One Door

Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association

One Door is a podcast about courage, survival, and the urgent need to change how we respond to violence against women. For more than 40 years, the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre has been a place of safety, support, and connection for women, youth, and families across the community. But the reality is clear: violence against women is not a private issue, a rare issue, or someone else’s issue. It is an epidemic that reaches into homes, workplaces, schools, families, and communities, often quietly, often invisibly, and far too often without the coordinated support people need when they are ready to ask for help. This series tells the stories behind that need. Through conversations with frontline workers, survivors, advocates, community leaders, and those working to build a better future, One Door explores what it really takes to support women and families experiencing violence, trauma, poverty, housing insecurity, legal barriers, and isolation. At the heart of the series is a bold vision: a $5 million campaign to create a first-of-its-kind collaborative hub in Antigonish. A safe, dignified, supportive place where women and families can access coordinated, wraparound support behind One Door.

Episodes

  1. 6h ago

    Workplaces, Warnings, and What We Ignore

    At first glance, a mass casualty event looks like a single, isolated tragedy. But for trauma therapist and social worker Kristina Fifield, what happened in rural Nova Scotia in April 2020 is part of a much longer story: one of serial perpetrators, ignored warnings, and systems that normalize violence until it explodes in public view. For nearly two decades, Kristina has worked on the frontlines of gender‑based and intimate partner violence—from transition houses and sexual assault centres to her role in shaping the Avalon report for the Mass Casualty Commission. In this episode, host Alex sits down with Kristina to trace the perpetrator’s long history of harm, and the many opportunities institutions had to intervene but didn’t. Drawing on her work with survivors, families, and marginalized communities, she explains how misogyny, extremism, and online “manosphere” spaces are on the rise—even as public conversations about gender‑based violence have become more visible. Underfunded community organizations, overburdened staff, and systems that punish people for their trauma responses all combine to leave survivors not just unsupported, but often actively harmed when they seek help. Together, they explore how workplaces, diagnoses, and media narratives can either reinforce or disrupt that harm. Kristina talks about the gender‑based violence that was happening at work long before the mass casualty, why that piece was deemed “out of mandate,” and what it reveals about how we treat violence in professional settings. She also shares how she and her colleagues designed a trauma‑sensitive process for the Avalon report—ensuring survivors had choice, safety, and control over their own stories, even as media and public curiosity pushed for sensational details. They discuss: Why looking only at the two days of the mass casualty misses the perpetrator’s long pattern of community and workplace violenceHow misogyny, extremism, and “manosphere” spaces have intensified since 2020, despite more public talk about gender‑based violenceThe impacts of chronic underfunding on shelters, women’s centres, and sexual assault services—and how that translates into barriers and retraumatization for survivorsWhy addiction is often a trauma response, and how fear and stigma among service providers lead to people being excluded from “safe” spacesHow diagnoses like borderline personality disorder can be weaponized against women and gender‑diverse people, undermining their credibility and access to supportThe gap between adding “harassment” to Occupational Health and Safety legislation and actually addressing gender‑based violence in workplacesWhat was missed when workplace violence at the denture clinic was ruled outside the Mass Casualty Commission’s mandateThe ethics of storytelling: how Kristina worked with survivors to co‑create the Avalon report, avoid exploitation, and push back on media pressure for graphic, sensational contentWhy she believes talking to media is now part of her job as a therapist—and how careful, trauma‑informed communication can challenge victim‑blaming and shift public understandingFrom missed warnings and normalized harm to the quiet resistance of survivors who chose the terms of their own participation, this conversation asks what it would mean to truly see gender‑based violence as part of our everyday systems—especially in workplaces—and what’s required of all of us if we want those systems to change. At the end of the episode, you’ll hear how the One Door project is working to pull these threads together: building a coordinated, purpose‑built hub where women, youth, elders, and gender‑diverse people in rural Nova Scotia can access trauma‑informed support, advocacy, and healthcare in one safe, dignified space—without having to retell their story to system after system that wasn’t built for them. Learn More & Support One Door To learn more about the One Door campaign, the new purpose‑built centre, and how you can support this $5 million capital project, visit: https://onedoor.awrcsasa.ca Chapters 0:00 Patterns, Perpetrators & Normalized Violence0:42 Kristina’s Path into Gender‑Based Violence Work1:57 Bringing a GBV Lens to the Mass Casualty Commission4:04 Serial Perpetrators & What Has (Not) Changed Since 20204:42 Misogyny, Extremism & the “Manosphere”5:25 Underfunded Services & Survivors Being Failed7:04 Addiction as a Trauma Response7:24 Fear, Substance Use & “Safe” Spaces8:43 Bias, BPD Labels & Weaponized Diagnoses10:20 Dysregulated Systems vs. Present, Trauma‑Informed Care11:24 Workplace Training, Harassment Laws & Missing Accountability12:10 Gender‑Based Violence in Workplaces13:10 Workplace Violence & What the Commission Left Out14:14 Fighting to Have Gender‑Based Violence Recognized16:10 Designing the Avalon Report with Survivors17:20 Trauma‑Sensitive Gatherings & Safe Spaces18:07 Media Kits, Victim‑Blaming & Educating Journalists19:30 Refusing to Sensationalize Survivors’ Stories20:00 Power, Control & Setting Boundaries with Media21:25 Why a Therapist Talks to Media Anyway22:08 Closing & Call to Support One Door

