Sinead grew up with a condition, (Parkes Weber Syndrome) that affects fewer than 800 people worldwide. Through a series of hardships, she had to learn how to advocate for herself. Sinead started experiencing problems with one of her feet, which would land her in the hospital for 1.5 years. Nobody really knew exactly what was going on or how to treat it. During this time, Sinead struggled with feeling isolated, & suffered from depression. Then along came her first service dog, Paddington who would change everything. Sinead is currently paired with a new service dog, Foreman, who has saved her life a number of times, & has given her & her family their independence back.

Topics Discussed:

(1:41) The Early Years: At birth, it was apparent that Sinead was different, but they didn’t know why. Sinead talks about being adopted, spending a lot of her childhood at Toronto Sick Kids, & starting to realize that she was different from the other children.

(13:45) First Surgery: Sinead had surgery to stop one of her legs from growing any more. Sinead could no longer play sports. She experienced depression & weight gain.

(20:00) The Foot: Sinead started experiencing problems with one of her feet. Nobody could figure out what was wrong or how to help her. She ended up in a hospital for 1.5 years, struggling with depression.

(24:30) Graduating to Adult Health Care: Sinead was discharged from care at Toronto Sick Kids when she was 20 & had to begin advocating for her medical care. Sinead details some of the abuses that she has endured during hospital stays.

(30:09) I have what?: At 23 years old, Sinead received a new diagnosis that rocked her world. Sinead had become an advocate for her condition & found a sense of community with others who have the same condition only to find out that she had a different condition altogether.

(34:22) Service Dog: Sinead eventually got a service dog because her mobility was declining, & he miraculously her foot healed.

(38:00) Advocacy Work: Sinead is an advocate for disability rights. She has spoken at Parliament Hill Queen’s Park & as an ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation.

(41:25) COVID & hospital visits: Sinead describes what it is like to need medical care during a pandemic, & fears around staying in/going to the hospital when she needs care.

(43:48) Foreman: Sinead has a service dog named Foreman, she tells us more about him, & the ways that he helps her, & what she wishes the general public knew about what he means to her & her family.

Resources:

Rick Hansen Foundation https://www.rickhansen.com/

About Sinead

I am Sinéad & I am a firm believer everything happens for a reason & humour has always been a way I have been able to find the positives in what most would refer to as a negative situations.

Growing up with a condition no one has ever heard of has presented many challenges, but I have never let that stop me.

As long as I can remember, I have been a force to be reckoned with. As a kid that would’ve been on the soccer field or in a swimming pool; however currently, in my adult life, that has me energetically & influentially advocating for accessibility, inclusion & the importance of service animals in the lives of those who need them.

While my life may not be what I had imagined growing up, I am grateful I can draw on all my experiences to support & educate others.

Sinead can be found at @herlifein4paws on TikTok & IG ​​https://www.herlifein4paws.com/

Wanna be a guest? Email [email protected] or find us on IG @nowwhat_podcast

CW: Childhood Sexual Abuse

Episode Description:

Shannon shares her story of healing from Childhood Trauma. She shares how she knew that she needed to get therapy, the steps she’s taken to heal, and where she is now.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introduction: Shanon tells us about herself, her website, her trauma work and Instagram Page.

(4:28) Going Public: Shanon talks about the first time that she shared her story publicly. The fear that her family would find out that she had done this, while also feeling empowered.

(7:32) Childhood Trauma: Shanon gives us a brief overview of her childhood, and describes how she went into survival mode.

(9:16) Falling Apart: Shanon started to fall apart once she was feeling safe within her marriage, and she realizing that her past must be contributing to her current struggles, her healing journey began.

(14:20) Therapy: Shanon describes the types of therapy she has sought (including EMDR), learning to trust your therapist, and talks about what she believes trauma survivors need to know before they start counselling.

(20:50) CPTSD: Shanon teaches us about the impact that childhood trauma can have on adult survivors, CPTSD, carrying the weight of our trama, and how healing is a lifelong journey

(35:04) Other people stories: Shanon talks about how hearing other people's stories through her trauma work and peer support groups has helped her with her own healing, how she is building a community of survivors supporting one another, while giving her pain a purpose.

Resources:

Childhood Sexual Abuse Support

https://hotline.rainn.org/online

CPTSD

https://www.healthline.com/health/cptsd

Quotes:

“Healing is not easy. It’s beautiful and it’s messy and it's chaotic and it's wonderful and it's painful.”

“Those wounds they don't ever fully completely heal.”

