DCO Discourse...

Moving Forward Through Partnerships

About the show

Discussions on topics related to mental health, addictions, and life in Ontario, Canada. We aim to provide our listeners with tools and resources that will help them to improve their own mental health and wellness, as well as tools to help them support their family members, loved ones, and their communities at large. If you would like to provide feedback and/or request future topics, please use the following link: https://forms.gle/MhSNiyMm2c2xsiv8A.

We regret to announce that the ONTX text and chat program will cease operations on November 30th, 2023. Text and chat services will remain available until that date, however, they will no longer be accessible starting December 1st, 2023. If you are seeking support alternatives, we encourage you to visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to locate your nearest Member centre, some of which provide their own text and/or chat support services.

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Episodes

  • Episode 176: On Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation – Part 1

    June 6th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  29 mins 48 secs
    2slgbtqia+, gender identity, part 1, sexual orientation

    June is Pride Month in Canada, and as such, we have decided to dedicate the next two episodes of DCO Discourse to sharing a panel interview we did with a university student group that promotes Sexual and Gender Diversity. The stories that this trio of young adults shared with our organization about discovering their individual identities and the journeys they’ve walked are very powerful and we hope that you are as moved by their journeys as we are.

  • Episode 175: On Mental Health, with a 6th Grader

    May 30th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  12 mins 8 secs
    6th grader, on mental health

    This week Caitlin and her daughter, a 6th grader, sit down to talk about mental health, how they talk about it school, and how parents can have conversations with their kids about mental health.

  • Episode 174: On The Challenges of Parenting

    May 21st, 2022  |  Season 2  |  11 mins 31 secs
    challenges of parenting

    This week, Caitlin explores the topic of parenting, specifically explaining why parenting can be so challenging in our modern, Western society. While hoping that this episode helps parents feel less alone, she also shares some potential resources for support.

  • Episode 173: On Caregiver Needs

    May 16th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  12 mins
    caregiver needs, ontario caregiver organization

    This week’s episode includes more information about the current struggles caregivers in Ontario are facing, as well as providing more concrete examples of how we all can help. Much of this week’s information comes from the Ontario Caregiver Organization, which can be found at www.ontariocaregiver.org.

  • Episode 172: On Supporting Caregivers

    May 9th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  24 mins 52 secs
    laura mcgregor, supporting caregivers

    Laura McGregor, a mom, instructor, and researcher in Waterloo, ON, speaks with Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at DCO, about her journey of being a caregiver to a child with complex care needs. She also shares some advice on how we can all better support the caregivers in our lives.

  • Episode 171: On Self Compassion

    May 2nd, 2022  |  Season 2  |  12 mins 10 secs
    dr jim perretta, self compassion

    Self-compassion, as defined by Kristin Neff, is the practice of extending compassion to one's self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering. This week, our student health promotion intern, Harisaa Selvanayagam, speaks with her professor, Dr Jim Perretta, about the importance of self-compassion and how to begin practicing it in our lives.

  • Episode 170: On the Importance of Sleep

    April 25th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  11 mins 34 secs
    mental health, sleep

    This week’s episode of DCO Discourse… On the Importance of Sleep provides information on why sleep is important to our mental health, how we can try to improve our sleep quality, and includes some resources to learn more.

  • Episode 169: On Muslim Feminism with Yasmine Mohamed

    April 18th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  40 mins 37 secs
    feminism, muslim, muslim feminism, yasmine mohamed

    This week’s guest, Yasmine Mohamed, is a relationship and spiritual counsellor who has been sharing about her Muslim faith to help unravel some common misconceptions and ideas surrounding Islam. Today’s conversation covers gender roles, marriage, family planning, the hijab, and largely evolved into a conversation about feminism as it occurs in the Muslim faith.

  • Episode 168: On Ambiguous Loss, Death, and Grief

    April 11th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  15 mins 55 secs
    ambiguous loss, dr pauline boss, grief, loss related to death, the myth of closure

    Information on ambiguous loss, loss related to death, grief, and the myth of closure. Much of what is covered comes from a recent workshop run with Dr Pauline Boss, based on work published in her latest book, “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change”.

  • Episode 167: On Ramadan with Yasmine Mohamed

    April 4th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  38 mins 14 secs
    ramadan, yasmine mohamed

    This week, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, is joined by Yasmine Mohamed to talk about all things Ramadan. Yasmine will be joining the podcast for the entire month of April to explore questions related to the Muslim faith, relationships, parenting, cultural intelligence, and more. As a part of this ongoing conversation with Yasmine, we would love to hear any questions you may have! If you’ve ever had a question about Islam or the Muslim way of life, we would love to have the opportunity to answer it for you. If you would like to submit a question for Yasmine, you can do so here: https://forms.gle/CMMz9vX4VJJNTZa17. This week, Yasmine mentioned The Yaqeen Institute, if you would like to learn more about them you can do so here: https://yaqeeninstitute.ca/.

