A lot of the furor over the rights of trans, non-binary, and other gender-diverse people has centered around the idea of ‘detransitioning’. That people who transition from the gender they were assigned at birth end up regretting that decision and transitioning back. In this Mind Full episode Françoise Susset and Dr. Jesse Bossé explain the data on detransitioning, the truth about regrets, and the reality the furor creates for vulnerable gender diverse populations.
Canada’s healthcare system, and most Western healthcare systems, have long been cisnormative. Meaning that they are run by cisgender people, based on science that was conducted primarily with cisgender people, with methods that have not sought to include trans, non-binary, or other gender diverse folks. We talk with Dr. Jesse Bossé and Dr. Françoise Susset about the reasons for this, and the difficulties many people face as a result.
This is the first of four special episodes on gender diversity, science, and the healthcare system. McGill Psychology Professor Dr. Ada Sinacore joins Mind Full to talk about where we are in Canada and in the world when it comes to the treatment of those who do not identify as cisgender. Dr. Sinacore is the Past President of the Canadian Psychological Association, and has been instrumental in the creation of the CPA’s position paper on gender diversity and expression, and the special issue of the Psynopsis magazine on gender diversity.
Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman joins Mind Full to talk about his new book Developing Anti-Racist Cultural Competence, and how while Canada is certainly a multi-ethic country, we are failing at the multicultural idea.
Tout au long du Mois de la psychologie en février, le sujet de la désinformation en matière de changement climatique est revenu à maintes reprises. Pour conclure le mois, nous avons parlé avec Kyra Simone et Rachel Salt à Science Up First de nos réponses à la désinformation, des moyens de la combattre et des conversations difficiles avec les amis et la famille.
Cet été, des feux de forêt ont ravagé les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, forçant l’évacuation d’environ 70 % de la population. Le psychologue de Yellowknife Merril Dean, l’un des évacués, a vu la dévastation sous de nombreux angles. Dans cet épisode du balado Mind Full de la SCP consacré au Mois de la psychologie, elle nous fait part de ses propres expériences ainsi que de quelques réflexions sur la réponse du gouvernement et sur ce que les collectivités du Nord pourraient faire à partir de maintenant.
Tant de discours sur la crise climatique sont pessimistes. Il est difficile pour beaucoup de ne pas devenir un peu défaitistes ou de lever les mains et d’ignorer le problème. La solution à ce genre de désespoir est l’action – de petites actions qui nous poussent tous vers un avenir plus durable. Et ces actions – et la conversation à leur sujet – peuvent être heureuses! L’invité d’aujourd’hui est le Dr. Jiaying Zhao, qui relie l’action climatique à notre propre bonheur personnel d’une manière qui, nous l’espérons, stimule cette action – et vous rend heureux en cours de route!
La Dre Alana Westwood et son laboratoire de l’Université Dalhousie ont récemment terminé une étude sur les chercheurs en environnement au Canada. Leurs résultats ont montré que les chercheurs dans ce domaine se sentent encore muselés malgré les changements de la politique fédérale conçue pour leur permettre une plus grande liberté de parole et de partager leurs résultats. Nous discutons des raisons, des ramifications et, plus précisément, de ce que cela signifie pour la science environnementale – et la communication de cette science – au Canada.
Nous lançons le Mois de la psychologie en février en parlant de la confiance avec la Dre Katherine Arbuthnott dans le balado de la SCP Mind Full. Nous avons tendance à penser que les autres sont intéressés par eux-mêmes, et nous sommes donc pessimistes sur des choses comme notre capacité à aborder des sujets majeurs comme le changement climatique. LA Dre Arbuthnott est ici pour nous dire que ce n’est pas vraiment le cas – que la plupart des gens sont, en fait, prêts à faire des sacrifices pour le bien des communautés et des gens qui les entourent. parlant de la confiance avec la Dre Katherine Arbuthnott dans le balado de la SCP Mind Full. Nous avons tendance à penser que les autres sont intéressés par eux-mêmes, et nous sommes donc pessimistes sur des choses comme notre capacité à aborder des sujets majeurs comme le changement climatique. LA Dre Arbuthnott est ici pour nous dire que ce n’est pas vraiment le cas – que la plupart des gens sont, en fait, prêts à faire des sacrifices pour le bien des communautés et des gens qui les entourent.
A month ago, we spoke to Dr. Alex DiGiacomo while she was at the halfway point of her cross-Canada cycling trip. She was raising money and awareness for kids’ mental health in this country, and the major gaps youth have in accessing that care. She has now completed the entire journey, so we invited her back to talk about the big picture, the fundraising effort, the pool noodle, and the incredible community she met and created along the way!
For many Black Canadians, their first contact with the mental health system is through the criminal justice system. Both systems that have historically marginalized and victimized minority communities, and in many ways are still doing so. Black Mental Health Canada (BMHC) is one of the organizations trying to change this paradigm. Shanique Victoria, Research Project Lead at BMHC, joins Mind Full to tell us more.
