Human First Podcast Alia Chan and Maddie Skidmore

Maddie Skidmore and Alia Chan, registered counsellors, talk about all the experiences that connect us - the silly, the difficult, and everything in between. Together we'll discuss various mental health topics through deep chats and funny banter, all while exploring what makes us human, first. Maddie and Alia invite you to join them on Mondays to celebrate all parts of the human experience.

On this episode of Human First Podcast (@humanfirst.podcast), Alia is joined by sex therapist, counsellor, and writer, Erin Davidson (@erin.e.davidson). Erin talks about her Christian upbringing and unpacking her relationship with sex. After being sexually assaulted, Erin discusses her battle with shame and self-doubt, and her raw journey towards empowerment. Now practicing as a registered clinical counsellor with a focus in sex and relationship therapy, she was fuelled by her own healing to support others going through similar experiences. In addition to her counselling work, she has since written a book “Break through the Breakup” where she provides a guide for those navigating the end of a relationship and taking on the next steps towards a new chapter.

Find Erin on her website:

https://erinedavidson.com/

Or purchase a copy of her book:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1648768172?geniuslink=true

Today on Human First Podcast (@humanfirst.podcat), Alia is joined by Nikhil Sanka (@niksanka), joining in all the way from India. Nikhil shares with us his journey growing up with dyslexia and the hurdles he had to face as someone with a learning disability in the asian culture. He opens up about his drive to learn and study at the same level as everyone else, in an effort to show his worth, but turning around to recognize that despite what the cultural stigma was telling him, he was always worthy. Now pursuing a passion in film, Nikhil inspires how to embrace our identities and follow our dreams.

Today on Human First Podcast (@humanfirst.podcast), Alia is joined by Megan Chambers (@msegallybpd). Megan was first diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in early 2017. After breaking her tailbone, losing her job, and the pandemic, Megan found herself to be hit hard emotionally, and lost many relationships due to her BPD and the most recent incidents. Megan walks us through what it means to split, the idea of favourite personism, and what helps her to emotionally regulate. Megan now works as a lawyer where she finds herself advocating for mental health within the profession.

Today on Human First Podcast (@humanfirst.podcast), Alia is joined by Kevin Clark (@kevinmacnevinclark). Growing up with big and loud emotions and the trauma of specific childhood experiences, Kevin found substances as a protective mechanism to escape thoughts, feelings, and intrusive memories. After a spiritual awakening in the woods and physically being separated from substances while being in prison for 11 months, Kevin surrendered to his new found path of sobriety. Kevin takes us through his healing process with the 12-step program and where he now uses his lived experience to help others as a counsellor and in writing his own book “The New Prophet”.

Check out Kevin’s new book and counselling services:

https://www.thenewprophet.org/

https://excelsioraddictionservices.wordpress.com/

On this episode of Human First Podcast (@humanfirst.podcast), Alia is joined by Cristina Ferreira (@cristinaaif). At the beginning of 2020, Cristina suffered a tonic clonic seizure and was later diagnosed with epilepsy. The week after her diagnosis, BC went into complete lockdown due to COVID-19. Cristina shares with us the state of her mental health during this time as she noticed depression settle in all while working as a registered nurse at the peak of pandemic. Cristina highlights the need to slow down, listen to the body, and put the self first to heal.