  • Episode 166: Thresholds Homes and Supports

    March 28th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  39 mins 25 secs
    thresholds homes and supports

    On the podcast this week, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, speaks with Ian Stratton and Stephen Gross from Thresholds Homes and Supports who serve Waterloo and Wellington regions. They shared with her some information about the services they offer, how the pandemic has impacted the communities they support, and offer some words of encouragement and hope for all. If you would like to learn more about them, you can do so here: https://www.thresholdssupports.ca. If you are in need of support from ONTX or our Member centres, please visit https://www.dcontario.org/locations to find your nearest Member or to use the ONTX chat feature. You can also access ONTX by texting "SUPPORT" to 258258. ONTX is available daily from 2PM - 2AM EST. Thank you for listening, and we hope you join us again next week.

  • Episode 165: Ryan - Men's Mental Health

    March 21st, 2022  |  Season 2  |  14 mins 55 secs
    men's mental health, ryan

    This week, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at DCO is joined by Ryan to talk about his mental health journey and hopefully help shed some light on some of the challenges men, specifically, face when it comes to their mental health and the stigma surrounding asking for help. If you are in need of support, please do not hesitate to reach out. One of our Member centres or ONTX would be more than happy to listen. You can find your nearest centre by visiting www.dcontario.org/locations and ONTX is available from any page of our website or by texting SUPPORT to 258258 between the hours of 2PM – 2AM EST, daily. Thank you for listening, we hope you will join us again next week.

  • Episode 164: Black History Month Reflection - Harisaa

    March 14th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  10 mins 57 secs

    This week on the podcast, Distress and Crisis Ontario’s Health Promotion student intern, Harisaa, shares her reflections and insights surrounding Black History Month. Although Black History Month has ended with the coming of March, it is important that the celebrations of Black Canadian’s achievements and intentions of the month of awareness continue throughout the rest of the year. The Canadian theme this year was “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day”, which is a goal that should be important to all. If today’s episode, or anything else going on in our life, has you feeling the need for support, our Member centres and/or ONTX are here for you. You can find your nearest centre at www.dcontario.org/locations and can access ONTX’s chat function from any page of our website as well. ONTX is available from 2PM – 2AM EST daily and can also be reached via text by sending SUPPORT to 258258. Thank you for listening, and we hope you’ll join us again next week!

  • Episode 163: Steve Quiring - from Ray of Hope

    March 7th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  35 mins 55 secs
    ray of hope, steve quiring

    This week, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, sits down with Steve Quiring from Ray of Hope. Steve is the Day Treatment Program Lead and took some time to speak with Caitlin about what is happening at Ray of Hope these days, as well as what discussing what Steve has noticed in terms of the impacts the pandemic has had on the general population of Kitchener-Waterloo. You can learn more about Ray of Hope by visiting their website: https://www.rayofhope.net. If today's conversation has left you feeling the need for support, or if there's anything at all going on in your life that you would like to talk about, you can connect with your nearest distress line or ONTX. Visit https://www.dcontario.org/locations to find your nearest Member centre, or to access ONTX. ONTX is available daily from 2PM - 2AM EST and can also be reached by texting SUPPORT to 258258. Thank you for listening!

  • Episode 162: Conference Preview - Christina Hennelly

    February 28th, 2022  |  Season 2  |  23 mins 50 secs
    christina hennelly, traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence

    This week on the podcast we are sharing our excitement for our upcoming Annual Conference 2022, happening on March 2nd and 3rd. With two mornings of training and two afternoons dedicated to Member-only networking, we are looking forward to the event. One of our speakers on Thursday will be Christina Hennelly, who we had on the podcast back in November to talk about her work at the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington, especially in relation to traumatic brain injuries that occur because of intimate partner violence. As she will be speaking on this topic in more detail at our conference, we thought it would be a good preview of the day to re-share her interview. For more information on the event, please click the following link: https://linktr.ee/dco_ontx. If you are in need of support, you can find your nearest Member centre by visiting www.dcontario.org/locations or you can access ONTX daily between the hours of 2PM – 2AM EST. ONTX can be reached by clicking “looking for support” from any page of our website or by texting “SUPPORT” to 258258.

  • Episode 161: Navigating Change

    February 21st, 2022  |  Season 2  |  20 mins 29 secs
    covid-19, navigating change

    This week Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, is speaking with Elma, an intake coordinator at a busy counselling centre in Waterloo and Sharon Lalor, a life coach with Vita Catalyst. With the government of Ontario’s announcement that many COVID-19 safety measure and restrictions will be lifted as of March 1st, Elma and Sharon joined us to discuss how people can unpack their feelings surrounding this news and prepare to navigate new changes. If you are in need of support, our Member centres and ONTX are happy to help. Visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to find your nearest centre, or you can access the ONTX chat feature from any page. ONTX is available from 2PM – 2AM EST, daily, and can also be reached by texting SUPPORT to 258258. Thank you for listening, we hope you’ll join us again next week!