:42 Tim’s RECOVER acronym

28:30 TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual violence towards children

30:59 Tim’s Amazing Support Team

33:28 TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide

35:18 Tim’s advice to others

About Guest:

Tim Nelson is an expert problem solving coach, change agent, global diversity and inclusion ambassador and author and inventor.

Links:‌

Connect with Tim:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-nelson-0270526

Website https://onefivefifty.com/

To get in contact or learn more about Living Jewishly:  

Visit‌ ‌our ‌website: https://livingjewishly.org  

Follow us on Instagram: @living.jewishly  

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2YEegjap

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

“That's where I really rely on our traditional teachings because it speaks to humility, and understanding that your gifts are valuable. And everybody has gifts.”

— Jillian Morris

Trigger Warning: This episode makes brief mention of self harm and addiction.

On this episode of What’s In Your Toolbox: An Honest Discussion on Mental Health, host Bobby Koven shares a deep and open conversation with his guest Jillian Morris which started at a chance meeting in New Brunswick. 

In this conversation, Jillian shares some of the tools that her community uses to heal the indigenous communities in Ontario, and further expanding into Canada. 

A member of the Feather Carriers, Jillian is committed to community mobilization that enhances mental health and addictions and suicide prevention through a culturally appropriate training. 

One thing is for sure, Jillian will absolutely inspire you to take up a practice of gratitude for every element of life, which is an excellent tool to manage mental health.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

✔ The power and importance of storytelling

✔ Connecting to your own spirituality through healing

✔ Sharing your gifts as a way to contribute to a larger community

About Jillian:

Jillian is Kanien’kehaka, a member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, and Poet Laureate for Collingwood. Jillian is a former federal public servant and in addition to writing, she is a researcher, creator, public engager, mother, wife, and bridge builder. Jillian is also a member of the Unity Collective where she finds endless reward in volunteering and working to build relationships, capacity, and understanding.

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01  Intro

02:54  Meet Jillian Morris  

08:35  The call to nature  

10:02  Spirituality  

11:21  Tools for healing 

13:01 Jillian’s path of healing  

15:15 Traditional teachings

24:45 The Feather Carriers

26:07 Jillian’s Amazing Support Team (JAST)

26:51 The power of listening  

30:17 Next episode 

Links:‌ ‌ 

Connect with Jillian: https://www.jillianmorris.ca/

instagram: @jk_morris_less

Collingwood Today: https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/columns/kanikonhriio/column

Wise Practices: https://wisepractices.ca/practices/feather-carriers/

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

“Life is for the living. You have to go on, and make the best you can out of your present situation and utilize your tools”

— Nate Leipciger

Mental health is a different story across generations, and on today’s episode of What’s In Your Toolbox: An Honest Discussion on Mental Health, host Bobby K. has a conversation with Holocaust survivor Nate Leipciger about the tools he cultivated to survive. 

One of Nate’s survival skills, awareness, helped him during his time in Auschwitz, and then in his early years in Canada. Learning new rules every day, helped to keep him from standing out, and ultimately being freed at the end of WWII. 

You’ll definitely want to tune into this episode to hear Nate’s story of survival, and the lessons Nate learned that can be used as mental health tools for many generations to come.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

✔   How Nate survived the concentration camp

✔   How Nate navigated immigrating to Canada and how the survivor skills he learned helped him 

✔   Nate’s mission to educate future generations about the Holocaust

 ‌  

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01  Introduction

04:31  Meet Nate Leipciger 

07:32  Nate’s story  

18:50  Coming to Canada  

22:19  Nate’s survival toolbox 

25:32  The King of Kensington 

27:33  Cole’s Notes  

29:47  Starting a business  

34:20  Educating youth about the Holocaust   

40:07  Problem solving 

43:43  Self-hypnosis

46:21  Nate’s Amazing Support Team

49:53  Wrapping up

About Guest:

Nathan (Nate) Leipciger, who has a B.A. in Science, lived through the horrors of the Holocaust, where he was forced to live and work in Nazi concentration camps, losing his mother and sister, and enduring several closed brushes with death before the end of the Second World War.

