Vijay Moonilal
Co-Host of DCO Discourse...
Vijay Moonilal has hosted 19 Episodes.
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Episode 364: On CPBAO's Cuts to Training for Psychologists
December 22nd, 2025 | Season 4 | 28 mins 46 secs
on cpbao's cuts to training for psychologists
In this episode, Vijay breaks down the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario’s proposed reforms, which aim to speed up licensure and increase access to care.
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Episode 363: Archived Episode: On The Importance of Sleep
December 15th, 2025 | Season 4 | 14 mins 46 secs
archived episode: on the importance of sleep
This week, we're replaying a popular episode on sleep hygiene. Caitlin shares some information on why sleep is important to our mental health, how we can try to improve our sleep quality, and some resources to learn more. Stay tuned to the end, where Vijay addresses something we didn't the first time around, the dangers of oversleeping.
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Episode 362: On Shifting Towards Cultural Humility
December 8th, 2025 | Season 4 | 17 mins 16 secs
on shifting towards cultural humility
This week we're doing another installment of Crisis Reports talking about a paper entitled “Rethinking Cultural Competence: Shifting to Cultural Humility”. This paper focuses on the shift happening across health and social services moving away from cultural competence and toward cultural humility. Your host, Vijay M, walks through what this means practically with some examples of how to incorporate cultural humility into crisis work.
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Episode 358: On Men's Mental Health: A Chat with HeadsUpGuys
November 10th, 2025 | Season 4 | 30 mins 3 secs
on men's mental health: a chat with headsupguys
In this episode, Vijay from Distress and Crisis Ontario talks about Men’s Mental Health for this Movember. Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and men's suicide. We talk to Josh Beharry, Project Manager of HeadsUpGuys, a website centered around men’s mental health, offering self-care, screening tools, courses, and a therapist directory.
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Episode 357: On Seasonal Affective Disorder 2025
November 3rd, 2025 | Season 4 | 17 mins 24 secs
on seasonal affective disorder 2025
In this episode, Vijay from Distress and Crisis Ontario reads the new DCO article on our website they wrote, entitled "Navigating Seasonal Affective Disorder: What Helped Me".
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Episode 356: On Halloween Safety and Inclusion Pt. 2
October 27th, 2025 | Season 4 | 10 mins 38 secs
on halloween safety and inclusion pt. 2
In this episode, Vijay from Distress and Crisis Ontario revisits the topic of Halloween safety and inclusion. 👻 With the big night just around the corner, this short, solo episode shares practical safety tips, explores how to create an inclusive environment for families who may not celebrate, and highlights thoughtful ways to make the season fun for everyone.
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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.