“I can’t erase the things that have happened”

“I can show up now and that’s what I’m doing”

“Trauma is trauma is trauma”

Guest Bio:

I am a mother of two and wife to an amazing man. I am also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and I am on a journey of self-discovery. It is hard to tell you who I am and what I love to do as I am still learning all of those things every day as I heal - but I do know that I love my family, my cats, my coffee, and the survivor community that I have the honor of facilitating.

Through my professional life I have nurtured leadership and organizational skills that were innate in me and I have taken those skills and used them as a catalyst to become a healer and peer advocate for other survivors.

Through my work, I use my own trauma healing journey as a guide to share, connect, and support other survivors of childhood trauma and abuse as they take on their own healing.

Shanon can be found on Instagram @survivingchildhoodtrauma

Website: www.Survivingchildhoodtrauma.com

Want to be a guest on the show?

You can reach us at

Email: [email protected]: @nowwhat_podcast

Facebook: nowwhat.pod.community

CW: Sexual Assault

Episode Description:

Emily takes us through a sexual assault that occurred while she was on vacation in Cuba, and the gross mishandling of the crime by the hotel chain, the theft of her passport and belongings. Emily talks about speaking up and using her voice to effect change. She also delves into her healing journey, how she is now using her gifts to help others to heal as well.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(5:01) The Assault: Emily walks us through the events of the sexual assault that occrued withing the first 24 hours of her vacation.

(8:45) Filing an Incident Report: Emily reported the assault to the front desk, but would later be coerced by hotel staff to recant her statement under extraordinary circumstances. While she did initially want to return to Canada right away, she ended up being stuck in Cuba for the next 5 days, having to stay at the resort where the assault occurred.

(17:53) Landing back in Canada: Emily describes the moment that she finally got back to Canada, using her social media presence to speak out, and getting her story on the news. Part of her inspiration for this was that Emily had been assaulted once before, and she didn’t speak out. This time she wanted to approach things differently.

(21:15) The News Story: Emily's news story resulted in half a dozen other women reaching out to her about having been sexually assaulted while on vacation. The hotel and airline company eventually reached out to Emily and agreed that something had to change.

(30:59) Healing: Emily talks about how Yoga has been part of her healing journey, where she is now, and how she is using her gifts to help others on the journey as well.

(42:27) Final Thoughts: Emily tells you what she hopes you can take away from her story.

Resources:

Links to news articles about Emily’s storyhttps://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/01/15/sunwing-cuba-sexual-assault/

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/01/15/uphill-battle-reporting-sexual-assault-at-a-resort/

White Ribbonhttps://www.whiteribbon.ca/

Helpguide.org: Recovering from rape and sexual assaulthttps://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/recovering-from-rape-and-sexual-trauma.htm

Tips for talking with survivors of Sexuall assaulthttps://www.rainn.org/articles/tips-talking-survivors-sexual-assault

About Emily:

Emily can found on IG @modern.day.healing

Want to be a guest on the show?

You can reach us at

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @nowwhat_podcast

Facebook: nowwhat.pod.community

CW: Substance Abuse, Self- Harm, Attempted Suicide, Sexual Abuse

Jessica shares her journey through Substance Abuse to finding sobriety. She also shares her perspective as a parent, supporting a child through addiction and recovery, how she’s learning the difference between enabling and loving, and what led her to start a women’s empowerment group.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(1:27) The beginning: Jessica shares a bit about her childhood, her first romantic relationships with men, and when she first began abusing alcohol. Including, being in an abusive relationship, and using alcohol to cope.

(10:06) Escalation of addiction: Jessica shares the terrifying moment watching a friend overdose, that actually led her deeper into drug and alcohol abuse. Jessica started to believe that she needed alcohol in order to be a good parent. During this period of deep substance abuse, Jessica’s daughter discloses that she was being sexually abused by somebody in their lives.

(16:56) Getting sober: Jessica talks about the factors that led to her getting sober, and the events of her first AA meeting, and how she felt leaving that first meeting. She tells about a powerful moment in her sobriety journey that she uses to keep herself going.

(23:26) Parenting a child with Addiction: Jessica shares about her daughter’s struggles with mental health and addiction. She describes feeling guilty, not knowing how to help her daughter and how her guild led her to enable her daughter’s addiction. Jessica talks about her struggles with parenting a child in active addiction, and finally getting her daughter into a treatment program.

(33:34) Enabling vs. Loving: Jessica discusses her journey to learn the difference between enabling and loving somebody with addiction, and what is it like for a person in recovery to live with a person in active addiction.

(48:48) StrongAss Women: Jessica started a women's group, initially to get together with other women that she knew from her recovery program. Eventually the group started growing, and so did her intentions for it. Today, the group has 1.7K group members, and Jessica has big plans for empowering as many women as she can.

