#OurAnxietyStories

Jeanna Pillainayagam is a mental health advocate who volunteers with a variety of organizations including with the CMHA BounceBack Youth Advisory Committee and jack.org . In this episode, Jeanna shares how anxiety and imposter syndrome affected her as a university student. Jeanna also touches on how grounding techniques and exposure therapy help her understand and cope with feelings of anxiety. **...

Citlalli Gonzalez is a member of the CMHA BounceBack Youth Advisory Committee where she acts as a peer educator and youth advisor. In this episode, Citlalli shares how immigrating to Canada from Mexico at a young age played a role in her experience with anxiety. Citlalli touches on how she wanted nothing more than to blend it, hiding parts of her heritage, for fear that others would judge her. ***...

Mikaela Basile is a passionate mental health advocate who volunteers with an array of mental health organizations, including the Anxiety Canada Youth Network . In this episode, Mikaela shares her experience navigating diagnoses of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and depression as a teenager. Mikaela also touches on how her experiences have inspired her to become involved in a v...

Monica Thimer is a parent in Residence at FamilySmart who provides peer support for parents and caregivers whose children have mental health and/or substance use concerns. In this episode, Monica shares her experience parenting a daughter who showed symptoms of anxiety from a young age. Monica also touches on the challenges of navigating the health care system in search of a diagnosis and effectiv...

Michael Landsberg is a Canadian sports journalist and the current host of The Sports Network's  First Up with Landsberg and Colaiacovo . Michael is also the creator of sicknotweak.com , a not-for-profit corporation with the primary objective of helping people understand that mental illness is a sickness, NOT a weakness. In this episode, Michael shares his experiences with generalized anxiety disor...

Kathy Buhler is a parent in residence at FamilySmart who provides peer support for parents and caregivers whose children have mental health and/or substance use concerns. In this episode, Kathy describes anxiety as a “double-edged sword”, and shares how her experience with anxiety has shifted throughout her lifetime. *** This podcast is brought to you by Anxiety Canada™, a leader in developing fre...

Joey Laguio is a passionate and multidisciplinary music and technology educator who volunteers at Anxiety Canada. In this episode, Joey shares how he struggled with anxiety growing up, came to become involved with Anxiety Canada, and how he appreciates that “In CBT there's so much of that looking at evidence, looking at what's realistic and balanced.” *** This podcast is brought to you by  Anxiety...

Richard Trudel recently finished learning about mindfulness and how to manage the anxiety he’s experienced since childhood, as part of a program Anxiety Canada created at Chilliwack Alternate Schools. He says, “MindShift CBT has all the tools that help me get on track and stay on track.” *** This podcast is brought to you by  Anxiety Canada™ , a leader in developing free online, self-help, and evi...

Emmy Vallée has an LLB and an MBA and has worked for numerous Vancouver-based pharmaceutical and biotech companies. She is also on the Board of Directors of Anxiety Canada. In this episode she shares her journey with post-natal anxiety, and how CBT helped her to learn: “When you have those recurrent thoughts in your head, just put them on trial. You need to look at the evidence. Are they guilty or...

Ramona Bonwick is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba. Living most of her life with anxiety, she recognizes the value of stress reduction, exercise, support, and counselling (in particular CBT) in learning to manage anxiety. In this episode she shares how her family history, and dental surgery, inspired her to seek help for anxiety. She says, “I appreci...

Dr. Lynn Miller is a leader in mental health issues of school-aged children. Lynn was the President of the Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada from 2010-2014 and 2018-2019. In this interview she shares how her work as a schoolteacher inspired her to go back to school to study anxiety, “the most pressing problem of school kids today”. She says, “If we really started with anxiety as this foundat...

Bryde MacLean is a podcaster and yoga instructor. In this episode she shares how how yoga helped her overcome her anxiety: “I find that if I can control the physical aspects of my anxiety, it has a tremendous mental effect.” me." *** This podcast is brought to you by  Anxiety Canada™ , a leader in developing free online, self-help, and evidence-based resources on anxiety. For more information and...

Andrew Scott is a drummer with the Toronto-based band Sloan. Three of his songs, "500 Up", "People of the Sky", and "I've Gotta Try" have been released by Sloan as singles. In this interview he shares, “The question is, does anxiety consume you or do you have control over it? There have been times in my life where it felt like it was consuming me.” *** This podcast is brought to you by  Anxiety Ca...

Rosemary Young is a post-secondary student currently volunteering with Anxiety Canada. In this episode, she shares how MindShift CBT, Anxiety Canada’s app for iOS and Android devices based on cognitive behavioural therapy, has helped manage her anxiety. In her view, “It's important for us as youth to be educated about the wide range of mental health and anxiety challenges that exist.” *** This pod...

Rita Schnarr is a Clinical Counsellor with Dr. Joti Samra & Associates. Using a holistic and biopsychosocial approach, Rita customizes treatment plans for individuals, couples, families, workplace employees and executives with a range of presenting issues including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, OCD, behavioural disorders, relationship difficulties, and life transition.   In this episode,...

Originally from Brazil, Camila Melo is currently a student at Douglas College in Vancouver. In this episode she shares her journey with generalized anxiety and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and how CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) has helped her. She says, “I think everybody should go through therapy. It’s too bad it’s not very accessible here.” life.” *** This podcast is brought to you...

Mark Virgin is an experienced litigator and principal of Stevens Virgin, a Vancouver law firm that specializes in civil, commercial, and administrative law. Mark also   dedicates hundreds of hours annually to community service. In this podcast, Mark talks about how anxiety fuelled his academic and professional success, until it started being debilitating. Today, Mark says, “I still have anxiety, b...

Dr. Melanie Badali is a Registered Psychologist and is certified in the practice of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) by the Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies. With over 15 years of experience working as a clinician, researcher, and instructor in the field of psychology, Melanie currently provides assessment and treatment services at the North Shore Stress and Anxiety Cli...

Kendall McLean is an experienced mental health professional with an M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies. In this podcast, Kendall shares how she overcame increasingly severe bouts of panic disorder to complete her training. Now as Peer Support Coordinator at Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba, she shares the message, “With anxiety, you're not alone and we can do something about it.” *** This...

"Great Canadian Baking Show" judge Bruno Feldeisen was named one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America by Chocolatier Magazine two years in a row and has been nominated twice for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. He has been featured in the New York Times , Los Angeles Times , Gourmet Magazine , Bon Appetit Magazine and  New York Magazine . Bruno has multiple television appearance...

Raji Aujla is a multimedia strategist who spends her days plotting the most interesting ways to curate and culminate exchanges between culture producers and culture consumers. In this episode, she shares how “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy allowed me to actually enjoy my life.” *** This podcast is brought to you by  Anxiety Canada™ , a leader in developing free online, self-help, and evidence-based...

Megan Street is Crown Counsel for BC Prosecution Service, Ministry of the Attorney General, Criminal Appeals, in Vancouver, B.C. She shares, “I started doing CBT work with a private therapist. And that has proven to be the way to go for me." *** This podcast is brought to you by  Anxiety Canada™ , a leader in developing free online, self-help, and evidence-based resources on anxiety. For more info...

Cathy Jones is an actor, comedian and writer who’s won won 18 Gemini Awards for her work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and CODCO . She shares how “anxiety is a part of [her] everyday” and how it has affected both her personal life and her creative process. *** This podcast is brought to you by  Anxiety Canada™ , a leader in developing free online, self-help, and evidence-based resources on anxiety....