    Workplaces, Warnings, and What We Ignore

  2. Jul 10

    Words, Wages, and Where to Go

    At women’s centres across rural Nova Scotia, staff are asked to be everything at once: advocate, crisis worker, housing navigator, grant writer, and sometimes the only safe door in town. They support women and gender-diverse people navigating violence, poverty, isolation, and impossible choices—often while running entire centres on what amounts to a single person’s salary. In this episode, host Alex sits down with Cora Cole, coordinator of Women’s Centres Connect, the provincial association representing nine women’s centres across Nova Scotia. Since the late 1980s, Connect has acted as the “glue” between grassroots centres—amplifying their collective voice, pushing back on harmful policies, and fighting for sustainable funding so rural communities aren’t left behind. From transportation deserts and fixed-term leases to waitlists for grief counselling and basic hygiene supplies, Cora lays bare what it means to hold an entire social safety net together with limited resources and unlimited need. Together, they explore how language, money, and mobility shape women’s real options when it comes to safety. They discuss: Why calling gender‑based violence an epidemic misses the point—and why recognizing it as endemic forces us to confront decades of inactionHow “softening” words like rape into more palatable terms can dull public understanding and hide the true impact of violenceThe invisible price of leaving: from $175 cab rides out of rural communities to food deserts where the gas station is the only source of “groceries”How underfunding and short-term project grants pit women’s centres and shelters against each other, turning collaboration into competitionThe emotional toll of endlessly reframing obvious needs—like a provincial outreach coordinator—into funder‑friendly language, only to be denied anywayWhat “one door, any reason” really looks like on the ground, and why a woman might first show up for a backpack, a fax, or a knitting group long before she discloses violenceThe role of intergenerational trauma, wage inequality, and the gig economy in keeping people trapped in unsafe situations with nowhere to goFrom the politics of naming gender‑based violence to the practical realities of running a women’s centre on a shoestring, Cora reveals how words, wages, and the basic question of “where can I go?” shape the lives of women and families across the province—and what’s at stake when the only door in a community is forced to do more with less, year after year.At the end of the episode, you’ll hear how the One Door project aims to bring these wraparound supports under one roof—creating a coordinated, purpose‑built hub where women, youth, elders, and gender‑diverse people in rural Nova Scotia can access safety, advocacy, healthcare, and community without having to navigate a maze of systems alone. Learn More & Support One Door: To learn more about the One Door campaign, the new purpose-built centre, and how you can support this $5 million capital project, visit: https://onedoor.awrcsasa.ca Chapters: 0:00 Gender-Based Violence Is Not a Blip  0:42 What Is Connect?  1:57 Rural Barriers & Food Deserts  3:22 Language: Rape vs Sexual Assault  4:20 Epidemic vs Endemic GBV  6:36 Advocacy Trade-Offs & Funding  7:22 Social Media Censorship & Euphemisms  9:22 Different Communities, Different Needs  11:17 How Client Needs Have Changed  12:51 Economics, Housing & Ability to Leave  13:40 “For the Love of My Sister”  16:41 Media, Justice & Invisible Victims  19:08 Changing Victim Services  20:15 Intergenerational Trauma Analogy  22:52 Breaking Cycles & Financial Control  24:02 The Economic Cost of GBV  24:55 Workplaces & Domestic Violence Leave  26:01 Gig Economy Risks for Women  28:20 Art as an Amplifier  30:29 “What Would You Pack to Flee?”  31:45 Housing & Cost of Living Crisis  33:00 Systems, Silos & Intersectionality  34:55 Women’s Health Strategy Barriers  36:27 Recent Wins for Women’s Centres  38:18 Waitlists & Basic Needs  39:26 “One Door Any Reason” Philosophy  42:16 What to Expect at a Women’s Centre  44:07 Louise’s Tree & Community Legacy  45:24 Closing & Call to Support One Door

