Today we’re talking with Dr. Sophia Lubin about menopause and perimenopause. Dr. Sophia has been a board-certified ObGyn for over 15 years and as a women’s health and well-being enthusiast, she spreads her knowledge and care through her “Dr. Sophia, ObGyn Podcast” where she helps women learn about their bodies and embrace themselves. Our conversation covers a wide range of information about what menopause really is, the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, how to ask for treatment, and...

Today’s mini-episode is a conversation with Dr. Jill L. Creighton, a higher education professional and the host of SA Voices from the Field Podcast. She came to talk with us about her experience as a transracial adoptee and how she would like to see adoption represented on film and television. Also be sure to listen to our other episode on adoption with research sociologist, Gretchen Sisson -- braaainspodcast.com/episodes/adoption DOWNLOAD THE TRANSCRIPT HERE: ...

Today we’re talking with Gretchen Sisson, a research sociologist with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, a critical, ten-year examination of domestic adoption. Centering on the stories of relinquishing mothers, the book chronicles America's refusal to...

Today’s mini-episode is all about working with consultants and team members with lived experience on projects about mental health and disability. Our conversation is with Karen and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy, sisters and the co-creators of the new CW and CTV show, SIGHT UNSEEN. The series is about a homicide detective who rapidly loses her vision and has to quit the homicide force. When she leaves, she’s haunted by the cases she’s left behind and is determined to solve them with the help of her...

Today's guests, Karen and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy, are the co-creators of the new CW and CTV show, SIGHT UNSEEN. The series is about a homicide detective who rapidly loses her vision and has to quit the homicide force. When she leaves, she’s haunted by the cases she’s left behind and is determined to solve them with the help of her visual guide via a visual assistance app. In this episode, we discuss sight loss, the representation of vision loss and blindness on SIGHT UNSEEN, and what...

For today's mini-episode, we're chatting with New York Times best-selling author Bassey Ikpi about the depiction of mental illness (specifically Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD) in The CW's musical comedy-drama series My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) by Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna. Our guest Bassey Ikpi is a Nigerian-American, ex-poet, current writer, mental health advocate, underachieving overachiever, and memoir procrastinator. Her best selling book I’m Telling the Truth...

Welcome to season three of Braaains! Today we have the pleasure of talking with New York Times Best Selling author Bassey Ikpi about Bipolar II disorder, how she got her diagnosis, and the representation of bipolar and depression on shows like Atlanta, Insecure, and Dave. Bassey is a Nigerian-American, ex-poet, current writer, mental health advocate, underachieving overachiever, and memoir procrastinator. Her best selling book I’m Telling the Truth But I’m Lying is available in both print...

Today is our last episode of 2023 just in time for the holidays. We bring all of the Taylor/Deppisch siblings together – our little sister, Becky Taylor, and our little brother, Jonathan Deppisch – who is also our composer – to discuss how to deal with stress and protect your mental health over the holidays! We’re especially grateful for all of our listeners, friends, and family who submitted voice recordings, and text messages with advice on how to deal with your mental health over the...

In the penultimate episode of our second season, we’re looking at the experiences and representation of Traumatic Brain Injuries, or TBIs with our guest, Naomi Mellor. Naomi is an equine veterinarian and podcaster, who not only runs a podcast production company but also founded the amazing International Women’s Podcast Awards. We discuss how a TBI can impact you with symptoms like headaches, neuro exhaustion, double vision, depth perception issues, sensory stimulation overload, and how Naomi...

We’re mixing things up today with a conversation about the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and their research on representation in film and TV. We spoke with Katherine Pieper, the program director at the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. As the leading global think tank studying inclusion in media, the initiative examines the prevalence and portrayal of groups such as: girls and women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and mental health conditions. They analyze who...

Happy Halloween!! In our second SPOOOKY episode for October, we’re talking all about ghosts with the spooktacular host of Geist, Danielle Matar. We discuss why we, as a society, have such a fascination with ghost stories, the paranormal, and what happens to us after we die. We also look at the impact on our brains when we experience these types of unexplainable experiences and how to avoid trauma after an experience with something you think is supernatural. TRANSCRIPT Contact us:...

