Elaine Lindsay Keep Breathing!

Every Woman Counts  An initiative in Support of The Royal Ottawa #IWW2023 Thursday evening was my first event as the face of the Suicide Zen Forgiveness Podcast. My quick intro includes - I am not only the host, I am some of the stories therein.   I only found out about the event on Monday at another #IWW event, with Sonya Shorey, Vice President of Marketing and Communications with Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards.   It was actually Michael Tremblay, the President and CEO who mentioned the event on Thursday March 9th, suggesting it would be of interest as it had to do with mental health and the Royal Ottawa's incredible initiatives.    I was told there was a special guest… More about that later   I am a weird mix of bravado and fear.. I am in many ways an introvert… regardless of what others say. I am not comfortable with small talk, and am all ways eager to get to the meat of any discussion.    Age and observation have finally tempered that somewhat! I am ok working a room, networking.   With an eidetic memor

My guest, Patrick Chester is a 51 years old husband, and father of two boys. Patrick spent 15 years living in the darkness that is gambling addiction. Patrick is a graduate of the University of Washington, who eventually went on to work for himself as a general contractor.    Patrick spent many years building a solid reputation, and was widely respected as a business owner and professional. He threw it all away as his sports gambling addiction took over his life. Everything took a back seat to his gambling addiction, including his own family. Patrick ended up over a million dollars in debt, suicidal, and ultimately sent off to jail for the crimes he committed to feed his addiction.    Patrick left jail in June of 2015 and has devoted his life ever since, to those that suffer in their own addiction. Gambling addiction lives in the shadows and it's hard to recognize, Patrick’s hope is to raise awareness and educate people about the dangers of gambling harms.    Currently working with Epic Risk Management, Patr

Michele Bell | The Grief Warrior® "The creative world is as much a part of my life, and the mental wellness community equally so. My sacred tools bridge these two industries by transforming how we support artists." -Michele Bell   Michele is an award-winning screenplay writer, storyteller, and survivor. She is a recovering grieving mother with an extraordinary eye for truth and the wisdom of gifted DISCERNMENT. With her insight and agility, Michele has the power to cut through life's complexities with remarkable precision. Her innate wisdom enables her to identify what matters most — enabling you to gain an invaluable ally on your journey forward.  But Michele is so much more than just another healing mentor.  She is a true Renaissance woman who lives on a powerful spiritual path. Her connection to the energies of LifePath 11 and Heyoka Shamanism allows for profound insight into personal growth and healing, while Enneagram 2 helps nurture an unconditional love for others. Her life’s resumé is a lengthy one…

Lois Koffi is a transformational speaker/ trainer/ coach/ Ironman Triathlete that has coached thousands of people in business and healthy lifestyles since the year 2000. She has seen so so many people focus on the external DOING of goal setting, new year's resolutions and intention setting and realized that most of our success lies WITHIN. She has had her own awakening journey of working through addictive behaviors, depression/anxiety and struggles as well as many victories and successes. She is here for YOU to get to the ROOT CAUSE of your health and wealth limitations. She helps guide you with love and compassion with mind/body/spirit fitness as a transformational coach using guided visualization and many other tools in her vast tool belt to get you to live the life you LOVE with superconscious creation. She is also one of very very few 12 Week Year certified trainers in the world She lives in Southern California with her family and hosts retreats with her beloved husband, Didier, who is a shaman.  They us

Break the Cycle of Despair Joan Baez--: “Action is the antidote to despair.” So this is my taking action to break the Cycle of despair as I see it.. Within my own mind. Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire about a result. Hm. Interesting. And, despair is defined as the lack of hope, or lack of such a feeling of expectation and desire about a result. I want to understand and map a way out of despair.. It seems for some of us.. Despair and its opposite hope are the continuous rollercoaster of our lives.   At 16, when my friend took her own life, new years eve, 1971.. . It affected me in ways it took me decades to come to terms with… literally decades.. Not until 2013, when I was at a weekend workshop, I only attended to support a friend.. Did I actually give voice to my story… The right person asked the right question that opened the floodgates… To an extent.. Yes It was raw, real and probably really disjointed.  However, there was very little emotion in that first telling.. Except in look

Earnest R. James is a family man, father, and friend, with a heart for people. As a minister, mentor, and speaker, Earnest has dedicated his life to inspiring and uplifting others. His mission is to help others deal, heal and fulfill. “Deal with your problems. Heal from your pain. Fulfill your purpose.” He spreads a message of hope and healing wherever he goes.   He believes that, “We must heal ourselves. When we heal ourselves, we heal our families. Our families heal our communities. Our communities heal our world.” Earnest was raised in a two parent house hold, but recognized the effects of fatherlessness on his extended family and friends, who were being raised by single mothers. Earnest is determined to heal families by helping fatherless mothers and daughters heal from their father wound with his Friend 2 Fatherless Daughters campaign and mentoring dads and sons with his M.A.N. U.P. (Men Activating Newly Untapped Potential) male mentoring program. Earnest also is an advocate for education. After a few fa

