Send us a text “My deep exploration of forgiveness began in a prison centre with me on one side of the glass and my husband at the time, Jason, on the other.” After the traumatizing public experience of her first husband’s conviction as a sex offender, Shannon thought she’d never feel joy or be whole again. In the years that followed, she learned that forgiveness isn’t always a one-time event—it is also an on-going process. Today, 16 years after her life completely shattered, Shannon now works a...
Jan 17, 2022•46 min•Ep. 57
Send us a text By the time Sara was six, she had lived through war, a revolution, and an uprooting from her life in Iran to move to the other side of the world with her family. Naturally, it wasn’t easy to transition from a collectivist culture to a more individualistic one in Canada. And, as a first-generation immigrant and the eldest child, Sara also had to grow up quickly, helping her parents navigate the systems and intricacies of starting over in a new country. Yet it was through her family...
Jan 03, 2022•52 min•Ep. 56
Send us a text What are the key ingredients of your wellness recipe for the season ahead? In this special holiday episode, Cindy inspires us to reflect on ways to manage expectations and make the season not only bright, but healthy and sustainable, too. Her insights into connecting with joy, coping with change, and finding peace offer a helpful roadmap for stewarding your energy throughout the holidays and into 2022. Joining her in this episode is the President of Cindy’s fan club: Robert, her h...
Dec 20, 2021•24 min•Ep. 55
Send us a text While overseas on a business trip, Greg Scollon received some shocking news: that he no longer had a job at Shaw Communications, the company he’d helped build and grow for 17 years. Following one of the biggest blindsides of his career, Greg began the journey of spent working through the messy stages associated with the loss of a career he loved, but also a sense of identity and purpose. A process that is anything but easy. Fortunately, Greg was at the right place at the right tim...
Dec 13, 2021•48 min•Ep. 54
Send us a text Each of us were born with immeasurable potential, capable of authoring the magical story of our lives. At some point, though, our dreaming is inevitably interrupted by our own self-limiting beliefs, which distract us from living the lives we imagined for ourselves. Worst of all, we betray ourselves by believing these intrusive thoughts. We begin to feel inferior, inadequate, and insignificant. Best-selling author and philosopher Rob White knows first-hand how harmful our inner cri...
Dec 06, 2021•45 min•Ep. 53
Send us a text When a dear friend shared this nugget of wisdom with Heather, she was preparing for one of the most frightening experiences of her life: giving birth to her son while compromised by COVID-19. As one of the first maternal COVID-19 cases in her city, Heather’s childbirth was nothing like she expected. Knowing that her husband Scott could not be in the delivery room with her, she had to walk into the hospital alone. Adding an additional layer to this complex scenario, Heather’s healt...
Nov 29, 2021•46 min•Ep. 52
Send us a text Warning: Some of the content in this episode may be too descriptive for young children. When Paul went to work on his son’s sixteenth birthday, he didn’t expect his life to change forever. But it did. That day, a terrifying accident at his workplace left him with multiple injuries, failing organs, long-term pain and disabilities. After narrowly escaping this near-death experience, Paul devoted the next decade to finding ways to improve his wellbeing—even just by a fraction. He beg...
Nov 22, 2021•42 min•Ep. 51
Send us a text Even the most insightful and self-aware people sometimes struggle to let go of coping mechanisms that keep us stuck. This was the reality for Amy Guerrero, whose untreated trauma and loss as a child led her down a painful path of addiction and other self-sabotaging behaviours. Breaking this cycle required Amy to practice something revolutionary: becoming her own advocate. For Amy, this meant learning to find her voice, ask for what she needed, and be clear on her boundaries. After...
Nov 15, 2021•42 min•Ep. 50
Send us a text The very essence of resilience is in one’s ability to bend, bounce back and respond to adversity with a sense of hope. As humans, we have an amazing capacity to overcome challenges and stretch ourselves. In this episode we are highlighting a beautiful example of what is possible when we set a goal, have the tenacity to see it through and courage to face obstacles en route. Libby Elliott is a third -year social work student at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and a wildland f...
Nov 08, 2021•48 min•Ep. 49
Send us a text Were you taught to not show your real self? To hide how you really feel? As a psychologist, Anna knew there was another way beyond the self-protective stoicism that was normalized while growing up in Ukraine, a former USSR country. In this complex political environment, Anna became a pioneer in mental health practice in Ukraine. She began shifting the conversation about vulnerability and destigmatizing the universal human need to express our emotions—all against the backdrop of wa...
