The Giving Tree - A Podcast for Helping Professionals

We’re doing something a little different for this episode. Instead of our usual interview or conversation, I’m guiding you through a 15-minute Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) practice - a simple, effective way to release tension from your body and calm your nervous system. Relaxation practices like PMR aren’t just "nice to do" - they’re an essential part of caring for ourselves, espe...

In this episode, I sit down with Ida-Jane Graham, Clinical Director, and Joanne Whittle, Human Resource Manager, from the John Howard Society of Ottawa—a not-for-profit organization dedicated to delivering evidence-based, outcome-driven community services across the Ottawa area. Ida-Jane and Joanne share their inspiring journey of coordinating a collaborative project to address the psychological h...

In this episode, I chat with Karine Silverwoman, a seasoned practitioner, educator, and consultant with over 20 years of experience in the social work field. Karine brings a wealth of knowledge about trauma-informed care and social justice, offering insights into how trauma and oppression shape both individuals and communities. We explore what it truly means to be trauma-informed, breaking it down...

Welcome back for the second part of my insightful conversation with Tarky Lee, an Oakland-based artist, writer, and professional child care provider. In this continuation, Tarky Lee and I share our perspectives on the significance of asking for help and how it plays a pivotal role in maintaining our well-being. We also explore the delicate balance of setting boundaries in how we process and discus...

In this episode, join your host Amanda Rocheleau in a heartfelt conversation with Tarky Lee, an Oakland, California-based artist, writer, and professional child care provider. Together, we delve into the timeless tale that touched our hearts – Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree." This beloved story became a catalyst for both of us to reflect on our patterns of over-giving and inspir...

In this episode, I chat with Dan Maillet, an esteemed permanent teacher from the Ottawa area and a good friend of mine. Join us as we delve into a candid conversation about the profound challenges that teachers like Dan often face in their journey of nurturing young minds. Teaching isn't merely a profession for Dan; it's a passion that fuels his drive to make a lasting impact. Dan opens up...

In this episode, Robyn and I talk about the various ways people can experience Secondary Traumatic Stress and Vicarious Trauma. She shares her experience of how, as a Human Rights Professional, she came to realize that after years of advocacy work and reading countless files pertaining to crimes against children, that she too was showing signs of Vicarious Trauma; a profound shift in one's pe...

In this episode, I interview Jessica Lemieux, a Registered Social Worker in Ontario and founder of Cultivation Therapy Services. We chat about familiarizing ourselves with messages from the body and the mindful self-care practices that we have learned and try our best to integrate into our daily lives. Jessica shares some lovely insights about her work and personal life and I...well...overshare ab...

Jennifer Hunnisett and Catherine Dwyer are good friends of mine and also work as clinical associates providing support to helping professionals with the psychological well-being. In this episode, we are chatting about compassion fatigue. While sharing about our personal experiences, we identify the nuances of it, the cultural and cognitive influences and finally some of the ways we have navigated...

Ok, so I didn't really know what I was going to say before I said it.  But I felt inspired to share with you my point of view on the responsibilities employers have to provide an environment that prevents the risk of burnout and other psychological health injuries while promoting good mental health in the workplace.  In this "spontaneous" episode, I explain some of the workplace factors...

In this episode, I continue to share my interview with Troy Lavigne, a Registered Massage Therapist, Reiki Teacher, Kinesio Taping Practitioner and founder of his practice, Sensory Approach to Manual Therapy. In this episode, part 2 of our conversation, we carry on reflecting on the process of getting to know ourselves and accepting ourselves fully. We explore the ways that we fend off shame by em...

In this episode, I chat with Troy Lavigne, a Registered Massage Therapist, Reiki Teacher, Kinesio Taping Practitioner and founder of his practice, Sensory Approach to Manual Therapy. Troy and I cover a lot of ground in this conversation. So much so, that I had to split it up into two episodes. In part 1, you'll hear Troy talk about his discovery for the sensory approach and how he helps people man...

In this episode, I interview Carole Ann Alloway; a retired Human Resources Manager, mother of four and grandmother of seven. Carole Ann became a full-time caregiver for her husband, Bill, who had ten difficult operations within a 7-year period. She has witnessed first-hand the gaps in the health care and home care systems and speaks at health conferences, hospitals, home care agencies to shar...

In this episode I interview Kelly Tabor, a Social Worker and Motivational Interviewing Trainer. Kelly is an experienced professional helper committed to the growth of individuals, teams, and organizations. She specializes in developing and facilitating Motivational Interviewing (MI) training for a wide variety of health care professionals and non-professional caregivers, helping them to discover h...

In this episode I interview Lacey Kempinski, a fundraising specialist, an entrepreneur and mother of 2.  I met Lacey at a fundraising related conference last year and we discovered that we had a lot in common; we both had ventured into entrepreneurship after becoming mothers in order to find a way to maintain our passion for our work, be fully present with our children and still maintain our...

This Mindful Meditation script was written by Hugo Albert's (PhD) and Lucinda Poole (PsyD) and provided in The Crisis Kit PDF prepared and made public by Positive Psychology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode, I ask Angie Wellman, a psychotherapist in Belleville Ontario, about her own mental health journey as she navigated her way through a few different high-intensity workplace cultures.  Learn more about Angie and her private practice by visiting www.wellmanwellness.org

In this episode, I ask Breanna about her own experience with compassion fatigue and discovering her own self-care needs. She tells us all about her new business, Talk Tools Training, and what motivated her to start providing mental health training in our community. Learn more about Breanna and the training she offers by visiting www.talktoolstraining.com .

Here is another personal story about how I began my journey of burnout recovery. Learn more about me at www.amandarocheleau.com

Hello Caring People! Welcome to my podcast experiment. This is a place where I hope to have real conversations about being a caring person, about our mental health, about self-care and about collective care. Leave me a comment if you want to hear about a specific topic. Learn more about me at www.amandarocheleau.com