It’s Not Therapy!

In-Your-Face Racism and How to Deal With It

Racism and bigotry are making a comeback - or at least, they're speaking much louder. We know that millions of Canadians face overt prejudice every day, but do we know what that feels like? Liana talks to award-winning Canadian-Chinese author Derwin Mak about the overt and subtle anti-Asian ignorance he's faced for decades and how he deals with it. Plus, how not to hate...Hate.

Caregiving: Mental Health and Your Relationships

'We're in this together' - Mental illness affects not just the individual, but their friends, loved ones and especially their partner. Dr. David T. Culkin, co-author (with his wife Michaela) of OCD and Marriage, has had obsessive-compulsive disorder throughout his ongoing 28 year marriage. Liana talks to David about the need for honesty, respect and compromise in a partnership with someone with mental health challenges.

You're Not Broken!

Really, you're not! But you *are* facing a difficult life challenge that has you feeling overwhelmed. Liana talks to psychotherapist Jennifer Gerlach, author of the Psychosis & Mental Health Recovery Workbook, about how to overcome your overwhelm and live a better life.

What To Do When You Make A Big Mistake?

Mistakes are inevitable, but they don't have to be insurmountable. Liana shares personal stories of her own mistakes, how & why she compounded some and learned to turn mistakes into something positive.
Hear how childhood trauma, parents, friends and our work & home environments can influence what mistakes we make and how we process them - and how to turn those mistakes into fuel for positive growth.
 
A special extended version of this episode with extra information

INT ep 72- Gratitude: when it’s good and when it’s bad

Over the holidays we're encouraged to be grateful for what we have, and sometimes, that's not a request, it's a demand. While feeling sincerely grateful is good for mental health, no one ever feels gratitude by force. Liana goes through where the lines are, and why gratitude can become resentment when it's not freely given.

INT ep 71 - When Life Isn’t Fair

Sometimes life isn't fair. So what do we do? Liana takes listeners through the science of how the brain responds to unfairness, and how to deal with it like a hero instead of a villain!
 

INT ep 70 - Can Drag Shows Make You A Better Person?

Prejudice and bigotry are common human failings, even among those who have experienced both. Liana talks to Gila Münster, a Toronto drag performer and charity fundraiser, about how antisemitism in the LGBTQ+ community motivated her to develop a greater sense of self and desire to help others.

INT ep 69 - Mental Health Maintenance with Howie Mandel

INT ep 69 - Mental Health Maintenance with Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel, the star of TV's America's Got Talent and Canada's Got Talent has been open about his mental health challenges. Liana talks to Howie about normalizing caring for our mental health in the same way we care for our dental health. Plus, Liana goes in-depth on her Top 10 Rules for checking in with your best self. 

INT ep 68 - Moving Past Shame

Shame. It's something that touches, and damages, us all. Liana shares her raw, honest, personal battle with shame and its childhood origins and talks to Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers, PhD, author, licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist about how to overcome shame that stunts our self-worth, infects our relationships and hurts our intimate and sexual connections. 

INT ep 67 - How to Feel Better About Feeling Bad

Processing negative emotions is a learned skill... that a lot of people don't learn! Liana talks to psychology researcher Richard Contrada, Ph.D. of Rutgers University about how to channel being sad, angry, disappointed, ashamed or dejected into tools for positive change.