How do psychologists look at parenting and parenting styles? And is there one style that tends to work better than others? We invited Dr. Christina Rinaldi to Mind Full to help answer some of the burning questions parents might have.
The CPA has a new CEO! Meet Dr. Lisa Votta-Bleeker on the latest episode of our podcast Mind Full.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects up to one in 15 people, but it is not a well-known diagnosis. Many symptoms (difficulty tying shoes or holding a pencil, clumsiness) can be misunderstood. DCD expert Dr. Paulene Kamps tells us more.
We’ve spoken a fair amount on Mind Full the last few months about many aspects of gender diversity. Unfortunately, the misinformation and hatred directed at transgender and gender diverse people in both the public and political spheres continues to escalate.
Today, we wanted to speak with someone directly affected by this vitriol. Sara Weiss was targeted for her participation in the US Open pickleball tournament, and joins Eric to discuss the facts, the fiction, and the impact this has had on her directly.
Embodiment is a recognition of the way your mind and body are connected – paying attention to the signals your body sends you can help a great deal. Dr. Julie Beaulac, Casey Berglund, and Courtney Amo have written a book on the subject, specifically for leaders and bringing embodiment to a leadership role. Dr. Beaulac and Casey sit down with Mind Full to tell us about it.
As Dr. Karen Cohen prepares to retire as CPA CEO, we reflect on her remarkable career – the highs, the lows, the many accomplishments and the ongoing work that remains.
It’s Be A Donor month in April, and we wanted to explore the factors that either encourage or discourage people from becoming organ donors. The vast majority of Canadians say they are in favour of organ donation, yet most are not organ donors. Why is this? And why doesn’t an ‘opt-out’ option solve the problem? We spoke with Dr. Jake Crawshaw about this and more.
Dr. Ravin Alaei joins Mind Full to explain ‘attachment style’ in relationships, and to tell us about his study linking attachment style to musical taste. Yes, it’s just another excuse for Eric to talk to someone about music.
Ontario Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence is looking to create a more integrated, higher quality, and more accessible mental health and addictions system in Ontario. To that end, they have recruited five Provincial Clinical Leads to champion different areas of focus. Two of those Clinical Leads, Dr. Caitlin Davey and Dr. Randi McCabe join Mind Full to talk about this program and how to improve provincial delivery of mental health supports.
Dr. Helen Ofosu returns to the Mind Full podcast on the occasion of the publication of her new book, How To Be Resilient In Your Career: Facing Up To Barriers At Work. An Industrial/Organizational psychologist, Dr. Ofosu helps employees navigate difficult career choices, and discusses some of the themes of her new book with us.
Dr. Maya Yampolsky’s research introduces the concept of ‘intimate racism’ – that being racism that comes from those closest to us, particularly in intercultural relationships. Dr. Yampolsky has shown that this kind of racism is far more prevalent than we might otherwise think, and shares some personal examples that illustrate the issue in vivid context.
We invited Dr. Lindsay McCunn on to the Mind Full podcast to talk about a chapter she co-wrote with CPA CEO Dr. Karen Cohen in the recent book ‘Climate Action and Global Psychology’, and psychology’s role in protecting our world. We ended up talking about what environmental psychologists do (it’s not all about climate change!) and, eventually, got to the book chapter.
For years, it has been conventional wisdom that depression can be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Conventional wisdom in the general public – but not among psychiatrists who have long known this is not necessarily the case. We speak to Dr. Joel Paris about the persistence of this myth, and the value of increasing funding for therapy in addition to – and on occasion in place of – medication.
Dr. Lori Brotto is the author of the 2018 book ‘Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire’. This year she published a companion piece, a workbook that provides strategies that women (and men!) can use. Kathryn and Eric speak with Dr. Brotto about the new workbook, sex in relationships, and how the stigma around sex research has changed over the past few decades.
Dr. Anastasia Jane Gibson is a transgender psychologist and musician in Brandon, Manitoba. We discuss the fear-mongering that is endangering the gender diverse community in the leadup to Transgender Day of Visibility March 31st. We also talk music and performing in semi-rural Manitoba.
This is a discussion we had earlier this year with Dr. Andrew Kim and Dr. Nassim Tabri about the psychology of addiction. It was part of our Psychology Month campaign, highlighting the work of the CPA’s Addiction Psychology section.
A huge international study of heterosexual male-female couples looked at whether one partner or the other had a better sense of where their relationship was headed. There was no difference between men and women when it came to measuring relationship satisfaction, busting the myth of the well-worn cliché ‘happy wife happy life’. Dr. Cheryl Harasymchuk joins us to talk about the study and the article she wrote about it in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/happy-wife-happy-life-a-harmonious-relationship-is-the-responsibility-of-both-partners-191288
Vulvodynia expert Dr. Caroline Pukall rejoins the CPA podcast Mind Full for a special episode on Provoked Vestibulodynia and a major study happening in Sweden.
