Sexual Violence Awareness Month: Putting survivors first
May 20, 2022 | General, Social Justice, Trauma
May is Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Alberta. It’s also known as Sexual Assault Prevention, Sexual Assault Awareness, and Sexual Violence Prevention Month in other provinces through Canada. No matter the name, the goals are the same: to spread awareness on the hard facts of sexual violence, to prevent sexual violence, and to support survivors….
Abuse prevention: Hollywood vs Real Life Abuse
November 25, 2021 | Self Care, Social Justice, Society
I often hear people say, “my experience wasn’t abusive because it wasn’t that bad.” Sometimes, this is a defense mechanism: if they don’t acknowledge it as abuse, they don’t have to deal with it the same way. Other times, people make comments like these because of a genuine belief that abuse has to look a…
Suicide prevention: Three things you need to know
September 09, 2021 | General, Social Justice
September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day, with the whole month dedicated to Suicide Prevention Awareness. I want to take the opportunity to talk about this topic, as it’s an important part of mental health, and tell you three things about suicide that you need to know. Statistically speaking, suicide is the 9th leading cause…
Having hope as a rebellion
August 10, 2021 | General, Mind, Social Justice, Society
I was recently chatting with two very good friends about systemic problems that have been bringing us down. We talked about the anguish around the climate emergency and anxiety over the disappearing COVID-19 regulations in our province, among others. In my conversation with them, we found our way to the issue of hope. How do…
How we can support Indigenous Peoples’ wellness
June 21, 2021 | General, Social Justice, Society
In honour of Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, I wanted to talk about how we can support Indigenous Peoples’ wellness as healthcare professionals, and the importance of cultural competency. These dates aim to celebrate the culture, experiences and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and learn more about their history….
Racial discrimination: What we can do
March 21, 2021 | General, Social Justice, Society
March 21st is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This date also kickstarts a Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination. It commemorates the 1960 massacre in Sharpeville, South Africa, where police killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid pass laws. Talking about racial discrimination…
Wellness culture and its unfair burden
July 30, 2020 | Social Justice
I used to believe that everything could be resolved in one’s life by changing oneself. If only we could have the right thoughts and feelings, things would be great. Looking back, I understand where that belief came from. So much of our Western, colonialist culture holds myths of individualism, meritocracy, and self-reliance. To an extent,…
On BIPOC mental health and stigma
July 21, 2020 | Social Justice, Society
First recognized in 2008 in honour of Bebe Moore Campbell, USAmerican author, journalist, teacher, and mental health advocate, BIPOC (formerly Minority) Mental Health Awareness Month aims to shed light to the fact that BIPOC and other historically excluded groups are often less likely to receive diagnosis and treatment for mental illness, receive a poorer quality…
The traumatizing experience of systemic discrimination
June 29, 2020 | General, Social Justice, Society, Therapeutic Process, Trauma
I’ve always thought it strange that we have the “day of” or the “month of” in our calendars. I think it often ends up as a perfunctory exercise on performative involvement, or as a marketing strategy at worst. Despite this, today I’d like to choose a less cynical, more hopeful outlook, and focus on thinking…
On activism, race, and privilege
June 01, 2020 | General, Social Justice, Society
I am an immigrant woman; I have an accent. I’ve been told my skin is too light and I’m white passing. I’ve actually been told, “to me you’re white!” which hurt because, guess what, I am Latina. My experiences and background align with my identity of Latina, too. On the other hand, I’ve also heard…