Vijay Moonilal
Co-Host of DCO Discourse...
Vijay Moonilal has hosted 13 Episodes.
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Episode 354: On Crisis Reports Mini-series #3: Can talking to a Chatbot affect our mental health?
October 13th, 2025 | Season 4 | 20 mins 12 secs
how ai and human behaviors shape psychosocial effects of chatbot use: a longitudinal randomized controlled study
As AI becomes a growing part of how people seek support, what happens when human connection is replaced by conversations with chatbots? This study followed nearly a thousand people over four weeks as they exchanged hundreds of thousands of messages with ChatGPT, examining how factors like tone, conversation style, and interaction type shape emotional wellbeing.
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Episode 352: On Race in a Therapeutic Setting: Should Counselling be Race Neutral?
September 29th, 2025 | Season 4 | 36 mins 4 secs
on race in a therapeutic setting: should counselling be race neutral?
This week on DCO Discourse, host Vijay speaks with Dr. Neta Gear, Executive Director of DCO and a longtime leader in the mental health field. Together, they dive into a challenging, but crucial conversation: race in therapeutic settings. Dr. Gear unpacks why therapy is rarely truly “race-neutral,” how systemic inequities shape mental health, and why representation among counselors matters for trust and outcomes.
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Episode 351: On Crisis Reports Mini-series, #2: Burnout and Quality of Life Amongst Responders.
September 22nd, 2025 | Season 4 | 19 mins 4 secs
#2: burnout and quality of life amongst responders., on crisis reports mini-series
In this powerful episode of DCO Discourse, Vijay continues with the mini-series entitled "Crisis Reports", looking at current literature in the sector. This installment, we look at a paper entitled "Burnout and Professional Quality of Life Amongst Crisis Hotline Responders: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Canada During COVID-19".
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Episode 350: On Living Experience with Emergency Mental Health: Sarah's Story
September 15th, 2025 | Season 4 | 37 mins 2 secs
on living experience with emergency mental health: sarah's story
In this deeply personal and candid conversation, Vijay sits down with their friend "Sarah" (a pseudonym to protect her privacy), a trans woman with lived experience navigating systemic barriers in mental health care.
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Episode 349: On Suicide Prevention: 4 Programs that are Saving Lives
September 8th, 2025 | Season 4 | 29 mins 25 secs
on suicide prevention: 4 programs that are saving lives
In this powerful episode of DCO Discourse, Vijay and Caitlin turn the spotlight on World Suicide Prevention Day, reflecting on how awareness days help bring vital attention to urgent mental health issues. Together, they explore the work of programs aimed at Suicide Prevention, highlighting the diversity of programs aimed at a common goal.
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Episode 347: On Crisis Reports Mini-series, #1: The State of Equity in Crisis Lines in Canada.
August 25th, 2025 | Season 3 | 25 mins 24 secs
#1: the state of equity in crisis lines in canada., on crisis reports mini-series
In this powerful episode of DCO Discourse, Vijay starts a new mini-series entitled "Crisis Reports", looking at current literature in the sector. This installment, we look at a paper entitled "Enhancing Equity on Crisis Lines: Understanding the Background, Practices, and Learning Needs of Responders in Canada".
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Episode 345: On How Crisis Lines Can Better Support Queer Callers
August 11th, 2025 | Season 3 | 39 mins 43 secs
on how can crisis lines better support queer callers?
In this powerful episode of DCO Discourse, Vijay talks with master's student Tristan, Dr. Monica Sesma-Vazquez, and Dr. Tara Collins, academic researchers involved in a study looking at queer callers in crisis line settings.
The discussion focused on the challenges faced by queer service users in crisis lines, highlighting the significant mental health disparities within the LGBTQ+ community. Tara and Tristan shared alarming statistics, such as 27% of LGBTQ+ youth experiencing major depressive episodes and 40% having lifetime suicide ideation, while emphasizing the impact of discrimination and the importance of gender-affirming care. Monica noted that while statistics are crucial for strategic decisions, they cannot fully capture the callers lived experiences, and the team aims to use these numbers to transform crisis response by addressing the underlying social conditions. The conversation also touched on the politicization of LGBTQ+ issues, which can hinder support and implementation of effective interventions.
To connect with support related to this episode, or for anything else going on in your life, please visit www.dcontario.org/locations to find your nearest Member Centre. Many of our centers operate 24/7. Thank you for joining us, and we hope this episode encourages you to continue the conversation. If you have feedback or future content requests, please use the following link: https://forms.gle/o8yUPMss6wo8dP1X8 -
Episode 341: How Do We Support 2SLGBTQIA+ Students on Campuses?
July 14th, 2025 | Season 3 | 1 hr 6 mins
how do we support 2slgbtqia+ students on campuses?
In this powerful episode of DCO Discourse, Vijay talks with Dr. Michael Woodford and Dr. Tin Vo, two academic researchers involved in Thriving On Campus, an Ontario-wide study of 2SLGBTQ+ university students’ experiences, wellbeing, and academic development.
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Episode 339: On The Coming Out Experience: 3 Questions about Identity.
June 30th, 2025 | Season 3 | 44 mins 47 secs
on the coming out experience: 3 questions about identity.
In this powerful episode of DCO Discourse, Co-hosts Vijay Moonilal and Caitlin Plant, talk about the experience of coming out to wrap a bow around the end of Pride month.
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Episode 329: On Identity with Vijay pt 4: Expanding the Narrative
April 21st, 2025 | Season 3 | 55 mins 54 secs
title on identity with vijay pt 4: expanding the narrative
In the final episode of this series, Vijay, a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, continues to share their experiences as a trans non-binary individual of color, as well as sharing the experiences of others in the queer community.
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Episode 326: On Exploring Identity with Vijay pt 3: Tackling the “Tough Questions”.
March 31st, 2025 | Season 3 | 38 mins 4 secs
on exploring identity with vijay pt 3: tackling the “tough questions”.
In this episode, Caitlin continues her conversation with Vijay, a Psychology & Neuroscience student and mental health professional, sharing their journey of self-discovery as a trans, nonbinary person of color. In part three Caitlin and Vijay delve a little deeper into some of the tougher questions surrounding identity, coming out, the suicide crisis in the trans community, and more.
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Episode 323: On Exploring Identity with Vijay pt 2: Understanding the 2SLGBTQIA+ Experience & Allyship
March 10th, 2025 | Season 3 | 53 mins 46 secs
on exploring identity with vijay pt 2, understanding the 2slgbtqia+ experience & allyship
In this episode, we continue our conversation with Vijay, a Psychology & Neuroscience student and mental health professional.
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Episode 319: On Exploring Identity with Vijay
February 10th, 2025 | Season 3 | 40 mins 23 secs
on exploring identity with vijay
In this episode, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, speaks with Vijay, a Psychology & Neuroscience student and mental health professional, about their journey as a trans, nonbinary individual of color.