Having suffered and witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of hatred and war, Leipciger went on to dedicate his life to educating Canadians and global citizens about the dangers of racism and the importance of tolerance, inclusivity, and dialogue. Through thoughtful stewardship of various institutions involved in Holocaust education, Nate's efforts are credited with educating young generations of Canadians about the Holocaust, and teaching them the virtues of respect and acceptance.

Links:‌ ‌ 

Learn about Nate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Leipciger

Link to Nate’s Book The Weight of Freedom: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=nate+leipciger&hvadid=254863918482&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9104712&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10619440215456575975&hvtargid=kwd-473138502367&hydadcr=10108_10274008&tag=googcana-20&ref=pd_sl_5aiccf9sx7_e

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

“I'm getting better and better at just saying, okay, that's just today.”

— Judy Singer

When major health challenges face us, it is crucial to gather friends and family around for support. That is what today’s episode of What’s In Your Toolbox: An Honest Discussion on Mental Health is all about.

In this episode, Bobby talks with Judy Singer about her cancer diagnosis and treatment, and how she coped with the changing abilities of her physical body. Judy is an artist and teacher by trade, and when she was faced with beginning treatments for cancer she had to make the difficult decision to not work on her art in order to retain her strength for chemotherapy sessions. Her friends and family were essential to her physical recovery, and her mental health throughout the entire process.

This episode is especially helpful for anyone who is currently undergoing treatments for cancer, who may need some new ideas and strategies to navigate the incredibly challenging mental health factor of treatment and recovery.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

✔   Art as a tool for mental health

✔   Navigating fitness challenges after recovering from cancer treatment

✔  The importance of family and friendship during cancer treatment and recovery

 ‌  

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01  Intro 

02:07  The Artist

00:00  Meet Judy Singer

03:53  How Bob and Judy met  

06:11  Art classes and curation  

09:45  Judy’s passion and career in art  

10:47  Judy’s physical and mental health 

12:09  Cancer treatments 

16:26  Creativity during cancer treatments

17:43  Physical fitness after chemotherapy  

21:02  Friends as a mental health tool

24:12  Judy’s Amazing Support Team

27:36  Healing

30:34  Wrap up

Links:‌ ‌ 

Judy’s Website: https://judysinger.ca

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

“Sometimes life's better understood backwards rather than forwards.”

— Jane Enright

Life changes constantly – but what happens when three incredibly sudden rapid changes occur in just 12 months? And more importantly, what are the best tools to use to cope with life’s unexpected twists and turns?

This episode of No Magic Bullet’s is an installment of What’s In Your Toolbox, a podcast about mental health and the tools that we use to cope, heal, and thrive. In this episode, host Bobby K sits down with Jane Enright, a brain injury survivor, an author, and blogger behind “My Super Awesome Life”. 

During this conversation, Bobby and Jane talk about Jane’s three massive life changes (two traumatic brain injuries and the death of a friend), practicing mindfulness through writing in order to process the fallout of the changes, and what recovery looks like afterwards.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

 ✔   How life can change instantaneously, and the steps Jane took to navigate her sudden life changes

✔   What focusing on what we have, rather than what we don’t have, can do to change our perspective

✔  Different ways to engage your amazing support team when you need it

 ‌  

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01 - Intro

02:42  Meet Jane

03:25  Beaver Valley Shangri-la   

05:04  Jane’s story 

11:27  Laughter is the best medicine  

13:11  Jane’s books 

16:52  Yoga and mindfulness

20:27  Cooking and movement as a tool

26:47  Strategies for coping with challenges  

29:36  Jane’s Amazing Support Team 

33:20  Goodbyes  

Links:‌ ‌ 

Janeenrightauthor.com

Mysuperawesomelife.com

Listen to the first No Magic Bullet podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1763485/9899438 

To get in contact or learn more about Living Jewishly:  

Visit‌ ‌our ‌website: https://livingjewishly.org  

Follow us on Instagram: @living.jewishly  

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2YEegjapKpQeXG6zh6tzw   

or send us an email at [email protected].  

Shalom!

EMAIL

SUBJECT: How do you respond to sudden rapid life changes?

Life changes constantly – but what happens when three incredibly sudden rapid changes occur in just 12 months? And more importantly, what are the best tools to use to cope with life’s unexpected twists and turns?

