Our guest, Wax Taber, is a multi-award-winning documentary editor who worked on the PBS series, THE CLASS . This docuseries was set amid the turmoil of a pandemic year and follows six students from Deer Valley High School as they pursue their dreams of higher education, with their adviser, Mr. Cam, helping them overcome the challenges they face. We talk about the importance of mentors as seen in this series and the impact this support can have on your mental health. We also talk about the import...
Jun 24, 2025•57 min•Season 4Ep. 73
Our co-host, Heather had the pleasure of interviewing sociologist and artist Alessandra Seggi about her latest book Youth and Suicide in American Cinema: Context, Causes, and Consequences. Alessandra is a Fulbright grantee with a PhD in Sociology and MA in Media Studies and the analysis in her book is both a personal and professional reflection on suicide in film. Youth and suicide in American Cinema is about the portrayal of suicide in youth films covering both studio-driven and independent cin...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 72
Today we delve into the importance of public and free third places and how they impact your mental health. We had the pleasure of talking with filmmaker, Ali Weinstein about her first observational documentary, Your Tomorrow, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024. The film is about the last year in the life of Ontario Place which became a defacto public park 10 years ago after living many lives as an educational and entertainment destination. Ontario Place was a thir...
Apr 01, 2025•53 min•Season 4Ep. 71
Welcome back to another season of Braaains. We’re so excited to start the season with a fantastic interview with filmmakers, Thea Loo and Jeremiah Reyes, about Thea’s latest documentary, INAY With the desire to help answer unresolved questions and heal lingering wounds, INAY (MAMA) investigates the flawed immigration pathways between the Philippines and Canada that kept so many Filipino children from their mothers. Inay, which means “mama” in Tagalog, is an intimate and personal look at the expe...
Mar 04, 2025•49 min•Season 4Ep. 70
Today’s our last episode before our Christmas break. Sad, I know, but we have such a great guest: Sadie Dingfelder. She wrote the most excellent book “Do I Know You? A Faceblind Reporter’s Journey into the Science of Sight, Memory, and Imagination.” Our conversation not only delved into face blindness (prosopagnosia) but also covered neurodivergence, aphantasia, and the importance of effective science communication. We also discussed films and literature centered around Face Blindness: the new N...
Dec 17, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 69
Sarah had the pleasure of interviewing Amber Sealey, director of the newly released Disney+ film OUT OF MY MIND, alongside the movie's star, Phoebe-Rae Taylor. Out of My Mind is based on the best-selling novel of the same name and tells the story of Melody Brooks, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy, who has a quick wit and a sharp mind, but because she is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, she is not given the same opportunities as her classmates. When a young educator notices her student’s untap...
Dec 03, 2024•42 min•Season 3Ep. 68
We're doing something a little different today. When we were at TIFF, we had the opportunity to go to the perspectives panel -- Building Inclusive Futures: The Means of Accessibility. The panel was a discussion on accessibility and redefining perceptions of disability within the industry and beyond. The panel included Kyla Harris (chair of We Crip Film for the BFI and producer of Patrice: The Film), Viktor Korotovskyi (freelance photojournalist and the subject of Olivier Sarbil's documentary Vik...
Nov 19, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 67
Today our special guests are writer/ director Bernard Gray and actor Dwain Murphy. We discussed Men's Mental Health within the Black Community and how they explored this topic in the film, The Other Stuff, which recently premiered at the Reelworld Festival in Toronto. The film offers an honest exploration of how Black men, especially those from environments of crime, straddle the paths of good and evil as they attempt to transition into healthier, more fulfilling lives. The film follows Winston ...
Nov 05, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 66
It's Halloween and we're talking about horror, disability, and access with filmmaker and navigator of the creative multiverse, Ariel Baska. We deep dive into A Nightmare on Elm Street, Ginger Snaps, and Wait Until Dark, and discuss how each film made Ariel feel seen in some way. We also discuss their horror documentary Monsterous Me and their work as a horror filmmaker telling stories around disability through a lens of genre. Lastly, we touch upon Ariel's TIFF panel about festivals and accessib...
Oct 22, 2024•50 min•Season 3Ep. 65
SAD JOKES is the story of Joseph, a gay filmmaker, who co-parents with Sonya who is struggling with depression. The film captures a moment in time when Joseph has to juggle his family life, love life, and artistic ambition while Sonya's away at a clinic during a mental health crisis. Writer, director, and star, Fabian Stumm, tells us about the making of the film and how his personal life colored this film. Growing up with a dad with depression, Fabian understood at a young age that sometimes the...
