Talking to Trauma from Rising Tides Healing Centre Lori McIsaac Bewsher

Tanya White has been working as a registered social worker since 2004. With experience working with grief, OCD and anxiety disorders, trauma including domestic violence and intimate partner violence, Tanya has spent two decades helping others cope with difficulties they are experiencing in their lives. Several years ago, Tanya found herself in a reversal of roles when her husband, Patrick was diagnosed with a terminal cancer at the age of 37. In this episode, Tanya shares insights from her own experience and how she learned to manage the impact of impending Patrick’s death on her life and their children. Tanya’s ability to blend her own experience with her professional knowledge provides insight and wisdom to those who may also be struggling with grief and loss. 
Tanya opened her private practice in 2015 and is trained in a variety of therapeutic models including Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and CBT, including Exposure and Response Prevention. She is licensed in New Brunswick and Ontario and also volunteers internationally providing counselling services to individuals in areas such as the Ukraine and Russia.

I’m so thankful that I was connected with Gilles because what an incredible story he has to tell. Gilles grew up in Campbellton, NB and has been a competitive athlete for most of his life. After experiencing the loss of a few close relationships, Gilles mental health and addiction began to spiral into a very destructive path. On the outside, he was this extreme and competitive athlete, on the inside he was fighting for his life.


Gilles found recovery while simultaneously fueling his passion for helping people to live better lives by staying fit and using science and coaching to give them the extra edge.


Today Gilles is the owner of O2 Max in Dieppe, NB. O2Max is a metabolic and respiratory analysis system that offers a comprehensive and personalized analysis of an individual’s physical fitness. This can be especially useful for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to optimize their training and nutrition plans to achieve their goals.


I really appreciated Gilles candor in sharing his struggles and rock bottoms and I can guarantee that you will gain some new perspectives on why what you think you may know about someone can be very different from what they are actually experiencing.

Sylvain Mancuso is the owner of Mancuso Clinic in Moncton, NB where he oversees a team of healthcare professionals who are helping people resolve pain and other barriers that may be impacting their ability to live a full and active lifestyle. Sylvain initially trained in physiotherapy before making the transition to osteopathy which embraces holistic and natural processes to promote healing. Sylvain is a wealth of knowledge and a compassionate practitioner with an infectious energy focused on finding new ways to help support patients succeed in their healing journey. You can learn more about Sylvain and the work he and his team are doing at https://www.mancusoclinic.com/

Emily’s story is about a mother’s love and how she navigated the distress of watching her teenage son struggle with poor mental health and addiction. Emily never wavered in her love and commitment to her son’s wellbeing but she did have the tremendous insight to recognize that helping him meant meeting him where he was at and not forcing her own will upon him. For years, she supported him as best she could until a physical health crisis brought him back home for a period of time and became a turning point in their relationship. Emily’s story is truly about persistence and patience and the power of just staying present when someone we love is struggling. Emily is part of a larger network of parents advocating for families impacted by substance use and you can learn more about their work at www.momsstoptheharm.com.

Sophia Recovery Centre is a non-residential community centre providing continuing care programs for women seeking to take their lives back from the wide-ranging impacts of addiction. Since its founding in 2008, the centre has grown to encompass a well-rounded team of professionals and peer support specialists based in three southern New Brunswick communities: Saint John, St Stephen and Rothesay with expansion to Sussex and other New Brunswick communities underway.
Jacqueline & Sam, who hold the position of Program Directors at the KV and Saint John locations, joined me on the podcast to talk about the work they are doing to support women at Sophia Recovery. We had a really engaging discussion about the impacts addiction has on women and why having programs to support women with addiction are so important. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and you want to learn more about Sophia Recovery and the amazing work they are doing, have a listen to this podcast episode or find them at https://sophiarecoverycentre.com/

We were delighted to have Brandi come and join us on the podcast to talk about her work with the Saint John Suicide Prevention Committee. The committee is made up of a team of volunteers of various backgrounds that share a passion for decreasing the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide and decreasing instances of death by suicide by raising awareness, providing education, and supporting mental health initiatives in the local community.
The Suicide Prevention Committees work to identify local needs and reducing barriers and gaps between existing services. Although not a counselling centre in itself, the committee works in partnership with existing programs and services to help make sure that those supports are known and available to anyone who may need help.
If you’d like to learn more about the work of the Saint John Suicide Prevention Committee, visit their website at https://www.sjsuicideprevention.ca/. Additional supports are also available through the Talk Canada Suicide prevention number at 1-833-456-4566 (27/7) or text 45645 (4pm to midnight).