Resources:

Alcoholics Anonymous

CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)

Al-Anon

About Jessica:

“In a world where we can choose to be anything, I choose to be kind”

39 year old recovering alcoholic/addict.

Mom to a 21 year old daughter who is also a recovering addict.

Profession: Warehouse/Operations Manager

Passion/passions: My pets, my recovery, giving back, painting, hair/makeup/nails, my family and my Facebook group Strongass Women.

Goals: I hope to incorporate my Facebook group into a nonprofit or charity and help as many women in need as possible.

StrongAss Women can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2064004917150605/?ref=share

Want to be a guest on the show?

You can reach us at

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @nowwhat_podcast

Facebook: nowwhat.pod.community

Support the show on Patreon to keep us ad-free.

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, resiliency expert, joins Now What to discuss Resiliency. Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, teaches us what resiliency is, how we can build it ourselves, and encourage it in our children.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(3:09) Defining Resilience: Resiliency is not just reserved for the big adversities in life. Dr. Hanley- Dafoe walks us through the 5 Traits of Resiliency: Belonging, Perspective, Acceptance, Hope, Humour.

(10:36) Fostering resilience: Dr. Hanley- Dafoe talks about the factors that contribute to fostering resilience, including Self-care

(16:55) Productivity and Rest: We talk about softening the edges between being productive and winding down.

(19:30) Self-Entitled or Self-Sabotaging: We explore the idea that when we live in depletion we can begin to feel that we are entitled to certain rewards, so much so, that they can become self-sabotaging. Dr. Hanley-Dafoe teaches us why this happens, and how we can engage in rewarding ourselves without becoming over-indulgent.

(27:49) Finding different ways to meet our needs: Dr. Hanley-Dafoe describes the types of self-care that actually help, and how you can identify the types of self-care that will be the best for you.

(32:12) What is Burnout? Dr. Hanley-Dafoe describes what actually causes burnout, and how we can help fight it by spending time within our own values. We talk about reflecting on our own values, instead of just doing the things that we think we “should”. In particular, we talk about the pressure to do all of the things that we believe “good moms” do. Dr. Robyne describes operating from a scarcity mindset vs. operating from a sufficiency mindset.

(43:22) “Kids are Resilient”: We ask Dr. Hanley-Dafoe what her thoughts are on this phrase. We talk about responding to children's needs through difficult times, and the importance of having one reliable caregiver.

(53:35) Building resilience: Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe answers our questions about how you can begin to build resiliency.

Resources:

Robyne’s book, "Calm within the Storm" https://amzn.to/3wGwL97

About Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe:

Described as one of the most sought-after, engaging, thought-provoking, and truly transformative international speakers and scholars in her field, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is a multi-award-winning education and psychology instructor, author, resiliency expert, and philanthropist. What sets Dr. Robyne apart is how she learned resiliency from the ground up, as a person who has experienced significant obstacles yet forged her come back. Dr. Robyne has over 16 years of university teaching and research experience and brings a refreshing and researched informed perspective to our understanding and practices of resiliency and wellness. Dr. Robyne’s work is accessible and relatable while offering practical strategies that are realistic and sustainable. Follow Robyne on Instagram @dr_robynehd

Want to be a guest on the show?

You can reach us at

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @nowwhat_podcast

Facebook: nowwhat.pod.community

This week we talk with Amanda about hiding her first pregnancy from everybody she knew, her dramatic home birth, and deciding whether to keep the baby or allow her to be adopted.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(3:33) The Pact: Early in their relationship, Amanda found out she was pregnant, and made a pact with her boyfriend (now husband) right then and there that they were not telling anybody, not even a doctor. They continued living their lives, working, seeing friends and family, but now they had a secret, and no plans for the baby's arrival.

(11:29) The Birth: Amanda details her dramatic home birth, and hospital stay.

(16:50) The Secret: Amanda continued working and talking to family, who still did not know that she had given birth. She continued to visit her baby in the hospital every day, but just didn't see any way that she was going to be able to keep this baby.

(25:07) The Decision: Amanda and her now husband, decided to sign over their parental rights. They began the process of choosing a family to raise their daughter, then decided that they couldn’t continue the process without telling their loved ones.

(36:30) Bringing Amy Home: After deciding to raise their baby themselves, they were faced with having to tell friends, family, and co-workers that they’d hidden a pregnancy and were now parents. They didn't have it all figured out, but worked together to figure it out as they went.

(39:32) Raising Amy: Amanda talks about telling her daughter the story of her birth, trying to learn as much as she could about childbirth and pregnancy, and eventually becoming a doula, and building a beautiful life together as a family.

