Ian Fee had his first sip of beer when he was still in a stroller. His parents liked to party and as he got older so did he. Ian's memoir Wild Ride to Sobriety: Transformation from Drunken Oblivion to Profound Clarity takes us on the road from the culture of drinking with co-workers and clients, two lost marriages and how he got sober and stays sober. Buy Ian's book on Amazon

The first "wind phone" was an unconnected telephone booth installed in the back yard by Japan artist Itaru Sasaki in 2010 to help him process the grief of losing his cousin who he had spoken to every day. After the devastating 2011 tsunami, hundreds of people came to his house asking to use the wind phone so he moved it to a public place. The unconnected telephone booth became a space for people to speak with deceased loved ones and has since inspired hundreds of replicas worldwide. The...

Rapid Transformational Therapy® (RTT®) is a form of therapy that combines hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, and neuroscience principles. RTT® was developed and launched by hypnotherapist/psychotherapist Marisa Peer in 1985. It is based on a detailed 3-session approach beginning with hynoptherapy. Diane Konkin trained with Marisa Peer and is on the show today to talk about RTT® and her practice Advanced Mind Health. https://www.advancedmindhealth.ca

Megan Glosson is a contributor to The Mighty, an online resource for mental health. In this episode Megan shares tips for people who are lonely during COVID.

This is Part Two of my interview with Leonard Buschel, author of High: From Cannabis to Clarity. Leonard got sober in 1994 and in this interview we talk about his 30 years helping people recover from addiction and the Addiction Recovery eBulletin. In the previous interview, Leonard about talks about his decision to be a successful drug dealer when he was only 17. Leonard's book chronicles some riotous stories of his days as a drug dealer to the stars and as a daily user of cannabis and ...

Leonard Buschel was 17 when he decided he wanted to be a sucessful drug dealer and became the drug dealer to the stars for more than 30 years. He was also an addict who smoked cannabis from morning, noon to night and spent most nights using cocaine. In 1994, Leonard stopped using drugs and for the past 3 decades he has worked helping people recover from addiction. His book High: From Cannabis to Clarity is an amazing chronicle of his life as a dealer, who turned his own experience with ...

Climate change anxiety is a growing mental health issue. In Canada, massive fires across the country leading to evacuations and homes burning to the ground are leaving people with a sense of dread. Laurie Sarkadi is a journalist and author who lives off the grid outside of Yellowknife in the North West Territories. Her memoir - Voice in the Wild – in part chronicles her deep connection to nature and watching the deterioration of the animals, land and water from the devastating effect of clima...

If you’ve been downtown in St. Catharines recently you may have seen some people wearing bright yellow tee shirts. They are peer support workers, all who have been homeless, and are out every day connecting with and supporting people who are living on the street now. More and municipalites across Ontario have successful versions of Welcoming Streets. Welcoming Streets is a one year pilot project funded Niagara Region. The teams work with people but are also there for businesses who need...

The Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre in Niarara has released the new Kids First Project for schools. Kids from kindergarten to grade 12 learn about safe and unsafe touching, secrets and recognizing potentially dangerous online behaviour. Brian Bratt is the Centre's executive director.

Therapist Julie Christiansen is an expert on anger. One of her most recent books is titled Rise in Rage. Julie talks about how Canadians are experiencing more bouts of anger and even rage, in part because of the helplessness and the threat to our security we feel from tariffs imposed by the U.S. She is also the keynote speaker at this year's Wellness for All event on May 8th to raise money for Canadian Mental Health Association, Niagara.

Experience shows that peer support is extremely successful. I’m going to start off with a new pilot program in St. Catharines called Welcoming Streets. It’s a partnership between Reach Niagara and Positive Living Niagara (POS), supported by Niagara Region and St. Catharines. Talia storm leads the Streetworks Program at POS and will co-direct the new porgram. I’ll also chat with Quest Community Health Centre executive director Nancy Garner about the Niagara HELPS program that puts peer Navigat...

We know that gender violence against women and femicides in Canada continue to grow. But an alarming 1/4 of adolescent girls who are dating boys are experiencing an abusive relationship. Nicole Regehr, executive director at Gillian's Place, talks about the increase in the number of girls, mostly in high school, who facing gender abuse. Gillian's Place is a shelter in Niagara for survivors of abuse and violence. If you need help reach out. All communication is confidential. h...

Erin Clayton from Pathstone Mental Health for kids talks about how kids who are already at risk face greater threats from social media.

CASON - Community Addiction Services of Niagara - provides comprehensive alcohol, drug and gambling addiction treatment for individuals and their families. Executive Director Janice Rutger talks about the challenges people and families face and the programs CASON offers. https://cason.ca/

In 2023, 22.9% of people across Canada lived in households that struggled to afford the food they need. That's 8.7 million people and a devastating 2.1 million children. The new numbers for 2024 from Feed Ontario shows an increase of 30%. Community Care St. Catharines Thorold Executive Director Betty Lou Souter talks are the increasingly desperate need for food. Feed Ontario Community Care St. Catharines Thorold

Sammy Bazely was on the show last week to talk about suicide and the overwhelming feeling that the world, and especially her young daughter, would be a better place without her.Sammy talked about the time leading up to her suicide attempt and the unexpected family intervention that saved her.In Part Two, Sammy talks about what life is like now, how she keeps the suicidal thoughts away, and her thoughts on where we need to go as a society to accept and help more people from dying by suicide.In...