I'm 15 going on 16 and about to fall in love for what feels like the hundredth time. But this time, something feels different. I'm scared to get vulnerable with Grant because "what if he wastes all his goodness on me." There are too many love triangles to count in this one... my bestie is crushing on my ex, the love of my life is in love with someone else, the guy who might like me used to like my sister... it's WILD how I managed to function given all this angst and drama. I'm not sure how well I am functioning though - I *never* go to class and spend my entire day smoking weed with older boys and then my weekends partying my face off with my sister. This one is a gem and also like ten soap operas in one.  It ends on a cliffhanger so make sure you tune in next week!!

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

"Writing is less about filling the page and more about discovery..."

I am very into Julie Fontes as a writer and as a hilarious, sweet, genuine human being. My interview with her went in every direction imaginable... we candidly chat about ED, sobriety, toxic relationships, the life of a writer, social media addiction, mental wellness, and more. I personally love how this conversation just flowed and flowed and I particularly enjoyed listening to Julie read from the diary she wrote (and hid under her bed!) in 1994, which she aptly titled: "My Crazy Life" in black ink.

Julie Fontes (pronounced fonts!) (she/her) is a full-time sober server/author, athlete and cat enthusiast. She just published her first book, "Like a Normal Person" which you can find anywhere you buy books or at any of the links below.

You can also follow Julie on substack which is where we "met": https://juliefontes.substack.com/ but don't follow her on IG (jk, @juliefontesaf)

Get 'Like A Normal Person' today! 
- https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?CnEW50tY7zbi4OuzMoOy5anOZdUT5ANt8IFFGfmV51q
- https://www.amazon.com/Like-Normal-Person-Julie-Fontes/dp/B0DHFLYHN3

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

It's the summer of grade 9 and I am throwing my bestie a surprise birthday party. It's very pop-and-chips - a bunch of kids just playing games and fighting in the pool. At the party, my mom reveals something that changes the course of my childhood forever. Also, in this episode, I am struggling with my sister's weight loss/ED and swooning over too many boys. It's a wild ride and you'll need your seatbelt for this one.

I also want to say, reading these diaries has been getting a bit tough. I'm finding it difficult to reconcile the fact that a lot of my core memories aren't accurate and that things unfolded differently than I've always told myself they unfolded. I've been more emotional than usual lately, and it's been bleeding out into my life. I'm not going to quit... but just taking extra good care of myself lately has been my priority.

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

I'm halfway through my first year of high school. I'm about to break up with my first boyfriend (Nick Lachey from Episode 8!) but not before I enter into a super weird love triangle with my friend, who I will call "J," who is 6 years older than me. I have moved on from O-Town and am very into Dashboard Confessional and quote them to my journal every chance I get. I hate the way I look in the mirror and cry about it often. I start smoking cigarettes on the regular and I introduce my nexy big love story. Buckle up -- this one is a bit bumpy but full of love and earnest teenage angst. 

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To learn more about Exhale Pro-Voice, head to https://exhaleprovoice.org/ 

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

I've just entered highschool and had my first real kiss AND my first real boyfriend so basically, total chaos. My friendships are unravelling, my parents are fighting. My OCD and ED are on fire but no one knows except me and my dear old diary.

This one is a goodie and less intense than the last few. I hope you all enjoy it!

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To read more about my friend Austen's story, you can go here: https://cmhatv.ca/ways-to-give/abc-2024/ and here: https://austenberletcampout.com/

If you or someone you know is in immediate crisis or has suicide-related concerns you can text 9-8-8 at any time for immediate support.

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

Content Warning: This episode describes multiple sexual assaults.

It's 2002. It's the summer before high school starts. I am straddling the line between young, innocent 13-year-old girl who just wants to decorate my journal with glitter and go to the mall with my friends, and a very grown-up young woman who is about to experience one of the most traumatic events of her life.

Listen to the episode to find out what Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and Vitamin C's Graduation have in common.

From The Episode:
If you are struggling with suicidal ideation, you can call or text 988 anytime to match with a counsellor. 

To connect with the wonderful folks who support this podcast, go to:
- https://good2talk.ca/ontario/ (or call 1-866-925-5454 in Ontario)
- https://www.betterhelp.com/

Join The Monday Club:
https://themondayclub.substack.com/

For more info on my work as a writing coach, head to www.doulaofwords.com
To sign up to be a guest, email Yoda at [email protected]

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

I read my diary from 2017, through tears, as I recount the events that led to me filing for bankruptcy. 

I re-live some of the most anxiety-ridden days of my life and talk about what it was like for me to move back in with my father when I was 29-years-old. I take you on some twists and turns and get choked up more than once. It's all in the name of honestly though, and I hope this episode helps you feel less alone.

In this episode, I challenge the shame around staying in relationships that aren't healthy (and the stigma around bankruptcy!), I gripe about the audacity of men, and I prepare myself to fact something really, really hard.

In this episode, I also reference a podcast I was recently a guest on. You can listen to my conversation about abortion with Amanda Star Kingsley by clicking here: https://www.amandastarkingsley.com/speaking-light-into-abortion/236

To connect with the wonderful folks who support this podcast, go to:
- https://good2talk.ca/ontario/ (or call 1-866-925-5454 in Ontario)
- https://www.betterhelp.com/

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

"Fruit for breakfast. Veggies, fruit, and crackers for lunch. Something light for dinner. No snack."

It's New Year's Day, 2002. I am 13 going on 14 and have just gotten drunk for my first time. I am eternally embarrassed by my mother. I am worried about my sister. My dad asks me if I'm anorexic and I share a lot about my disordered eating which is festering. Calista Flockhart is my style icon and I'm rushing home to spend hours on MSN. I'm stressed about high school and graduating from eighth grade and am really going to miss recess!! I quote Chicken Soup for The Soul and my Dead Journal. If that's not enough, I also delve into religion and perfectionism and forgiveness. 

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

"I don't know how to love myself when I'm sad..." 

When I set out to launch a podcast, my main goal was to have a space to sit and talk to my writer friends about not just words, but grief and mental health and psychology and healing. This episode is my wish embodied! 27-year-old me got to hang out with 27-year-old Maria Mosca and tea was spilled!!! 

So grab a beverage (or three!) and sit down with me and my pal Maria as she reads four entries from the journal she started in 2014. Listen as we dive into the insanity that is the hospitality industry and as we discuss nervous system regulation, mental health, neurodivergence, poetry, pain, and FOOD. 

You can follow Maria on Instagram at @mashka_zaraza - her account is private but she likes new friends :)

If you want to sign up for one of the workshops Maria and I discussed in this episode OR build your writing practice, you can reach Yoda at www.doulaofwords or @doulaofwords on IG. 

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

In this episode, I have just entered eighth grade and the World Trade Centers were attacked. I am angry and bitter and confused about life, death, my sexuality, and my sister's indifference. I'll also share the story of how I met my very best friend and why we never dated. This episode is loaded with the kind of angst that really made me giggle. 

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Do you have an embarrassing or endearing journal you'd like to read on the pod? Reach me at www.doulaofwords.com or @doulaofwords on IG

Don't have a writing practice but want one? Let's talk! I help people write, edit, format, and publish their books every single day!

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at [email protected] - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!