Where You Are

We are sharing this great episode from Anxiety Canada’s Podcast, #OurAnxietyStories. As hosts of Where You Are, we know how powerful hearing mental health stories can be. This episode, released in October 2021, follows Botswana born and Canadian raised, 14-year-old Malia Baker. Her journey with anxiety peaked in Grade 4. Malia offers great strategies that she has learned to manage her symptoms, with the support of her mother, little sister and friends. A ‘must listen’ for parents and caregivers. 

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It’s important to talk openly with your child about substance use from an early age, but as parents and caregivers we don’t always know where to start. Michelle and Bryn sit down with Cindy Andrew and Art Steinmann, both parents and professionals with 30+ years of experience working in the field of youth substance use within BC schools and communities, to discuss how to talk about substance use with your child, how to prevent problematic substance use, and how you can help your child develop the knowledge and skills they will need to make decisions about vaping, alcohol and other drugs as they grow.

Note: This episode will not cover chronic and problematic substance use. That topic will be a future episode on Where You Are.

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In BC, approximately 1 in 6 youth engage in self-harm. Self-harm, also referred to as self-injury, is a behaviour used to cope with bigger, underlying emotions – and is also a behaviour that many parents and other caring adults are understandably concerned about. In this episode, we speak to a youth, Ciara, who has lived experience with self-harm; and a clinical counsellor, Kim Leifso, who has supported many youth who have self-harmed. Walk away from this episode with a greater understanding of why youth self-harm and what parents can do to support their child.

This episode is a collaboration between BC Children's Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre and FamilySmart.

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Family life can be super stressful at times, there’s no doubt about it.  And that’s where mindfulness can be helpful. Bryn and guest host Char Black sit down with Alison, a mother and coach for neurodiverse families, and Dr. Joanna McDermid, a Psychiatrist and the Associate Director of the BC Children’s Centre for Mindfulness. They discuss how mindfulness can support your overall well-being and help during common stressors that parents experience, debunk some common myths and misconceptions that surround mindfulness, and offer tips on how you can weave mindfulness into parenting and caregiving if this is an approach you’re curious about. 

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We are hard at work on upcoming episodes. And with Family Day just around the corner we are sharing one of our favourite episodes from Season 1.

We all know parenting can be difficult. But when your child is struggling, emotionally or mentally, "difficult" doesn't begin to describe it. Feeling unable to help them is nothing short of devastating. So what can you do when none of your regular tools seem to be working? In this episode, Mary (mom of 3) and Dr. Ashley Miller (BC Children's Child Psychiatrist) discuss specific strategies you can start using right away to support your child and help them thrive.

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Between ages 0-6, a child’s social and emotional health is every bit as important as their physical health. It affects how they express emotions, deal with stress, develop friendships, and more. Join Bryn and Michelle as they take a closer look at social and emotional development (SED) in the early years, including what it is, how you can support your child’s SED, and how these skills will benefit them for life. In this episode you’ll hear from Joelle, a busy mom to a five year old, and Dr. Angela Low, a researcher and educator whose work focuses on social and emotional competence in children. You’ll even hear from some little ones who share their experiences too.

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This episode is a collaboration between BC Children's Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre and Child Health BC, as part of the Feelings First initiative.

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Stress levels and burnout for school professionals has been a significant and growing issue for quite some time and have only increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. Michelle and guest co-host Gail Markin come together with Vanessa, a school District Counsellor, and Kim Weatherby, lead for EdCan's Well at Work Advisors program, to look at the importance of teacher and school staff well-being and what this means for the students they teach. Listen to strategies school professionals can use to support their own well-being, support each other’s well-being, and engage at a systems level to keep staff well-being a priority for mental health and wellness—all of which contributes to student health and achievement.

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In this episode Michelle and Bryn are joined by Kelly, a parent of a youth diagnosed with an eating disorder, and Dr. Jennifer Coelho, Psychologist at BC Children’s Hospital’s Provincial Specialized Eating Disorder Program, to answer questions we often hear from families about supporting a youth with an eating disorder. The conversation covers how to support your child at home, managing meal times, what to do if your child refuses help, tips about how parents can play an active role in your child’s recovery, which treatments really work, and resources to support parents and caregivers. 

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As we wrap up Season 2 of our podcast, we decided to reach out to our listeners and ask you to send in your questions about child and youth mental health. This episode explores a range of topics including anxiety, stress, technology use, managing family relationships, and how to have conversations about tough topics with your child. So grab your headphones and tune in as we dig into your questions with two leading experts in Child and Youth Mental Health, Dr. Rosalind Catchpole and Dr. Ashley Miller. 

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Concurrent disorders are when mental illness and a substance use disorder happen at the same time. For example, depression and alcohol dependence or anxiety and opioid dependency. Join our podcast guests Ngaire, a parent of four, and Jennifer Toomey, a Registered Psychiatric Nurse at BC Children’s Hospital, as they discuss how to best support and treat youth with concurrent disorders. They offer tips on how to prioritize the connection with your youth while also getting the support you need as a parent or caregiver. 

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