    Words, Wages, and Where to Go

  3. Jun 26

    Beyond Fight or Flight

    At the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre in northeastern Nova Scotia, a single trauma therapist is supporting women and gender-diverse people from Antigonish, Guysborough County, and surrounding rural communities—many of whom have carried their stories alone for years. Some arrive after recent assaults or crises; others come with wounds from childhood that have shaped every part of their adult lives. In this episode, host Alex sits down with Terri Pitts, a Registered Counselling Therapist with over ten years’ experience specializing in trauma. Terri supports people of all genders, 16 and older, who have experienced sexual trauma and gender-based violence, along with other mental health concerns. Grounded in non-profit women’s centre work, her practice is feminist, client-centred, and deeply relational—helping people understand their experiences, reauthor their stories, and learn to manage their emotional and mental well-being. Together, they explore what trauma therapy really looks like beyond the familiar language of “fight or flight.” They discuss: How early access to trauma‑informed care can prevent long‑term anxiety, depression, shame, and health problems  Why people often wait years to seek help—and how fear, shame, and bad past experiences with systems like policing or healthcare keep survivors silent  What actually happens in a first session, from concrete explanations of what to expect to reducing no‑shows by easing pre‑appointment anxiety  How concepts like the window of tolerance, freeze, and fawn responses help survivors understand that their reactions were survival strategies—not personal failures  The role of narrative therapy, EMDR, and a client‑centred approach in gently “reauthoring” shame‑based stories and rebuilding a sense of safety and control  Why wraparound, one‑door support—where trauma therapy, support workers, and nurse practitioners work under one roof—can keep people from falling through the cracks  From rising rates and awareness of gender‑based violence to the impact of social media on how we talk about trauma, Terri reveals both the possibilities and the limits of rural mental health systems—and what’s at stake for families and whole communities when survivors can’t access care. At the end of the episode, you’ll hear how the One Door project aims to expand space, add more students and groups, shorten waitlists, and create a safe, integrated hub where women, youth, elders, and gender‑diverse people across rural Nova Scotia can heal, learn, and thrive. Learn More & Support One Door: To learn more about the One Door campaign, the new purpose-built centre, and how you can support this $5 million capital project, visit:  https://onedoor.awrcsasa.ca Chapters: 00:00 – Why Trauma Therapy Matters00:57 – Meet Terri Pitts & the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre01:22 – What Is Trauma Therapy?02:13 – How Long Does Trauma Therapy Take?03:09 – The Power of Early Intervention04:16 – Removing Barriers to Accessing Care05:15 – Working with Long‑Term and Childhood Trauma07:12 – The First Visit: What to Expect09:37 – Shame, “I Let It Happen,” and Reauthoring the Story11:23 – Beyond Fight or Flight: Freeze & Fawn in the Mainstream13:00 – Why Retelling Trauma Can Be Harmful14:19 – Negative Responses from Systems & Supports16:18 – What Clients Are Facing in Antigonish & Guysborough17:25 – Collaboration, Referrals, and Wraparound Care18:10 – Therapeutic Modalities: Narrative, EMDR, and Client‑Centred Work20:10 – Waitlists, Priority Triage, and Support Workers21:49 – Bringing Trauma Therapy to Guysborough County23:14 – Why People Don’t Reach Out Sooner25:35 – Training the Next Generation: Student Counsellors & Youth Group27:36 – Rising Awareness of Gender‑Based Violence29:14 – Naming Violence Gently31:06 – One Door, Many Supports: The Wraparound Model35:00 – Looking Ahead: The New Centre & More Capacity36:10 – What Trauma Therapy Really Looks Like38:45 – The Window of Tolerance & Survival States40:38 – Building Emotional Regulation Tools That Fit the Client42:41 – Processing Trauma & Rewriting the Narrative46:14 – Hopes for Therapy & Knowing When It’s Working47:22 – What’s at Stake if Services Don’t Grow49:18 – Closing & Call to Support One Door

