Expert Advice From Helpmesara

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Janyce Lastman. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: The different ways in which students typically learn, according to grade and stage of development, beginning in pre school through to post secondary The "new normal" in regards to learning How students and parents can begin to prepare for September right now, before school begins How parents can best help their children adapt to this "new normal" How parents and teachers can work together to make this as successful as possible

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Cecilia Arscott, and her son Matthew Melchior. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Cecilia and Maarten's meeting and how their deciding to marry was received by their families How the messages they received growing up impacted their lives today as an inter racial couple Whether Cecilia has raised her bi racial children any differently than she might have if she was married to a Black partner How Matthew has been impacted by being "mixed" Advice for other inter racial parents and their children

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Dr. Thomas Verny. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Dr. Verny's book, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child and how things have changed in the field of pre and peri natal psychology since its publication in 1981 What types of stress have the most impact on an unborn child What a pregnant woman/couple can do to mitigate the impact of stress on their unborn child and on themselves How parents can communicate with their child in utero and the positive impact of this on the unborn child and after birth

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Katharine Love. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Katharine's growing up years and how they impacted her – for better and worse How she overcame an eating disorder and learnt to embrace her heavier self How she learnt to live a more authentic life despite obstacles along the way How her diagnosis of Moebius Syndrome helped her understand herself better How she practises radical acceptance in order to find peace Why she wrote her memoir, Perfectly Flawed, and what it's all about How you can benefit from her life lessons and learn to embrace and accept yourself too

Sara Dimerman in conversation with realtor, Valerie Chubey. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: How buying and selling a home has changed over the years, and especially during and post pandemic The key players on your team to make buying and selling as stress free as possible and how to find them Market trends regarding pricing, best time of the year to buy/sell and facts about how many times people move during their lifetime The psychological and emotional impact of leaving one's home and why it is often so difficult Tips for decluttering, moving and settling in

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Suzanne Dennison. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: The difference between seeking help from, for example, a psychotherapist, counsellor, social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist or Medical Doctor who provides counselling services Who the governing bodies for these professionals are and why they exist How to find a therapist Why some therapists call their sessions a 50-minute hour The difference between seeing a therapist in private practise versus one who works in an agency setting, for example Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and how these may help Whether all therapists charge a fee and what the typical fee may be How extended health insurance coverage can help cover the fee Whether a therapist is allowed to put someone's name on a receipt if that person is not present at the session What consent to treatment means Whether everything that you discuss with a therapist is confidential, and if not, what the limits to confidentiality are

Sara Dimerman in conversation with occupational therapist, Therese Oldfield. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What driver anxiety means How and why this type of anxiety impacts not just drivers, but passengers and pedestrians too Some of the reasons people develop this anxiety Treatment approaches to helping overcome driver, passenger or pedestrian anxiety Factors that impact the success of a program that helps this type of anxiety Whether other professionals play a complementary role when helping someone with these anxieties

Sara Dimerman in conversation with executive coach, corporate trainer and author, Kathleen Redmond. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What a healthy workplace environment looks like The relationship between character and culture The key players in an organization and their role in creating a healthy work environment How important communication is in the workplace and how it is best encouraged How leaders can maintain contact with colleagues working from home and why this is important

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Psychologist, Donna Jacobs. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: The most common types of anxiety, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety and Panic Disorder How to tell the difference between when you're feeling "normal" nervousness about something versus when there are signs and symptoms of a diagnosable anxiety condition Why some people are more anxious than others Treatment approaches to helping you manage or cope with anxiety Whether medication is an effective method for treating anxiety Resource books, programs and Apps that can help you learn more about anxiety and how to manage it

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Emmy award winning writer and producer, Susan McLennan. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What we mean by helping little children make sense of their big world and why this is so important Some of what little kids have to make sense of now compared to when we were growing up Who Susan and Mike are and the work that they do to help children and their families What parents can do to help their children make sense of the big world when they sometimes can't make sense of it, themselves

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Dr. Kathy McCoy. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Whether or not estrangement mostly occurs between adult children and their parents, or as regularly between siblings or other family members, and why How estrangement may filter from one generation to others Whether or not estrangement is typically mutually agreed up or unilateral How the "abandoned" person might respond to feeling hurt How acceptance plays a role in coming to terms with family ties that are broken Whether blood is truly thicker than water, as the saying goes How breaking ties with someone in the family might be a "good" thing

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Lisa Freud Goldman. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What a crisis means What happens to our mental and physical health when we're going through a crisis? Some of the signs and symptoms that the crisis is taking a toll on us Lisa's Lifestyle Lessons as a way of guarding ourselves against getting physically or mentally unwell during periods of crisis Factors that affect how well we are able to cope with a crisis or a critical event  

