As I, A Peer | A podcast presented by CMHA Calgary
As I, A Peer is a podcast presented by the Canadian Mental Health Association Calgary Region, dedicated to sharing the powerful stories of lived experience with mental health and recovery. In Season One, we’re diving into the transformative world of Peer Support – authentic, person-centered connections that foster hope, understanding, and resilience. Each episode features meaningful conversations with peers who’ve walked their own mental health journeys, offering insights into the value of shared experiences and the power of community. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, resources, or simply a safe space to feel heard, As I, A Peer is your companion on the path to healing and growth. Join us as we explore Peer Support and its impact – one story at a time.
Episodes
In this episode of As I, A Peer, we sit down with Melanie Vernon, a chronic pain peer support worker, mental health advocate, and CMHA Calgary School of Peer Support alum.
Melanie shares her deeply personal story of growing up in a household where everything looked perfect from the outside, but inside was a world shaped by trauma, neglect, and survival. As the “good kid” in a family consumed by chaos, Melanie learned to shrink her ...
In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re excited to sit down with Sadaf, a thoughtful peer, mental health advocate, and former Peer School Facilitator with CMHA Calgary.
Sadaf shares her powerful journey of navigating identity, culture, and mental health — from growing up in Calgary as a child of Pakistani immigrants to finding her voice in spaces that didn’t always make room for her full self. Struggling to blend in while holding on...
In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re honoured to welcome Wakefield Brewster, a celebrated poet, wellness practitioner, and Calgary’s 2022- 2024 Poet Laureate.
Wakefield shares his journey of healing, shaped by early life challenges, substance use, and the ongoing process of navigating mental wellness. Growing up in Toronto as the child of Barbadian immigrants, Wakefield often felt misunderstood and disconnected in systems that we...
In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re honoured to welcome Kyla Ricard, a dedicated Peer Support Worker from Calgary, Alberta.
Kyla Ricard’s path to peer support was shaped by her personal experiences of being unhoused, mental health struggles, and the search for connection. After working in a remote tree-planting camp, she found herself navigating the realities of being unhoused in both Edmonton and Calgary, facing isolation, slee...
In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re honoured to welcome Dr. Michael Trew, a distinguished psychiatrist whose career has spanned over four decades. Dr. Trew’s journey in mental health began with his education at the University of Saskatchewan, Calgary, and Manchester, leading to his certification as a psychiatrist in 1982. His dedication to the field saw him leading the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service at Foothills Medical...
In this episode of As I, A Peer, we’re thrilled to welcome Nova McGillivray, a dedicated peer support facilitator from Calgary, Alberta. Nova’s journey into peer support began in 2013, when she struggled to find any support groups in the city for postpartum depression. Motivated by this gap, she took matters into her own hands, starting to facilitate group sessions herself. Since 2018, she has been offering one-on-one support, alwa...
In this episode of As I, A Peer, we are thrilled to welcome Kamika Bianca Guerra-Walker, a visionary multidisciplinary artist of Jamaican and Chilean heritage, who has been named Calgary’s 2024 Emerging Artist of the Year. Kamika is a filmmaker, producer, writer, and mental health advocate whose work has earned recognition from renowned organizations such as Netflix, Telefilm, the Canadian Academy of Cinema & Television, and ma...
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