  4. Jun 12

    Women’s Healthcare on the Frontlines

    At Lindsay’s Health Clinic in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, a single exam room is serving women and gender-diverse people from across an entire region and beyond. Some patients are driving from Halifax, Cape Breton, and rural Guysborough County. Many haven’t seen a provider in years. In this episode, host Alex sits down with nurse practitioner Pam Reyes and clinic coordinator Denise McCarran Hart to explore what women’s healthcare really looks like in rural Nova Scotia today. They discuss: How provider retirements, long waitlists, and tech barriers are leaving seniors and families without careWhy patients are turning to the clinic for support with menopause, endometriosis, and other chronic conditions after feeling unheard elsewhereThe limits of virtual care for sensitive issues and why in‑person, trauma‑informed spaces matterHow gender-affirming care is evolving in the province—and the gaps that still exist in rural communitiesThe emotional toll of delayed care and what happens when people navigate serious health issues aloneThe vision for One Door: expanded hours, more providers, after-hours clinics, and true wraparound services under one roofFrom transportation and weather to work schedules and financial strain, Pam and Denise reveal the hidden barriers that keep people from getting care and how a collaborative, community-based clinic is trying to change that. At the end of the episode, you’ll hear how you can support the One Door project and help build a safer, more accessible future for women, families, and gender-diverse people across rural Nova Scotia. Learn More & Support One Door:To learn more about the One Door campaign, the new purpose-built centre, and how you can support this $5 million capital project, visit:  https://onedoor.awrcsasa.ca