Oct 08, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 64
Today we have a special guest and dear friend of Heather’s, Claire Ayoub. Claire is a writer, a director, an advocate, an educator, a leader, and an amazing friend to all – she also has the debut of her feature film, EMPIRE WAIST, coming out THIS FRIDAY, September 27th at a theater near you! Empire Waist follows a group of teens learning to love their bodies through inclusive fashion design and friendship. Not only do we talk about this amazing film, but we also discuss body image, body represen...
Sep 24, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 63
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and we have a wonderful interview with writer, director, and actress, Nadine Crocker. We talk about her film, Continue, and the importance of representing depression and suicidal ideation on film and TV. We also talk about shows like The Bear and Modern Love (amongst many). CONT;NUE is based on true events from Nadine’s life dealing with suicide and depression. After surviving a suicide attempt when she was 23 years old, Nadine is now a wife, mother, and fri...
Sep 10, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 62
We have decided to take a summer break and will be back in September with an interview with writer, director, and advocate, Claire Ayoub. For those of you in Edmonton, we're having an in-person event for our guests and listeners in August. Keep an eye on social media for our invite if you're interested in meeting us in person! DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-061-Transcript-SUMMER-BREAK.pdf Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com Follow: @BraaainsPodcast M...
Jul 23, 2024•4 min•Season 3Ep. 61
Our last episode before our summer break is one of the first guests our listeners asked us to have on the show! We had the absolute pleasure of talking to DR. KATHLEEN SMITH, a licensed therapist and writer who lives in Washington, DC. Her books include Everything Isn't Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down , as well as her latest book, True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself . Today we’re talking about anxiet...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 60
We deep-dive into the films and television that best represent the different experiences of having breast cancer with our guest filmmaker and indie journalist, Traven Rice. We look at how things can change for people experiencing recurrence, why you need a support network, and Traven’s wish for a trigger warning for films and TV with cancer stories. CW: Conversations about terminal cancer and death. Support Traven's latest short film about breast cancer at LayLeftyDown.com Listen to our full con...
Jul 09, 2024•20 min•Season 3Ep. 59
We have the pleasure of talking with filmmaker and journalist, Traven Rice, about her experiences with Breast Cancer. We talk about how she discovered she had cancer, her treatment, the effects breast cancer can have on your mind and body, and the importance of community. We discuss how breast cancer can impact your view of your identity and how a mastectomy is not just a “boob job.” We also talk about seeing the experience of Breast Cancer on screen and why Traven wanted to create a comedic fil...
Jul 02, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 58
This mini-episode is a continuation of our conversation with Alim Somji, the Chairperson of AboutFace, a Canadian non-profit organization that strives to eliminate the stigma and discrimination encountered by individuals with facial differences. We dig into some of the stigmas surrounding facial differences and what Alim’s biggest personal turning point was when it came to his own facial difference. Listen to the full interview with Alim here: https://braaainspodcast.com/episodes/facial-differen...
Jun 25, 2024•14 min•Season 3Ep. 57
Today’s guest is Alim Somji, the Chairperson of AboutFace, a Canadian non-profit organization that strives to eliminate the stigma and discrimination encountered by individuals with facial differences. Today’s conversation revolves around what facial differences are, the impact having a facial difference can have on mental health, and the journey that Alim took toward the acceptance of his own facial difference. We also talk about facial differences in movies like Deadpool and how some companies...
Jun 18, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 56
This mini-episode is a continuation of our imposter syndrome conversation with Communication Skills Trainer, Ottillie Parfitt. This episode covers the five types of imposter syndrome and ways people with imposter syndrome misinterpret what it means to be competent. (NOTE: These five subcategories were originated by Dr. Valerie Young and based on her research). We also delve into the myths that persist around the universal experience of imposter phenomenon. Listen to our full interview with Ottil...
Jun 11, 2024•18 min•Season 3Ep. 55
Today, we’re excited to talk to Communication Skills Trainer, Ottillie Parfitt, about all things imposter syndrome!! That’s right, we’re talking about that little voice in your head that tells you that you’re a fraud, a phony, or just not good enough (even when you are). We go into what imposter syndrome is, what some of the triggers are, how it shows up in the workplace, and some techniques for overcoming Imposter Syndrome. DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcas...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 54
This mini-episode is a continuation of our conversation with Rabiya Mansoor and Marushka Jessica Almeida, two of the creators of Get Up, Aisha now streaming on CBC Gem. Today we talk about the other films and TV series about depression that inspired Rabiya and Marushka and how important it is to get it right when you are dealing with subjects surrounding mental health, depression, and suicide. Get Up Aisha is a compelling dramedy series following the intricate life of Aisha Rehman, a Pakistani C...