This episode of No Magic Bullet’s is an installment of What’s In Your Toolbox, a podcast about mental health and the tools that we use to cope, heal, and thrive. In this episode, host Bobby K sits down with Jane Enright, a brain injury survivor, an author, and blogger behind “My Super Awesome Life”. 

During this conversation, Bobby and Jane talk about Jane’s three massive life changes (two traumatic brain injuries and the death of a friend), practicing mindfulness through writing in order to process the fallout of the changes, and what recovery looks like a

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

SHOW‌ ‌NOTES‌ ‌

“When you’re having fun, when you’re laughing, and you have something that makes your heart sing, your life is so much better.”

— Julie Starr

What does it mean to be an empath (or “super-feeler”)? And how does having a higher-than-average level of empathy affect the way that you move through the world and react to its challenges?

This episode of No Magic Bullet’s is an instalment of What’s In Your Toolbox, a podcast about mental health and the tools that we use to cope, heal, and thrive. In this episode, host Bobby K sits down with Julie Starr, an author and life coach who offers private and group coaching for empathic and highly-sensitive women who are ready to overcome the overwhelm and discover how to embrace a better life.

During this conversation, Bobby and Julie talk about the importance of infusing fun into your life, how she transitioned from dance therapy to life coaching, and why she specifically chooses to work with empaths.

“My credo in life is about being of service.”

— Julie Starr

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

• What inspired her to write her self-help book, Your Husband Left. Now What?!: How to Be Your Own Hero and Live Your Better Life
• Why having a high level of empathy is a gift — and the tools that will help you protect that gift
• How Julie serves her life coaching clients, and the tools that she uses and recommends

 ‌Links:‌ ‌ 

Julie Starr

https://possibilitycoaching.net 

Your Husband Left. Now What?!: How to Be Your Own Hero and Live Your Better Life by Julie Starr

https://www.amazon.ca/Your-Husband-Left-Now-What/dp/177753500X 

Dr. Judith Orloff

https://drjudithorloff.com 

SUBJECT: 

What does it mean to be an empath? 💗

Empaths (or “super-feelers”) are highly sensitive individuals who are strongly intuitive and can be easily overwhelmed.  

How does having a higher-than-average level of empathy affect the way that you move through the world — and react to its challenges?

In this week’s episode of What’s In Your Toolbox, Bobby K sits down with Julie Starr, an author and life coach who offers private and group coaching for empathic and highly-sensitive women who are ready to overcome the overwhelm and discover how to embrace a better life.

During this conversation, Bobby and Julie talk about the importance of infusing fun into your life, how she transitioned from dance therapy to life coaching, and why she specifically chooses to work with empaths.

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

• What inspired her to write her self-help book, Your Husband Left. Now What?!: How to Be Your Own Hero and Live Your Better Life
• Why having a high level of empathy is a gift — and the tools that will help you protect that gift
• How Julie serves her life coaching clients, and the tools that she uses and recommends

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/

“I’m still exploring ADHD as an adult.”

— Nancie McLeod

While neurodivergence has historically been seen as something linked to males, it has started to be recognized more frequently in women over the last decade, finally giving them the answers and tools that they need to make sense of their differences.

This episode is an instalment of What’s In Your Toolbox?, a podcast about mental health and the tools that we use to cope and thrive. In this episode, host Bobby K sits down with Nancie McLeod, a Toronto-based designer and realtor who offers experienced, empathetic, and hands-on real estate services for people dealing with one of the four Ds: downsizing, divorce, disability, or death. 

In this conversation, Bobby K and Nancie dig into her ADHD diagnosis and medication journey, how she builds social interactions into her schedule (even when working from home), and the joy of being creative and turning ‘nothing’ into something beautiful.

“I think the most important thing — and one of the tools that I use — is talking to people.”

— Nancie McLeod

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

●        How she discovered that she had ADHD — and how this condition has defined her path

●        How creative endeavours help Nancie deal with her ADHD challenges 

●        Her self care habits and how she uses technology to ensure a better night’s sleep 

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌ 

Nancie McLeod

http://nancie.ca 

Subscribe to What's in your Toolbox? http://nomagicbullet.org/