Decolonizing Mental Health: What Is It? ReThreading Madness podcast

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Art at Outsiders and Others with Redrum the Sticker Artist “Outsiders and Others is a non-profit art Society with a focus on bringing non-traditional artists to the forefront. Their artists identify as outsider, folk, self-taught, visionary, intuitive, and artists with disabilities.” Outsiders and Others defines outsider art as the work of those who have no formal training, create art for themselves to record their life experiences or document historical events (not necessarily for an audience), and use non-traditional materials (like found objects). In May, Mental Health Awareness month, Outsiders and Others presented Brain Child featuring artworks from Caro Embling, REDRUM, and Gabriel Ostapchuk. We had the opportunity to speak with Yuri Ajars. Artistic Director and Curator, about this exhibit and the gallery. We also chatted with Redrum, the sticker artist ( @redrum_ays_crew ). Redrum describes the different neurodiverse and disability issues he copes with daily but also how important art has been to his process specifically in inspiration around images and topic. You can find Outsiders and Others In Vancouver and at https://www.outsidersandothers.com/ Music by Shari Ulrich…

ReThreading Madness

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Off the Map and its Writers 1:00:01

5 days ago1:00:01

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Off the Map with writers Angela J. Gray, Venge Dixon, Mary O’Toole with music by Ren Trigger Warning: Song by Ren Gill includes foul language May 1st 2025 saw the release of Off the Map an anthology of prose and poetry that has to do with mental health. ReThreading Madness had privilege of speaking to 3 of the writers included in this publication. Venge Dixon is a nonbinary lesbian who writes, creates art (and comic books) and make music. She wraps a heart-warming story about a very difficult time in her life around a cat named Linus who showed up and put a wrench in her plan’s to die. Angela J. Gray is an emerging black writer who writes about the “impact of colonization on children of African/Caribbean Diaspora who were adopted into white homes” in what, in her case, looks just like 60s Scoop. Mary Phyllis O’Toole says “ she writes, not only for emotional catharsis, but to shine a light on schizophrenia.” All of them share a portion of their writing with us during this hour. In addition, we have included a song entitled “Hi Ren” by Ren Gill, a musician from the UK who used music to have a conversation with himself about his current state of mental health and in, so doing, gives us an incredible inside view of what his world is like while leaving us all inspired and hopeful. Music by Shari Ulrich & Ren Gill…

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The 2017 and 2025 Winners of the Courage to Come Back Award in Mental Health: Rachel Fehr and David Chalk 1:00:01

6 days ago1:00:01

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Courage to Come Back: Rachel Fehr (2017) and David Chalk (2025) The most obvious thing about Rachel Fehr and David Chalk is that they are not defined by diagnoses and for both of them they have carried several labels. All of which are important only in that they defied them all. Rachel is the 2017 Courage to Come Back award winner in mental health. In the years since then, she has gone from teaching marital arts to attending classes and using what she learned to parse out which of the psychiatric diagnoses she was given were accurate and which were misdiagnoses -and then realizing as is so usual her autism had been misdiagnosed as borderline. From this she created new and positive life skills and taken her life that much farther. Now she wants to use her skills to create a traditional medicine farm as 2nd stage housing for men coming out of prison. David won the Courage to Come Back award this year (2025) has defied every assumption adults had about him as a child. He created his own businesses and was a millionaire at 28 years despite being told graduating from high school that the only life he could hope for was welfare, jail, or a psych ward. Despite his success he held a burdensome reality. His ADHD messed with his focus. His Dyslexia messed with his ability to read. And his pragnuh… meant he had a difficult time just recognizing faces – any faces. But clearly David is not someone his accepts what others might consider fate. At 62 years he participated in a program which led to him being able to read in 11 hours. Now, he is developing an educational program that can be used around the world to help others to do the same. Music by Shari Ulrich…

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Therapy Harm Resistance Project with Natalie Russ 59:59

22 days ago59:59

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Therapy Harm Resistance Project with Natalie Russ Natalie Russ is a psychologist and psychotherapist, with a background in dialogue and deliberation, training pedagogy, and community organizing. She was harmed in a twelve-year psychodynamic therapy beginning in adolescence, as well as in post-harm therapies with well-meaning therapists who, like most in the mental health industry are not trained to support therapy harm survivors. In addition to content creation, she writes and publishes poetry on her therapy harm and post-abuse therapy experiences. Her particular areas of interest include post-abuse therapies and therapist education on working with therapy harm survivors. (taken from https://www.natalierusspsyd.com/therapy-harm) Natalie Russ joins us to discuss her recent work establishing the Therapy Harm Resistance Project (THRP), an advocacy and support endeavor to address therapy harm as a disavowed reality in the mental health field. We are creating content and resources for survivors, clients, and therapists, hoping to support a broader and ever-growing therapy harm resistance movement. We seek to join others within the therapy harm resistance space to build conversation and capacity. This movement needs a thriving ecosystem of activism, advocacy, scholarship, training, and victim/survivor support infrastructure. Music by Shari Ulrich, Jann Arden,…