    Women’s Healthcare on the Frontlines

  5. May 29

    A Hub for Hope and Safety

    Welcome to the first episode of the One Door podcast, a series that shines a light on the people, places, and ideas reimagining safety, support, and dignity for women, youth, and families in rural Nova Scotia and beyond. In our first episode, we explore the vision behind One Door, a purpose-built hub led by the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association (AWRCSASA). The goal: when someone walks through one door, they can access coordinated, wraparound support, so no one falls through the cracks. Host Alexandra MacRae is joined by: Anita Stewart – Executive Director, Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association  Natalie Leonard – Founding Partner & Senior Engineer, Passive Design Solutions  Barbara McLean – Former Deputy Chief, Toronto Police Service; former Investigations Director & spokesperson, Mass Casualty Commission  Episode 1 sets the tone for the series: real stories, honest conversations, and a clear vision for a safer future, one door at a time. About Lindsay’s Health Centre The new One Door hub will include Lindsay’s Health Centre, opened in February 2005 in memory of Dr. Lindsay Myers, a respected Antigonish psychiatrist. Dr. Myers was a strong advocate for social justice, peace, and anti-poverty initiatives, committed to building a healthier community. Lindsay’s Health Centre continues her legacy through compassionate, community-rooted health services for women, youth, and families. Anita Stewart – Executive Director, AWRC & Sexual Assault Services Association Anita Stewart leads the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association, serving Antigonish and Guysborough counties. She and her team support women, gender-diverse folks, youth, and families navigating violence, poverty, mental health challenges, addictions, housing insecurity, and systemic barriers. Anita is a key driver behind the One Door model and capital campaign. Natalie Leonard – Founding Partner & Senior Engineer, Passive Design SolutionsWith a background in construction, Natalie Leonard is the Founding Partner at Passive Design Solutions (PDS) and a senior engineer. Driven by a commitment to equality and planetary health, she became the first certified Passive House Consultant and builder in Canada. Since 2009, PDS has focused exclusively on Passive House and Net Zero projects. Their values align closely with AWRCSASA’s community-based vision for the new centre. Barbara McLean – Former Deputy Chief, Toronto Police ServiceOriginally from Antigonish, Barbara McLean spent 32 years with the Toronto Police Service, retiring as a Deputy Chief overseeing Human Resources Command. She later served as Investigations Director and spokesperson for the Mass Casualty Commission, examining the police response to the events of April 18–19, 2020. Now retired in Nova Scotia, she continues to champion safer, more inclusive communities and the crucial role of grassroots organizations. Learn More & Support One Door: To learn more about the One Door campaign, the new purpose-built centre, and how you can support this $5 million capital project, visit:   https://onedoor.awrcsasa.ca

    A Hub for Hope and Safety

  6. May 20

    One Door Trailer

    One Door is a podcast about courage, survival, and the urgent need to change how we respond to violence against women. For more than 40 years, the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre has been a place of safety, support, and connection for women, youth, and families across the community. But the reality is clear: violence against women is not a private issue, a rare issue, or someone else’s issue. It is an epidemic that reaches into homes, workplaces, schools, families, and communities — often quietly, often invisibly, and far too often without the coordinated support people need when they are ready to ask for help. This series tells the stories behind that need. Through conversations with frontline workers, survivors, advocates, community leaders, and those working to build a better future, One Door explores what it really takes to support women and families experiencing violence, trauma, poverty, housing insecurity, legal barriers, and isolation. At the heart of the series is a bold vision: a $5 million campaign to create a first-of-its-kind collaborative hub in Antigonish. A safe, dignified, supportive place where women and families can access coordinated, wraparound support under one roof. One door. Many kinds of help. A community choosing to respond. Learn more: https://onedoor.awrcsasa.ca/Hosted by Alexandra MacRae

  • 6 Episodes

About

One Door is a podcast about courage, survival, and the urgent need to change how we respond to violence against women. For more than 40 years, the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre has been a place of safety, support, and connection for women, youth, and families across the community. But the reality is clear: violence against women is not a private issue, a rare issue, or someone else’s issue. It is an epidemic that reaches into homes, workplaces, schools, families, and communities, often quietly, often invisibly, and far too often without the coordinated support people need when they are ready to ask for help. This series tells the stories behind that need. Through conversations with frontline workers, survivors, advocates, community leaders, and those working to build a better future, One Door explores what it really takes to support women and families experiencing violence, trauma, poverty, housing insecurity, legal barriers, and isolation. At the heart of the series is a bold vision: a $5 million campaign to create a first-of-its-kind collaborative hub in Antigonish. A safe, dignified, supportive place where women and families can access coordinated, wraparound support behind One Door.

Information

  • Creator
    Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association
  • Show Website
    One Door