Nov 01, 2021•38 min•Ep. 48
Send us a text Having been on a personal journey of transformation my guest David Richman, author of Cycle of Lives, has a natural curiosity for life and humanity. In writing his book, David had the privilege of capturing the insights and experiences of 15 individuals, all sharing their personal story related to cancer. In doing so, David has created a 360-degree lens for understanding more about the emotional needs associated with these types of illnesses. With a wide range of experiences, type...
Oct 25, 2021•55 min•Ep. 47
Send us a text The growing pains of becoming an adult can be daunting. Now imagine doing so while living with a rare, chronic health condition. Ever since her first brain surgery at only seven years old, Camille Thoms has navigated life with neurofibromatosis (type 2)—a condition where benign tumours grow on her nervous system. Now a recent college grad, Camille is devoting her life to helping others while continuing to build her own resilience practice. With grace and humour, Camille shows us w...
Oct 18, 2021•48 min•Ep. 46
Send us a text Alyshia Van Kannel knew two things for sure, she wanted to be a teacher, and she wanted to teach internationally. It is because of this dream that she was willing to move to Nicaragua, Central America. Some of us might ignore that little voice inside of us while others race wholeheartedly toward that passion. Little did Alyshia know she would face personal and emotional obstacles, cultural and ethical adversities and on top of that, political unrest. What does one do when even the...
Oct 11, 2021•48 min•Ep. 45
Send us a text After their 22-year-old son beat cancer, Shelley and her husband, Academy Award-winning director Chris Buck (“Frozen” and “Frozen 2”), breathed a sigh of relief. And then tragically, their son, Ryder, died when he was hit by a car only a few months later. With vulnerability and courage, Shelley chose to follow her grief to the unfamiliar places and deep insights it revealed to her. Along her healing journey, Shelley was inspired to write about Ryder’s larger-than-life spirit and t...
Oct 04, 2021•46 min•Ep. 44
Send us a text What possibilities might you unleash with a shift in mindset? How do you stay the course while pursuing your goals? Why is it important to let go of comparison? Welcome aboard the latest episode! Sail away with Cindy as she shares insights and life lessons learned at sea, combined with 30+ years of supporting clients as they navigate their own journeys. You’ll learn more about the possibilities that can emerge when approaching life with open hands, a flexible mindset, and the cour...
Sep 27, 2021•21 min•Ep. 43
Send us a text In this episode Frank King, celebrated mental health comedian, provides us with an insightful and “Frank” (pardon the pun) approach to Mental Health. The truth is that depression and other mental health concerns are having a significant impact on people of all walks of life. It does not discriminate between race, culture or socioeconomic status. It has been there among friends, family members and co-workers before the pandemic, and will certainly be there as we recover from a pand...
Sep 20, 2021•47 min•Ep. 42
Send us a text It is often through our challenges that we discover our strengths. After a suicide attempt as a teenager, Hailima Yates wanted to stop feeling numb, sad, and angry at the world. When life’s challenges anchored her down, emotional distress kidnapped her spirit. She needed to rediscover her power. To change her life, Hailima faced the sources that birthed her fears, shattered her self-esteem, and created her self-sabotaging behavior. When we are struggling with depression, we are co...
Sep 13, 2021•46 min•Ep. 41
Send us a text Over the past 15 years, Dr. Jody Carrington has assessed, treated, educated and empowered some of our most vulnerable and precious souls on the planet. As a child psychologist Jody rarely treats kids. She believes the answer lies in the big people who hold them. This is especially the case when kids have experienced trauma, as this is when they need the adults in their life the most. Before Jody started her own practice and speaking across the country, she worked at the Alberta Ch...
Sep 06, 2021•42 min•Ep. 40
Send us a text How many of you can think of one or two key people in your life that have had a dynamic impact on you? Was it a coach, a teacher or a family member? In this episode we are highlighting some key elements to growing resilience, focusing on positive relationships, developing community, and the value of finding your purpose and meaning in life. Steve Anderson is one of those teachers who has the energy of the “ever ready bunny”, the charisma of a trailblazer, and a natural tendency to...
Aug 30, 2021•48 min•Ep. 39
Send us a text At the age of 21, Jess Van Zeil felt invincible. From Bungee Jumping to SCUBA diving in South Africa, Jess was fulfilling her dreams as a true adventurer, a student and passionate sportswoman. In the midst of her dreams unfolding, Jess was informed she had Conjunctival Ocular Melanoma: a very rare and aggressive form of cancer. Despite returning to Australia, home to some of the best melanoma experts in the world, the cancer was relentless. She was given a choice, they either had ...