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Nothing About Us Without Us with Caroline Mazel-Carlton from Wildflower Alliance 1:00:00

27 days ago1:00:00

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Nothing About Us Without Us with Carolie Mazel-Carlton Caroline Mazel-Carlton is a suicide attempt survivor who, since moving out of a staffed psychiatric group home in 2009, has worked tirelessly to create change in the mental health system and has developed and re-defined peer roles in a number of settings in the public and private sector. She works with Wildflower Alliance, which “supports healing and empowerment for our broader communities and people who have been impacted by psychiatric diagnosis, trauma, extreme states, homelessness, problems with substances and other life-interrupting challenges.” They do this through peer support, alternative healing practices, providing education, and advocacy. Essential to their work is “recognizing and undoing systemic injustices such as racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, transmisogyny, and psychiatric oppression.” On this program we talk about the incredible healing value of peer support and harm reduction around suicide. Music by Shari Ulrich and We Three…

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Mad Pride Art Café 2025 with Richard Lett, CR Avery, and Lea Taranto 1:00:00

5 weeks ago1:00:00

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Mad Pride Art Café 2025 with Richard Lett, CR Avery, and Lea Taranto Trigger Warning: some of the language used in creative material may be offensive to some people. These three artists performed live at the Mad Pride Art Café at the Gathering Place in downtown Vancouver, BC. Richard brought his particular form of comedy and spoken word. CR performed musical/spoken word pieces that can only be heard to fully appreciate. And Lea gave us a reading from her new book A Drop in the Ocean. Music: Shari Ulrich, Shawn Mendes, Jelly Roll, and Scott…

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Living Your Truth w Tavares and Bernadine 36:12

8 weeks ago36:12

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ReThreading Madness

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Building Self-Worth with Tavares Garrett 1:00:01

11 weeks ago1:00:01

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Building Self-Worth with Tavares Garrett Tavares A. Garrett CNC, CPT, BCS is a “Health & Transformation Educator, Motivational Speaker, Mentor, Author, Servant Leader, Energy Giver/Healer, Podcast and TV Host. He's certified by NASM (National Academy Of Sports Medicine) and is the owner of The Body Synthesis.” As you listen you will recognize that Tavares is someone who uses his skill to connect and listen with people to create an environment to help that individual build self-worth. He comes and chats with Bernadine to talk about what are the ingredients to transform pain and trauma into rediscovering self and building self-worth: necessary for taking action and making change happen. “He loves to help others re-build & rediscover themselves through nutrient-rich, preventative medicine coaching, behavioral change, fit-nutrition, sobriety support and enlightenment.” Tavares has published several books including, “Kissed by the Wind” “A book of Poems and Passions” Volumes 1, 2 & 3 and “I Like That” A Book of Inspirational quotes, The Body Synthesis - Guide To A Better Mind, Guide To A Better Body, The P.F.O. Method and is the Host of Living Your Truth w/ Tavares & The Black Love Xperience Podcast.” Music by Shari Ulrich, Ana Clendening, Omar Rudberg…

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Raising Drug-Resistant Kids with Elisa Fortes Christiansen 1:00:40

12 weeks ago1:00:40

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Raising Drug Resistant Kids with Elisa Fortise Christiansen Elisa Fortise Christensen joins RTM to discuss her 30-year history of addiction with prescription drugs which she developed after a back injury. She has been clean for many years but that addiction spurred her on to examine how to protect her kids from the same fate. Elisa is an American author, poet and public speaker who has been through some real-life challenges but who lives her life with gratitude, love and passion. She has written 8 books all of which focus on approaching life with what she calles “crazy courage and deep gratitude.” We sat down to discuss the material she has outlined in her book “Teen Warrior: Raising Drug-Resistant Kids” You can find more information about Elisa at https://www.authorelisa.com Music by Jelly Roll and Shari Ulrich…

ReThreading Madness

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Judy and I on Dissociative Identities 1:00:01

14 weeks ago1:00:01

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Judy and I on Dissociative Identities This program comes out of seeing one more untrained therapist postulate that folks with dissociative identities (formerly known as multiple personalities) are rare and dysfunctional or simply do not exist. Judy and I are here to push back against this assumption that couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you are a woman in Canada and haven’t heard of Judy Rebick, you haven’t been paying attention. Judy is a Canadian writer, journalist, political activist, and is considered one of Canada’s leading feminists. She was the former president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) and held the Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy. She rubbed elbows and engaged with politicians in intense discussions. She has been the TV host for CBC programs and was the founder and publisher for rabble.ca. Judy is known as a vocal spokesperson to legalize abortion and taking on a protestor with a pair of garden shears pointed at Dr. Morgentaler. She is the author of Heroes in My Head (2018) which outlines not just her political life but that of her personalities. And while my audience has come to know me over the years, for the purpose of this program it is important that I fill you in a bit more. I am a graduate of Emily Carr University and an established visual artist, curator, and instructor. I worked as a film production manager before becoming a peer support worker and consultant for those with childhood trauma and dissociative identities. For 30 years, I have been an award-winning mental health advocate and am the host of this program which is Canada’s longest-running syndicated show on mental health where we disregard colonial-based ideas about mental health and the DSM. I am a survivor of human trafficking and spent years speaking out against organized crime. I currently provide peer support through TELL the Therapy Exploitation Link Line to survivors of therapy abuse and exploitation. I am a public speaker providing workshops on TAE and facilitating peer support groups for fellow survivors. And I have, like Judy, authored a memoir, Coming to Voice, which chronicles surviving an abuse therapist and the role my dissociative identities played in saving my life. So to dispel the myth that folks with DI are fragile and dysfunctional, Judy and I are here to answer the questions sent into ReThreading Madness listeners of what DI is from our lived experience.…