(54:26) Take- Aways: Amanda shares what she hopes we all can learn from her story.About Amanda:

Life is meant to be unexpected and it’s hard to always know what the right answer is.

A mom of 3, constantly reinventing and surprising herself and those around her, Amanda will be talking about the pregnancy and birth of her first child. Not as planned, not as expected but created the woman she is today. Sometimes it’s in life’s greatest challenges, we find ourselves. This is a journey of uncertainty and struggle but one that ends in triumph and joy beyond measure.

Amanda is a lifetime resident of Scarborough along with her amazing partner Greg, 3 wildly delightful kids and their goofy pug (and the 2 reclusive cats). She has reinvented herself more than once in her adult life and is constantly looking for the next challenge.

Want to be a guest on the show?

You can reach us at

Email: [email protected]

Instagram

Facebook

CW: Graphic Violence, Gun Violence, Suicide, Death

Episode Description:

In this episode, Fallon Farinacci details the murder of both of her parents, subsequent suicide of her brother, and how she turned this tragedy into being an advocate for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions: Fallon tells us about her traditional name, White Thunder Woman, how she received it and what it means.

(4:12) Fallon describes the small community where she grew up until she was 9. She explains how her parent’s friend became increasingly obsessed with her mother, and began making threats against her. Fallon’s parents did file reports with the police, and a restraining order was placed.

(10:47) The Night her Parents were Murdered: Fallon’s brother opened the door one night, and their night of terror began as they were held hostage for 8 hours. Fallon describes the horrific details of what happened on the night that left both of her parents dead. She also describes the police misconduct, and how some things could have been handled differently, and could even have led to a different outcome.

(29:48) The Dying Wish: Fallon’s mother was allowed to write her wishes for where her children would go after her death. Fallon and her brothers went to live with their Aunt in Ontario, but she desperately wanted to go back to Manitoba. When she was 14 years old, Fallon was allowed to move back to Manitoba. She would later return to Ontario to attend University, only to discover that all of the life insurance money that her parents had left her had been spent by her Aunt.

Fallon and her brother never received any type of post-traumatic support. Tragically, Fallon would also lose her older brother to suicide, and discusses the impact that had on her, and how she decided to keep moving forward.

(39:10) MMIW: Fallon became involved with the National Inquiry for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2017. In 2019 Fallon joined The National Family Advisory Circle, where she worked closely with other MMIWG family members. Fallon opened a Gofundme page to celebrate indigenous resilience, proceeds will go to

(48:11) Indigenous Issues: We discuss the importance of talking about issues such as MMIWG, Residential Schools, and the 60s Scoop, and the lack of education around Indigenous Issues. Fallon tells us what she wishes people could take away from her story, and how she is using her voice to make a difference.

Resources:

Fallon’s GoFundMe

National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Finding Cleo Podcast

About Fallon Farinacci:

Fallon Farinacci is a proud Red River Metis. She is a survivor and advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples. In 2017 Fallon testified in the National Inquiry for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, sharing her story of loss and trauma. In 2019 Fallon joined The National Family Advisory Circle, where she worked closely with other MMIWG family members and the Commissioners for the National Inquiry. Over the past couple of years, Fallon has sat on several advisory boards, dedicating her time to bringing awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women across Turtle Island. Find her on Instagram @fallonfarinacciWant to be a guest on the show? Reach out.Instagram

Carling from the I Did Not Sign Up For This Podcast, joins us this week to share the story of how she came out, went back in the closet, married a man, and then came out again. Carling shares how she embraced her true self. We talk about educating children today about gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as representation in the media.

Carling can be found on IG @ididnotsignupforthis.podcast

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(2:36) Coming out the first time: Carling talks about growing up, having crushes, and her first girlfriend. She also describes telling her step-mother taht she was gay and her families response.

(10:10) Quietly going back into the closet: Carling describes going back into the closet when she started highschool. Eventually, she married a man, and began feeling pressure to start a family. The marriage was not healthy, and they eventually got divorced.

(20:52) Coming out the second time: Carling shares about starting to date again after divorce, deciding to come out again, and finding belonging in her local gay community. While Carling had come out, she still held on to a number of heteronormative beliefs about gender roles, and the roles of masculine and feminine within a relationship.

(29:39) A haircut makes a difference: Tired of having to come out all of the time, and not passing as a lebsian. Carling made the transformative decision to cut her hair. She started embracing what felt comfortable to her, instead of just dressing how she thought women should. Carling found a lot of freedom in her new look.

