As I, A Peer | A podcast presented by CMHA Calgary

What happens when a childhood dream meets lived experience? In this episode of As I, A Peer , Jeff Turner speaks with Priscilla Cherry, the force behind The Oratory . Priscilla shares her story of growing up with big dreams, facing the realities of childhood PTSD and ADHD, and discovering the life-changing power of peer support. From helping shape Recovery College to creating a groundbreaking show...

In this episode of As I, A Peer, we meet Bruce, now a Peer Support Practice Lead, whose journey reflects loss, resilience, and the power of community.  Growing up in Calgary, Bruce experienced early loss, family challenges, and the weight of feeling different. As a teen, substances became a way to cope, leading to years of struggle that carried into adulthood. His turning point came in 2004, when...

In this episode of As I, A Peer , we sit down with Melanie Vernon, a chronic pain peer support worker, mental health advocate, and CMHA Calgary School of Peer Support alum.  Melanie shares her deeply personal story of growing up in a household where everything looked perfect from the outside, but inside was a world shaped by trauma, neglect, and survival. As the “good kid” in a family consumed by...

In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re excited to sit down with Sadaf, a thoughtful peer, mental health advocate, and former Peer School Facilitator with CMHA Calgary.  Sadaf shares her powerful journey of navigating identity, culture, and mental health — from growing up in Calgary as a child of Pakistani immigrants to finding her voice in spaces that didn’t always make room for her full self. Str...

In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re honoured to welcome Wakefield Brewster, a celebrated poet, wellness practitioner, and Calgary’s 2022- 2024 Poet Laureate.  Wakefield shares his journey of healing, shaped by early life challenges, substance use, and the ongoing process of navigating mental wellness. Growing up in Toronto as the child of Barbadian immigrants, Wakefield often felt misunderstood...

In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re honoured to welcome Kyla Ricard, a dedicated Peer Support Worker from Calgary, Alberta.  Kyla Ricard’s path to peer support was shaped by her personal experiences of being unhoused, mental health struggles, and the search for connection. After working in a remote tree-planting camp, she found herself navigating the realities of being unhoused in both Edmonton...

In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re honoured to welcome Dr. Michael Trew, a distinguished psychiatrist whose career has spanned over four decades. Dr. Trew’s journey in mental health began with his education at the University of Saskatchewan, Calgary, and Manchester, leading to his certification as a psychiatrist in 1982. His dedication to the field saw him leading the Consultation-Liaison Psyc...

In this episode of As I, A Peer , we’re thrilled to welcome Nova McGillivray, a dedicated peer support facilitator from Calgary, Alberta. Nova’s journey into peer support began in 2013, when she struggled to find any support groups in the city for postpartum depression. Motivated by this gap, she took matters into her own hands, starting to facilitate group sessions herself. Since 2018, she has be...

In this episode of As I, A Peer , we are thrilled to welcome Kamika Bianca Guerra-Walker, a visionary multidisciplinary artist of Jamaican and Chilean heritage, who has been named Calgary’s 2024 Emerging Artist of the Year. Kamika is a filmmaker, producer, writer, and mental health advocate whose work has earned recognition from renowned organizations such as Netflix, Telefilm, the Canadian Academ...