We are officially into the Holiday Season so I thought it was a great time to chat with Tesia Bryski and Alyssa Malizia, psychotherapists and the Co-Directors at Shine Mental Health Collective in Ottawa, ON. This time of year can be challenging for many for a multitude of reasons, so in this episode we wanted to share some insights into psychotherapy, access, the impact of the holidays on mental health and the ways in which we can take care of ourselves during a busy time of year. 

In this conversation I wanted to turn the tables and ask the psychotherapists the questions; how did they find their way to this career? how do they take care of themselves after taking care of others? what is it like to supervise? and finally, do they ever take one side of a couple's argument during couple's therapy? (I HAD TO ASK!). 

We also chat about the role AI is playing in mental health and finally, if sitting on the couch seems too much for you right now, both Tesia and Alyssa leave us with some tips that we can use to help us through the holidays.

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Meet Jess Packman, hair enthusiast and stylist at JetBlack Hair Studio, who also happens to no longer suffer wildly every month since having a hysterectomy! Nadine and Jess, like many people who happen to have uteruses, have had a complicated relationship with them and hopped on the podcast to talk about their decisions to have them removed due to severe endometriosis and adenomyosis. Listen in as both women share their own personal stories, which are very different from each other but so similar to many folks out there. The journey to a hysterectomy is not an easy one - and women's health care is confusing AT BEST. In discussing their individual experiences through pain, misdiagnosis, ineffective treatments and the emotional rollercoaster of trying to conceive, Nadine and Jess hope that their years of agony and systemic healthcare struggles will add to the important conversation that highlights the power of understanding female reproductive health issues, advocating for oneself, and finding compassionate medical care. 

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It's the last Wednesday of the month so you know what that means. Mom and sis are back! And this time we're talking body image and aging. 

Listen in as the three of us, being women in our 40s, 50s, and 70s, discuss our independent decisions to age naturally in a world constantly promoting fillers, Botox, and surgeries. Each of us discuss our own personal journeys toward self-acceptance, and share insights on how we've built our relationships with our imperfect bodies, embracing the physical changes that come naturally with age while highlighting the importance of mental health and self-compassion along the way.

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Ever been fired? Jen has, twice! And both times that it happened to her she wished she had someone she could relate to, so she's sharing her story in case she can be that someone for you. 

In this episode Jen recounts her journey of being terminated from two significant jobs and how those experiences shaped both her, and her career. A human rights investigator and lawyer based in Ottawa, Jen walks us through the impact these moments had on her psyche, how she got herself through those first few days and weeks post termination, and how she turned those adversities into stepping stones, eventually starting her own successful business specializing in workplace and sports investigations.

This conversation highlights the importance of resilience, the support of friends and family, and ultimately finding fulfillment through reinventing one's career. 

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Meet Ashley Wittig, brainchild behind Honey's Ice Cream in Toronto, ON and holder of my heart through said ice cream. In this episode, Ashley shares her journey from vegan bakery owner to vegan ice cream maker/Honey's creator, taking us through her creative process (seriously, how does she continually make us drool with those flavour combinations?!) and the challenges she has faced in both her previous and current businesses. 

When hopping on this call I wanted to know how Ashley came to the decision to sell a bakery that was doing incredibly well and then how she decided to jump back into an industry that she knew, but go from the oven to the freezer. We end up talking about so much more, including a little on her personal life (she's recently married) why she advises you not to move for your boyfriend (:P) and how loss has influenced her path. 

Ashley is passionate about her craft and continues to innovate in the world of vegan ice cream. Go grab a scoop. A pint. A pie. And send some to me in a refrigerated truck. Pleaseeeeeeee. 

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Meet Kirsten Duke, a 39-year-old mother of three, who carried four babies and helped create two separate, but forever linked, families. The Other Side of Surrogacy - aka, the one that made Nadine cry. 

In this episode Kirsten generously shares her remarkable journey as a surrogate mother. Starting from the beginning (seeing a TikTok video with two hopeful fathers from Spain) she then walks us through the medical screenings, the legal and logistical processes, the experience of carrying a baby that isn't your own, and that moment of joy she experienced when she finally handed over a healthy baby girl to two fathers she had come to love as family.  

Kirsten's story is a testament to kindness, sacrifice and the importance of humanity and community. 

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Mom and sis are back! And this week the three of us dive into the joys and complexities of friendship. We talk about making new friends, losing old ones, and the natural ebb and flow of those lifelong friendships, including the pain of drifting apart as well as the beauty of reconnecting. Told from the perspective of women in their 40s, 50s and 70s, we explore how true friendships shape our lives, provide us with a safety net, and stand the test of time. 

Mom, sis and I are often found chatting on a three-way FaceTime call about anything and nothing at the same time. One day I asked if I could record our chats and, much like all of my off-the-wall ideas, they were game. I like to think of this as a 'borrow my family' series. Listen in, we tend to forget anyone is listening and that's when the juicy stuff comes out. 

x

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If you've ever wondered how folks figure out what to do with their lives, have a listen. Regardless if you're an entrepreneur or not, this conversation highlights how there are a million different paths to take you where you're meant to go. Sometimes it's as simple as being in the right place at the right time; Mandie and Nadine like to call that kismet. 

Mandie Vossenberg, the owner/operator of Collective Movement, joins Nadine on today's podcast to talk about her unlikely path to entrepreneurship, and how her first year(ish) has been. Much the same way all of Nadine and Mandie's conversations go, they flow from one topic to the next, hoping to share the realities of small biz life and how it feels to realize you have to be the adult in the room. As Mandie so succinctly puts it, to realize that "No one is coming to save you." 

If you're interested in knowing how it really feels to run a small business, this is for you. If you simply want a warm hug on a cold day, this is also for you. 

So maybe put the kettle on, settle in, and enjoy x

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Meet Tesia, a registered psychotherapist, who landed in a hospital bed with a broken back after the hammock she was relaxing in at a spa suddenly broke and sent her crashing to the ground. In this chat, Tesia recounts her harrowing experience from that day and walks us through the immense challenges of her recovery, including her personal and professional growth, setbacks, and shifting relationships. 

With honesty and a sense of humour that helped her through this traumatic experience, we are gifted with a story that is a testament to the power of perseverance and support. 

From being told she may never regain the ability to walk, to running a marathon 6 years later, Tesia shares how a serious injury can crack your entire world wide open.    

Tesia Bryski is the founder and co-director of Shine Mental Health Collective. 

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Chronic pain is something that's hard to imagine unless you've experienced it yourself. That's why I wanted to hear Lisa's story. Lisa is a physiotherapist who specializes in women's and pelvic floor health, and in this episode she shares her personal journey through an excruciating experience with chronic back pain.

Listen in as Lisa explains how chronic pain affected every aspect of her life - her job, her sleep, her relationships and her mental and physical health. Vulnerable and direct, Lisa holds nothing back as she walks us through her last couple of years, and shares how this has impacted her own practice now that she finds herself on the other side. 

Lisa is the co-owner of Bloom Integrative Health and is a co-host of the podcast Cliterally Obsessed. 

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