Aug 23, 2021•49 min•Ep. 38
Send us a text In April of 2020, just a month into the Pandemic, the province of Nova Scotia experienced one of the most traumatic and devastating events in its history. A single gunman Gabriel committed multiple shootings over two days, killing 22 people and set fires at 16 locations. In this episode Karen Dean shares her experience of losing one of her closest friends in the shooting, and what inspired her write a book titled: “We are Unbreakable: Raw, Real Stories of Resilience”. Collecting a...
Aug 16, 2021•47 min•Ep. 37
Send us a text Naomi Mwaura is someone who is not content to be a bystander, but willing to spearhead an initiative for change. As the Founder of Flone Initiative, Naomi and her team are working to a create a safe and professional public transport industry in Kenya. Growing up in a family of matatu owner/operators Naomi has the courage to take chances, the wisdom to ask the community what they need, and a passion for making a difference. Living out the definition of a change maker, Naomi and the...
Jul 26, 2021•50 min•Ep. 36
Send us a text In November 2019, Kerri Cryderman unexpectedly lost her sister, who was her best friend and roommate. What started out as a routine evening ended in her sister’s unexplained death in their family home. Less than three months after returning to work, COVID-19 escalated, it was suggested that Kerri work from home - the very place where her sister passed away. As an executive leader in healthcare, she needed to be a pillar of strength while trying to heal personally. Kerri has been s...
Jul 19, 2021•46 min•Ep. 35
Send us a text Joining us for this episode is Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal, considered to be the #1 international expert on resilience. It is Dr. Stejskal’s mission to positively impact the lives of 1 billion people through the concepts of resilience by 2030. Leveraging over a decade and a half of original research on resilience, Dr. Stejskal reveals her empirically based framework, The Five Practices of Particularly Resilient People. Recognized as a leading global authority on resilience, wellbeing...
Jul 12, 2021•44 min•Ep. 34
Send us a text Having lived with debilitating anxiety for a number of years, Joe Bakhmoutski did not anticipate he would also have to face testicular cancer. Joe admits his cancer experience led him through the lowest depths of misery and pain to eventually forge a closer bond with his family. Author of “Simplify Cancer” & “Finding Hope in Times of Uncertainty”, Joe has made it his mission in life to help others facing their cancer journey. Creating a network of resources and support, Joe as...
Jul 05, 2021•44 min•Ep. 33
Send us a text Rephar Salamba lives in Nairobi, Kenya and is a mother to her 16 year old son. Sharing her experience of leaving an abusive marriage, and the key elements that have enabled her to find herself once again, Rephar has a story of strength, determination and resilience. Remembering one of the lowest and most desperate times in her life, Rephar candidly reveals how despairing her thoughts had become. Bringing a message of hope and transformation, Rephar reveals what she has discovered ...
Jun 28, 2021•48 min•Ep. 32
Send us a text Lisa Strogal is a Master Certified Coach, CEO and founding principal of Shadow Light Consulting Inc. With a long list of accomplishments, certifications, and corporate experience, Lisa has developed programs for leadership development, and coaching curriculums leveraged in community, organization, team and individual transformations. Shining a light on some of the significant life events, choices and discoveries that have led her to her resiliency practice today, Lisa inspires us ...
Jun 21, 2021•48 min•Ep. 31
Send us a text Kaleb Dahlgren is a #1 Bestselling Author with his recent memoir Crossroads - sharing his story of tragedy and resilience as a Humboldt Bronco. After losing 16 members of his Broncos family and surviving the tragic crash, he continued to give back and help the community of Humboldt heal. Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of four, Kaleb was told by his hockey coaches and scouts that he would never succeed in hockey. Instead of defeat, Kaleb used the negativity as motivation...
Jun 14, 2021•42 min•Ep. 30
Send us a text In this episode Cindy Thompson is speaking with Kim Wilkinson, a mother and a Grief Recovery Specialist. Losing her 22 yr old son Tristan to a drug Overdose in November 2019, Kim would suggest it is through this journey that she discovered healing, recovery and transformation. With a passion for learning, Kim shares her experience with personal and family Mental Health challenges, PTSD, Addictions and Trauma. Suggesting it was Tristan’s purpose to help her find HER Purpose, Kim is...
Jun 07, 2021•42 min•Ep. 29
Send us a text Karen Alcantara is a support worker in the anti-violence sector, supporting women and gender diverse individuals who are healing from various life experiences. She has worked in the housing sector in the Downtown East Side, is currently employed at WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against Women) Rape Crisis Centre in Vancouver and is part of an advisory committee for the UN Women’s initiative to create safer cities. Karen would say she has been drawn to this work as a daughter of an ...
May 31, 2021•45 min•Ep. 28