Dr. Steve Joordens gave his first-year psychology class a group project – bust some myths around homelessness by collaborating with a local organization. Zaynab Azeem was inspired to work with Blankets for TO, and has turned that inspiration into a podcast of her own!
Dr. Meghan McMurtry joins Mind Full to talk about needle fears, needle pain, and coping strategies for all of us who experience one or the other. This includes advice about vaccinating infants and very young children.
Dr. Jesse Bosse is a gender-queer psychologist in Ottawa who works primarily with trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse people. Aida is a young trans person who is currently undergoing Hormone Replacement Therapy. We spoke to them both about the issues confronting gender diverse people, human rights issues, and the effects of the pandemic on this population.”
Vulvodynia is a condition that affects between 8-28% of all women – but it’s still a relatively unknown term. Dr. Caroline Pukall, one of Canada’s leading experts in vulvodynia, joins Mind Full to explain it to Eric and Kathryn.
Dr. Krishana Sankar returns to Mind Full to talk about the science and data around vaccines and COVID-19. Dr. Sankar and the other experts at Science Up First are continuing to combat online disinformation, which is ever-changing and doesn’t show signs of slowing down.
Dr. Tyler Black is a psychiatrist who specializes in suicidology. When, early in the pandemic, wild claims were being made about the spike in suicide we were sure to see as a result of lockdowns, he pushed back with his expertise in the field (spoiler alert – he was right, and suicide actually decreased). He became one of the experts at Science Up First, combatting disinformation online.
Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood and University of Manitoba psychology student (and Olympic swimming medallist) Chantal Van Landeghem discuss the mental health of elite athletes in the wake of Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from Wimbledon.
Students at the University of Calgary created podcasts for their final project in Jim Cresswell’s History of Psychology course. Listen here to learn more about Cognitive Dissonance Theory with one group, and the Bystander Effect with another.”
Psychology Month has focused on dozens of aspects of the pandemic, a global catastrophe that is deeply tragic. To close out Psychology Month 2021, we focus on a few positives that have come about as a result of COVID-19.
Introducing The Coping Toolbox: A Child Psych Podcast. Dr. Jenn Vriend, Dr. Laila Din Osmun, and Dr. Mary Simmering McDonald are three child psychologists from Ottawa.
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-coping-toolbox-a-child-psych-podcast/id1553993639
Some of the psychologists doing interesting things during the pandemic
Meet some of the psychologists who have been profiled in this Psychology Month. We speak with Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, Dr. Christine Chambers, Courtney Gosselin and Dr. Mélanie Joanisse about their work during the pandemic.
Dr. Maya Yampolsky spoke to us about the intersection of the pandemic and both structural and overt racism. It was too much to put into just one profile, so we are sharing the whole conversation on Mind Full.
Dr. Steven Taylor of UBC was the first person to identify a need for a comprehensive look at the psychology surrounding pandemics. His book, “The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease” was published presciently in October of 2019, a month before the first COVID-19 case appeared in Wuhan.
TK Manyimo will be hosting a workshop over two days, November 5th and 6th, for the CPA. Having A Courageous Conversation is all about equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canadian workplaces. Details on the workshop to come, in the meantime here is a sneak preview.
October 8 is the Carleton University Department of Psychology’s Psychology Mental Health Day. The keynote speaker this year is former CPA President Dr. Keith Dobson. We spoke with Dr. Dobson on the CPA Podcast, so his upcoming appearance (and his upcoming conference call with the World Health Organization) wouldn’t seem so daunting by comparison.
Dr. Marnin Heisel co-wrote the CPA Fact Sheet on suicide, and also co-wrote the Canadian media guidelines for the reporting on suicide. He joins us to talk pandemic, advocacy, and moving forward with a National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Dr. Monnica Williams, Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Disparities and Associate Professor in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Ottawa, joins us to talk about the effects of racial trauma, the path of racial justice, and why we need to stop sharing the George Floyd video.
Dr. Anusha Kassan is an Associate Professor at UBC. She helped launch an innovative program to increase diversity in the counselling psychology program when she was at the University of Calgary, and is carrying it over to her new location. We discuss the lack of diversity in mental health professionals, and what psychologists can do to be prepared to help people dealing with racial trauma.
Dr. Judi Malone, CEO of the Psychologists Association of Alberta, and Dr. Ray Bollman, Rural and Small Town specialist with Statistics Canada, join us to talk about rural and northern communities in the time of COVID-19.
Dr. Helen Ofosu is a Work and Business Psychologist who runs I/O Advisory Services, a HR Consulting, Career and Executive Coaching firm. She has spent a lot of time solving problems in the workplace and joins us to discuss the dual crises of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism. The blog articles referred to can be found on https://ioadvisory.com/
Dr. Heather Prime and two colleagues collaborated on a paper called “Risk and Resilience in Family Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic”. They turned to previous crises (natural disasters, economic crashes, etc) to better understand where families are at and may be headed during COVID-19. You can find their paper here: psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2020-34995-001.html