Meet Derick Fage Derick is the host of Daytime Ottawa on Rogers TV and you can often hear him on CityNews Ottawa discussing local, provincial and national issues. Over his 18-year television career, Derick has demonstrated an amazing ability to connect with people, young and old. Derick is authentic and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable, which is something guests and viewers have grown to appreciate over the years.   In 2012, Derick was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his community work and contributions to charitable organizations. He received this award well before going public with his personal struggle of living with chronic fecal incontinence since birth. Following his public admission, he accepted the role of ambassador for the Canadian Continence Foundation in the hopes of helping others who are living with any number of challenges. Derick is also the president of the foundation.  Derick has given inspirational and impactful talks, including his powerful TEDx Talk based on themes

Andy Grant has been helping people for over a decade as a best-selling author, award-winning speaker, Transformational Energy Coach, Healer, suicide prevention activist, and host of the Real Men Feel podcast. He holds certificates in Positive Psychology, the Enwaken Coaching System, Akashic Records, Life Activation, and other leadership programs and energy work modalities.   Known as the King of Authenticity, Andy is the founder of Real Men Feel, a movement encouraging men to come out of the emotional closet. Andy has been producing and hosting the Real Men Feel podcast since February of 2016.   As a survivor of multiple suicide attempts, Andy knows how low we as human beings can feel, and he is committed to helping people realize how magnificent life is meant to be. His Amazon best-seller, Still Here: How to Succeed in Life After Failing at Suicide, has helped people around the globe and includes everything he wished he knew at a younger age. Andy is also a facilitator at MensGroup.com, a contributor at Good

Katie Thornton MSW, LCSW My guest is Katie Thornton, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and EMDR trained therapist, licensed in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Maine, North Dakota, Texas, Nevada, and Wyoming.   Katie has extensive experience working with individuals, families, and groups through a variety of challenging circumstances. Katie believes that change happens when people are given the support they need to draw on their strengths and realize their potential to live fulfilling and happy lives.   Katie provides both counseling and assessment services for children, adolescents, adults, and veterans. She approaches both services as healing processes, helping answer deep-seated questions that individuals might have. With a passion for supporting neurodiversity, Katie provides an environment of compassion and support to help individuals and families learn and thrive. Get in Touch with Katie support@katietlcsw.com Facebook - Connect Instagram Follow LinkedIn - Connect Twitter Follow oMD7YoqVSzcNgl4S

I'm thrilled to begin the new season with my amazing guest, Coach Nathaniel J Brown. From childhood I was always curious. Taking the time to disassemble things for the sake of seeing how they work, and questioning things that didn't quite add up. But, at the age of 8 something happened that silenced me and for nearly 3 decades. I was sexually molested. The fallout from that trauma had taken its toll on my entire world. I battled with PTSD, night terrors, mis-identity, inferiority, anger, isolation and the overall feeling of not being enough. I hurt and betrayed so many people, and I knew that I could not sustain this way of living without utter self sabotage. Everything around me was crumbling and I had to take action if things were going to change. So, I got help. And, with that help, I began understanding how important it was for me to shift my perspective. After doing the deep inner work and shifting my mindset along with my perspective, I have made it my mission to help everyone, especially men, reconnect

This episode is a little different... With this being the Holiday Season 2022, I want to talk a little about some of the holidays that happen this December. We are taking a hiatus until the 10th of January  so this is the final show of season 3... I’m going to mention a few of the holidays coming up..with a little info on each of them. Dec 18th Hannukah began Dec 18th this year and continues for 8 nights until de 26th The Jewish Festival of Rededication, also called the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration that falls each year on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, which generally falls in December in the Gregorian calendar. (In 2022, Hanukkah is December 18 through December 26.) Hanukkah, also referred to as Chanukah, celebrates the rededication of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games, and gifts. Dec 21st  Blue Christmas (US) Blue Christmas is a Western Christian tradition that happens on or around t

My guest today is Michelle Gil An author and speaker normalizing conversations about grief and loss, mental health advocacy and disability awareness. Her upcoming memoir, Don't Tell Me to Get Over It: A Father's Love, A Daughter's Grief comes out in ebook form soon. When she's not writing, she's trying new recipes from around the world, holding space for those who are hurting, and trying to convince her two cats, who think they're Egyptian gods, that they've already been fed. Michelle A. Gil Author | Speaker  The Grief Curator "Grief is not a problem to be fixed. It is love with nowhere to go." Facebook-TheGriefCurator  IG: @thegriefcurator Twitter-The Grief Curator Website: thegriefcurator.com

In this episode we discuss the difficulty and the emotional toll on the family and those suffering with mental illness and other issues.  My guest, Cindy watson, is an amazing powerhouse, committed to social justice for all. She walks her walk and believes that justice starts with family.  Cindy Watson is a highly sought after international speaker, and TEDx Ocala speaker, known for her passion, commitment, deep caring and ability to inspire. Cindy has been called the female Tony Robbins of this generation. Cindy Watson is the founder of Women On Purpose, and also the founder and managing partner of Watson Labour Lawyers. A graduate of the prestigious Osgoode Hall, Cindy is an experienced and respected attorney, and for the past 30 years has specialized in social justice.  Energized and driven by personal and professional experience; and, most importantly backed by years of education, knowledge and experience, Cindy consistently gives 110%. Cindy has published numerous short stories as well as two books,