May 28, 2024•18 min•Season 3Ep. 53
Today we’re talking with two of the creators of Get Up, Aisha, Rabiya Mansoor and Marushka Jessica Almeida. Get Up Aisha is a compelling dramedy series following the intricate life of Aisha Rehman, a Pakistani Canadian student who grapples with her compulsive need for control as she deals with depression. The series, streaming on CBC Gem in Canada, follows Aisha’s story as she is diagnosed with depression after living through a suicide attempt and applies a checklist approach to curing the incur...
May 21, 2024•41 min•Season 3Ep. 52
This mini-episode is a continuation of our conversation with board-certified ObGyn, Dr. Sophia. Today, we talk about the stigmas surrounding menopause, what Dr. Sophia would like to see represented on TV, film, and in the media, and how to prepare for menopause - the more you know, the less scary it is! DOWNLOAD THE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-EP51-Transcript_-Breaking-the-Stigmas-and-Preparing-for-Menopause.pdf Listen to our longer interview with Dr. Sophia o...
May 14, 2024•10 min•Season 3Ep. 51
Today we’re talking with Dr. Sophia Lubin about menopause and perimenopause. Dr. Sophia has been a board-certified ObGyn for over 15 years and as a women’s health and well-being enthusiast, she spreads her knowledge and care through her “Dr. Sophia, ObGyn Podcast” where she helps women learn about their bodies and embrace themselves. Our conversation covers a wide range of information about what menopause really is, the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, how to ask for treatment, and what ...
May 07, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 50
Today’s mini-episode is a conversation with Dr. Jill L. Creighton, a higher education professional and the host of SA Voices from the Field Podcast. She came to talk with us about her experience as a transracial adoptee and how she would like to see adoption represented on film and television. Also be sure to listen to our other episode on adoption with research sociologist, Gretchen Sisson -- braaainspodcast.com/episodes/adoption DOWNLOAD THE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaa...
Apr 30, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 49
Today we’re talking with Gretchen Sisson, a research sociologist with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, a critical, ten-year examination of domestic adoption. Centering on the stories of relinquishing mothers, the book chronicles America's refusal to care f...
Apr 23, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 48
Today’s mini-episode is all about working with consultants and team members with lived experience on projects about mental health and disability. Our conversation is with Karen and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy, sisters and the co-creators of the new CW and CTV show, SIGHT UNSEEN. The series is about a homicide detective who rapidly loses her vision and has to quit the homicide force. When she leaves, she’s haunted by the cases she’s left behind and is determined to solve them with the help of her visua...
Apr 16, 2024•10 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Today's guests, Karen and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy, are the co-creators of the new CW and CTV show, SIGHT UNSEEN. The series is about a homicide detective who rapidly loses her vision and has to quit the homicide force. When she leaves, she’s haunted by the cases she’s left behind and is determined to solve them with the help of her visual guide via a visual assistance app. In this episode, we discuss sight loss, the representation of vision loss and blindness on SIGHT UNSEEN, and what consideratio...
Apr 09, 2024•58 min•Season 3Ep. 46
For today's mini-episode, we're chatting with New York Times best-selling author Bassey Ikpi about the depiction of mental illness (specifically Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD) in The CW's musical comedy-drama series My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) by Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna. Our guest Bassey Ikpi is a Nigerian-American, ex-poet, current writer, mental health advocate, underachieving overachiever, and memoir procrastinator. Her best selling book I’m Telling the Truth But ...
Apr 02, 2024•15 min•Season 3Ep. 45
Welcome to season three of Braaains! Today we have the pleasure of talking with New York Times Best Selling author Bassey Ikpi about Bipolar II disorder, how she got her diagnosis, and the representation of bipolar and depression on shows like Atlanta, Insecure, and Dave. Bassey is a Nigerian-American, ex-poet, current writer, mental health advocate, underachieving overachiever, and memoir procrastinator. Her best selling book I’m Telling the Truth But I’m Lying is available in both print and au...
Mar 26, 2024•55 min•Season 3Ep. 44