ReThreading Madness

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ADHD, PTSD, and Autism with Randi-Lee Bowslaugh 1:00:01

15 weeks ago1:00:01

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ADHD, PTSD, and Autism with Randi-Lee Bowslaugh Randi-Lee Bowslaugh is a fellow warrior out there around the issue of mental health awareness fighting the inappropriate stigma we face as folks who live with mental health challenges. Randi-Lee is an author and outspoken advocate for mental health. She has lived with depression from the age of 14 years and was eventually diagnosed with autism and PTSD as an adult. She is the host of the Write or Die Show a podcast that you can find on You tube. And of course, like so many of us, as a well-rounded person she has other sides to her. One of them is kickboxing in 2015 she was a Canadian National Champion and in 2016 she won silver in Pan-Am games. Randi-Lee is also a mother and grandmother. Music by Shari Ulrich and Brandi Carlisle…

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Connection Salon & Gathering Place, Crisis Centre of BC & Kagan Goh 1:00:00

16 weeks ago1:00:00

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Connection Salon & Gathering Place, Crisis Centre of BC & Kagan Goh In today’s program we speak with Pierre Leichner from the Connection Salon here in Vancouver BC and Carrie Campbell from the Gathering Place about their collaboration to ensure that art comes to those who live with mental health challenges. We also speak with Mark Sheehan, Program Director, and Paul Vincent, Volunteer, about the Youth Education projects bringing mental health information to youth through the Crisis Centre of BC. And then Kagan Goh joins us to talk about his upcoming documentary on mental health entitled Common Law . Music by Shari Ulrich…

ReThreading Madness

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What does Mental Health, Psychiatry, and the Ouija Board have in Common? 1:00:01

18 weeks ago1:00:01

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What does Mental Health, Psychiatry, and the Ouija Board have in Common? Dan Nelson , is the author of Ouija Board and the Skeptic (Mad In America) and holds a BA in Philosophy, MA in Human Resources and Industrial Relations. Through twenty years of working in management systems, he knows that systems are designed to output a particular product or service and that the system was the cause of any and all undesirable results the system outputs. In this article, he states that the mental health systems are responsible for their lack of ability to assist some who live with mental health challenges. Dan writes, “Psychiatry's practices are so entrenched, its methods so accepted, that skeptics and outsiders are often dismissed as uninformed or unqualified simply because they haven’t undergone the same training that instills confidence in its frameworks. But skepticism, especially from those with lived experience, isn’t just valid—it’s necessary. It forces us to question whether our tools and methods truly serve those they claim to help.” We respond to our lives, our challenges, our struggles. Too often mental health issues are a normal and nature response to trauma. As Dan points out if the psych industry isn’t looking at the systems around their clients and changing those systems, and instead they medicate and work with the client to be able to tolerate the difficulties they are dealing with – they aren’t solving the morning. They are applying a band aid. A good example of this is how our systems are designed to pathologize the victim is schoolyard bullying. Too often the victim is expected to learn to develop new skills to deal with the bully. Often they must be extricated from the school to be protected. The bully, too often, is not confronted or restricted in ways that would prevent the bullying. Dan demonstrates how we can take that same example and apply it to the mental health system where victims come forward with mental health challenges caused by environmental factors and yet the industry will medicate the victim instead of looking at how to change the environment. The DSM and psychiatry is accepted to often without including the possibility (like with a Ouija Board) that perhaps it is not truth. Music by Shari Ulrich and Jelly Roll…

ReThreading Madness

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Spotting a Coaching Scam with youtube creator Danielle Ryan 1:00:11

19 weeks ago1:00:11

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Spotting a Coaching Scam with youtube creator Danielle Ryan Danielle Ryan describes herself as a youtube channel creator and “just a troll on the internet covering topics related to the business & life coaching industry.” As she says, part of the problem is lack of regulation and then what happens when coaches coaches to become coaches. She spends a lot of time sharing “my silly little opinions as I deep dive into *allegedly* problematic people, organizations, and techniques used to manipulate people in the space while also sprinkling in the occasional small business video.” Her channel is a mix of educational & commentary content. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsdanielleryan Website: https://danielleryan.me Music by Shari Ulrich, David Laronde, and Elizabeth Wallace…

ReThreading Madness

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How Past Lives and Spiritual Experiences Impact our Mental Health with Kerie Logan 1:00:01

20 weeks ago1:00:01