In today's episode we discuss losing a parent as an adult.. And the pain and guilt it can cause.. even though its not your fault. Learning how to go forward.  Cynthia Shelton Youthful Aging Advocate CEO at Vibrant Living Former Director, Career & Technical Education at Oak Harbor School District Former Director Applied Learning at Shoreline School District Former Director Vocational Eduction at Federal Way School District Former Executive Director at Private Initiatives in Public Education (PIPE) Studied at Colorado State University, University of Montana and Gonzaga University Studied at Central Washington University  Originally From Walla Walla, Washington Married 55 years to her wonderful husband John  Cynthia says "What excites me is to inspire women (and men) who really want to live with vim, and vigor having a vibrant lifestyle, like I do at 78.  And, I don’t want to keep this information to myself, any longer. After a 4-decade career as an education administrator, working long days, wi

This episode is about delving into my self-limiting beliefs and finally finding the root of a really huge one…Being locked away. I always thought you could get locked up for your weirdness or negative thoughts... I unravel the story of that belief and mourn the consequences of the actions of society back in the 60s and 70s.  My friend Michel was one such casualty. In this episode I discuss the Rideau Regional Centre,known to me as the Rideau regional Hospital School: located in Smiths Falls, Ontario, opened in 1951 as the Ontario Hospital School. Along with similar residential institutions throughout Ontario, this was the largest such facility. On approaching the semi-circular drive that curved up to the front entrance it was an imposing sight. RRHS was designed to house individuals who were deemed to have cognitive and physical disabilities. Individuals could be admitted by parents and guardians, training schools, or the Children’s Aid Society.  This institution left its mark on those who lived there an

Lisa Sugarman is a mom, a parenting author, a nationally syndicated humor columnist, and a podcast host, creating content that helps empower parents, especially moms, by giving them permission to embrace their perfectly imperfectness. She’s also a survivor of suicide loss, losing her father at age ten, an advocate for suicide awareness & prevention, and a member and ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. Lisa writes the syndicated opinion column It Is What It Is and is the author of How To Raise Perfectly Imperfect Kids And Be Ok With It, Untying Parent Anxiety, and LIFE: It Is What It Is, available on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and everywhere books are sold. Sugarman is also the co-host of the podcast LIFE Unfiltered on iTunes and iHeartRadio, and a regular contributor on Healthline Parenthood, GrownAndFlown, TODAY Parents, Thrive Global, Care.com, LittleThings, and More Content Now. Lisa lives with her husband and two daughters just north of Boston. Visit her online at www.lisasugarman.com. She digs comp

  Carling is an event planner by trade, step mom to two kids,  fur mom to five dogs, and aunty extraordinaire! Carling  followed the straight agenda for most of her young life  and accidentally married a man (possibly the worst one)  before leaving and living life as her truly  authentically self.     Podcast: https://www.ididnotsignupforthis.ca/ https://www.instagram.com/ididnotsignupforthis.podcast

I find that all of us have a single emotion which is our fall back. I realize this sounds odd but hear me out.   In any given day one can run through the gamut of emotions. I find I seem to always gravitate to one emotion: NOT that the particular emotion actually fits the scenario it just seems to be the comfort zone of emotion. for many many years that emotion was anger. It wasn't always appropriate. in fact, probably most of the time, 'anger' was not the emotion that fir the scenario. It seemed to be the first response to a lot. i now know it was triggered by pain.  Living in pain 24/7 can be exhausting, and frustrating and can make you feel like a pot about to boil over at any moment.   “When someone suffers from pain for an extended period, this can affect their mood negatively,” Dr. Cosio explains. “These mood changes can negatively impact their levels of activity. People begin to engage in more unhealthy behaviors and less in healthy ones.” Interestingly, a study Conducted by Dr Cosio's research team

Michelle is a widowed mom of 5 living in Calgary, Alberta.  Michelle was born in Ontario and moved to Alberta when she was 13 . Michelle studied professional cooking and worked in catering for many years; she then changed careers to banking. Michelle married her husband Anthony in 2008 and started their family. Michelle became a widow in 2019 when her husband died by suicide. Michelle is the co-host of the I Did Not Sign Up for This podcast available everywhere. Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/i-did-not-sign-up-for-this/id1481911502 Website: Ididnotsignupforthis.ca   Instagram  ididnotsignupforthis.podcast 

The Anniversary of the first botched surgery that led me down a deep well of agony. Not only from the physical destruction and damage, more devastating was the emotional pain of the people i loved, my family, on this torturous rollercoaster of will she or wont she survive...  No one could know that this, part one, was simply the foist in a long line of mistakes, that ultimately took the next two decades of our lives and in the end still affects my day to day living...  Andrea 'gift' has come into to play so many times... Now for the first time I lay it out, starting with this first pain-full anniversary account of Sep 13th 1983 the lead in and the beginning of the aftermath...