(35:28) Teaching kids about sexual orientation: Jen, Tesha, and Carling discuss what parents' expectations were when they were growing up versus what they are today with regard to sexual orientation. We talk about educating children today about sexual orientation and gender roles.

(50:50) Carling’s advice: Carling gives advice for raising children today without the expectation that they will marry somebody of the opposite gender. She also shares how to handle it when somebody discloses to you.

(54:55) Impact of Celebrities coming out: We talk about the impact of seeing celebrities come out and embrace who they are, such as JoJo Siwa, Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris, and Elliot Page

Resources:

I Did Not Sign Up for This Podcast

My Two Aunts by Deb Bixler

The Trevor Project - Support for LGBTQ Youth

Coming Out as Gay in Your 20s, 30s & 40s from Refinery29

PFLAG - Support a loved one coming out

About Carling:

Carling (she/her) is an event manager by day, a podcast cohost by night and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. A survivor of domestic abuse, she is passionate about sharing her own stories and advocating for more education on healthy relationships. Follow on IG @ididnotsignupforthis.podcast

Want to be a guest on the show?You can reach us at

Email: [email protected]

Amanda from the Honest as a Mother Podcast joins us in an IGTV conversation to discuss motherhood and the book Momming Hard that was co-authored by both Jen and Amanda along with 21 other women.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(1:00) We discuss how as moms we often stop prioritizing ourself and our selfcare when we become a mom

(5:30) Jen & Amanda discuss what Momming Hard is about and what their specific chapters are about

(8:00) Tesha shares about her co-author project, WTF Am I Even Doing, where she also wrote about her motherhood journey.

(9:05) Jen talks about what it means to pre-order Momming Hard and how it impacts the authors you chose to purchase from. We discuss how the book has stories that are relatable to all different people and a great summer read.

(11:17) We discuss what drew us to participate in these co-author projects. How writing has been healing for each of us and we hope that our stories help normalize the hard things in life, much like our podcasts.

(16:13) Amanda & Jen share how you can pre-order Momming Hard from each of them from June 21-June 27. Amanda shares about a giveaway she is running.

(17:55) Tesha shares about how you can find Courtney St. Croix of LeadHer Publishing who is publishing our co-author projects.

Resources:

Honest as a Mother Podcast

LeadHer Publishing

Momming Hard

Purchase from Jen

Follow Jen on IG

Purchase from Amanda

About Amanda:

Amanda is a full time working mom who's passionate about discussing the "taboo" topics of motherhood and she covers them all on her podcast Honest as a Mother.

Amanda can be found on IG @honest.as.a.mother_Want to be a guest on the show?

Email: [email protected] @[email protected] our Patreon Community to keep our show ad-free AND for exclusive episodes, workshops, community and more!

Eugenia joins Jen and Tesha this week to talk about her journey with Type 1 Diabetes. She describes her diagnosis as a child, and the way it impacted her life. Eugenia spent years hiding her diabetes from others, before deciding to stop hiding and start sharing her message that you can have diabetes and still lead a full life.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(2:01) Being diagnosed with Diabetes: Eugenia describes being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 8 years old, staying in the hospital for 2 weeks, and transitioning back to “normal” life,

(8:45) Childhood with Diabetes: Eugenia talks about the impact her diagnosis had on her parents' life, how her mother assumed the responsibility for her care, feeling different from her peers, and worrying about her health.

(11:19) Growing up: Eugenia discusses learning to take on responsibility for her own health as she grew, becoming a teenager, dating, and just wanting to fit in. Eugenia went to great lengths to keep any of her treatments or medical needs hidden from those around her.

(18:50) Going public: Eugenia made the bold decision to stop hiding her insulin pump, and posted about it on social media. She discovered that people were very supportive, and now wants to share her message with others.

(27:48) “What does it mean when you beep?”: Eugenia explains a little bit about her monitor, insulin pump and how it works. She also tells a story about what happened when her blood sugar was low and she was alone with her children at a shopping mall.

(33:39) Eugenia’s advice: Eugenia shares her message for anybody newly diagnosed, or supporting someone who is newly diagnosed.

Resources:

Information about Type 1 DiabetesAbout Eugenia:

Eugenia is a mom of 3 who loves sharing the good and bad about life with Type 1 Diabetes. She was diagnosed at 8 years old and hid it from the world for 30 years. She shares how she overcame this and what she feels others should know about Type 1 Diabetes. Find Eugenia on Instagram @a.t1d.beautiful.lifeWant to be a guest on the show?Email: [email protected] our Patreon Community to keep our show ad-free AND for exclusive episodes, workshops, community and more!