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Colin Chan. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What trauma or being traumatized means What PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder - means How one can tell if they've been traumatized or have PTSD What causes one to be traumatized Whether the effects of being traumatized can go away on their own or if one always needs treatment Some treatment options and who is best suited to treat someone who has been traumatized When treated in a support group, how one can guard against being re traumatized when hearing others stories How one can tell if the effects of trauma are still lingering, even 10 years later, for example If there's hope after trauma

It's normal to be influenced and affected by what we think or know others want from us. Sometimes, we do and say things in order to make others happy, and in turn, sacrifice our true selves. This may be unintentional, especially since we don't always know our authentic selves or what will make us feel most fulfilled or purposeful. Sara Dimerman in conversation with Dr. Mary Filice, as you begin your journey towards self discovery or finding your "gift"... Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What it means to be one's authentic self At what age one should begin exploring their true calling or purpose What we can do to figure out who we really are if we're not so sure Some of the signs that you that we may not be living our authentic selves Why some people are fearful of being their authentic selves What happens, in the short and long term, when we push our authentic selves as Additional resources: Gabor Mate: When the Body says No Victor Frankl: Man's Search for Meaning Richard Rohr: C

Top of the new year resolution list for many people is losing weight or going on "diet." Now that I've spoken to Registered Dietician Shauna Lindzon, I am inspired to change that item on my list to read "Change lifestyle for healthier living" rather than "lose weight to look better." Listen here to be inspired yourself. Sara Dimerman in conversation with Shauna Lindzon. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Why diets don't work So what does work and for what end goal? Whether dieting is a world wide phenomenon or more of a North American mindset? What kinds of diets are most popular? Has this changed over the years? Whether women are more inclined to follow diets than men and whether there is a gender difference in regards to losing weight as we age? Some ways for people to set themselves up for success in regards to getting off the dieting roller coaster. Why 'mindfulness' is important when considering a change in diet for a healthier lifestyle.

Times are not what they used to be. Gone are the days when you could safely wait until your children were just about to hit puberty to talk to them about sex and sexuality. Now they either stumble across pornography or seek it out. Often, the messages they get and the images they receive portrays sex in a way that can be traumatizing. Psychologist, Dr. Jillian Roberts, has helped children and their parents navigate the complex sexualized digital world in which we live. Through this podcast, she will help you too. Sara Dimerman in conversation with Dr. Jillian Roberts. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What to do and say when your kids stumble upon pornography, participate in sexting, engage in or are victimized by sexualized bullying and feel confused about what consent means. What impact all of the above has on them. Whether "The Talk" is still something parents should prepare themselves for, and if not, how to share important information about sex and sexuality with your children a

Sara Dimerman in conversation with Ann Douglas. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: Why parents need distractions Whether technology is what distracts us most these days and why The impact that being a distracted parent has on our children, ourselves and on the development of our relationship with our child How we can become more mindful about modelling intentional distraction  

It's easy to label oneself or one's child a "procrastinator" and to assume that once one, always one. But is procrastination part of one's personality or a choice and are there roadblocks that stand between procrastination and productivity? For answers to these questions, I turned to Dr. Joanne Foster. Over the course of this episode you will learn more about: What procrastination means Whether procrastination is a choice or part of one's personality What causes procrastination Techniques and strategies to help one move from procrastination to productivity How parents can understand the causes of procrastination and help their children or teens become more productive  

Many people, despite having goals, feel that there are roadblocks in their way. I contacted Gorett Reis, a life and career coach, for her views on what may be keeping them from moving forward, and what they can do about it. Over the course of this episode, you will learn more about: Top traits, identified as roadblocks, for people who feel that they are unable to reach their life or career goals What being a perfectionist looks like, why and how this may get in the way What people pleasing looks like, why and how this may get in the way What over achieving looks like, why and how this may get in the way Some practical ways for people to prevent perfectionism, people pleasing and over achieving behaviour from standing in their way  

I have always been a fan of Dr. Ross Greene's work. I have read his books and attended several of his workshops and lectures. Most recently, I participated in a two day conference, led by him, in Toronto. I was inspired and grateful to learn more about his collaborative approach to working with kids of all ages, and honoured that he agreed to join me as a guest on this podcast, in order to impart some of his wisdom to you, too. Over the course of this episode, you will learn more about: The choices parents have when they're faced with needing to deal with a situation related to their child's "difficult" behaviour. Whether punishments such as suspension from school or time out at home solves the problem and if not, why not. Whether natural and logical consequences unilaterally imposed on children who do not "follow through," solves the problem and if not, why not. How to implement Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative & Proactive Solutions model, including: Effective ways to understand the problem and invite c