As part of SPOOOOOOKY month, we touch on topics in the next two episodes that are often the subject of horror films – and we look at their impact on our brains. Today, we have the fabulous Guinevere Turner as our guest. She is the screenwriter of films like American Psycho and Charlie Says, and has recently published ‘When the World Didn’t End,’ a book about her experiences growing up in a cult. In this episode, we do a deep, deep dive into the representation of cults in film and TV and look...

Steph is a psychologist and host of the Psychocinematic podcast who currently works in Disability Inclusion in schools in Naarm (Melbourne) and has her own mental illness lived experience. Steph joins us to discuss how you approach disclosure, concerns around discrimination about disclosure and how to address it, and why some people incorporate their mental illness or disability into their identity after disclosure. This is episode three of our three-part series, You're Not Alone: Navigating...

Dr. Lily Le, a registered psychologist and Director of Clinical Innovation at the mental health tech company, DiveThru, discusses how to take the next step when you need help with a mental illness or are looking to improve your mental health. We also get advice on what to do when it’s difficult to see a therapist due to affordability or long wait times and the importance of having a support system in place. This is episode two of our three-part series, You're Not Alone: Navigating Life with...

Amie Archibald-Varley, Nurse, Health Equity Specialist, and co-host of the Gritty Nurse Podcast, joins us to talk about stigma, where it comes from, and how it leads to discrimination. This episode (which is part one of our three-part series) will inform you on how to prevent and address stigmas as well as be a good ally. You're Not Alone: Navigating Life with Mental Illness is a three-part series for Mental Illness Awareness Week 2023 (October 1 - 7) that explores mental illness, the...

Launching October 3rd, Braaains's three-part mini-series, You’re Not Alone: Navigating Life with Mental Illness, explores mental illness, the barriers that can block your journey to good mental health, and how stigmas, diagnoses, and disclosure are represented on film and television. It's out October 3 - 5 for Mental Illness Awareness Week 2023. See more here: https://braaainspodcast.com/miaw2023   Episode One: How Stigma Hurts Everyone RELEASE DATE: Tuesday, October 3, 2023 Interviewee:...

A counselor and advocate, Mark Power works with former inmates to help them reintegrate into life after prison. In Mark’s words, the slippery slope around “the company we keep” or worse “relational disconnection” re-emerges in most second chancer's stories. The pull to reunite with old associates, friends, and even criminal families is often the path of least resistance. We discuss a wide range of topics today around justice, reintegration, and forgiveness. This includes conversations around...

Our guest Rae McDaniel is a non-binary Speaker, Author, Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, Coach, and Transgender Diversity and Inclusion Educator. In this episode, we talk about gender identity, exploration, expression, AND freedom and how your mental health is overwhelmingly better when you can authentically be yourself. We also discuss TV shows like Pose, Sense8, The Politician, and Mae Martin’s Feel Good that include or showcase stories of transgender and non-binary individuals and...

In 2017, Canadian director Lindsay MacKay had a brain aneurysm that almost killed her. She joins us today to talk about that experience, the warning signs that can happen (but sometimes don’t), and what the aftermath and recovery were like. We also discuss how Lindsay used the experience of her brain aneurysm to inform her direction of Kate Hewlett’s The Swearing Jar and how Lindsay adjusted her work environment to better serve her brain. Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com Follow:...

Nafisa Moallim, a therapist and Registered Social Worker with a Clinical Master of Social Work, joins us to talk about immigration and bicultural identity. As a Somali-Canadian refugee, Nafisa has extensive lived experiences navigating two identities and learning the language of trauma. Her biggest passion is for advocating for how to discuss mental health in immigrant and refugee populations. We dig deep into the series Virgins on CBC Gem in Canada. Set in Toronto, virgins! is a dramatic...

Today is the episode you’ve all been waiting for – ADHD! Our guest, Rach Idowu was diagnosed with ADHD Combined Type on January 2020 at the age of 26. Shortly after her diagnosis, she decided to start her AdultingADHD substack newsletter to document her own personal experience. Rach has been featured in the NYTimes, BBC, Stylist, and Mashable among others. She has also created flashcards to help adults with ADHD learn more about ADHD traits including coping strategies. We discussed the long...

Today’s episode is about diabetes and we are excited to talk with writer, science communications professional, and podcast producer and host, Krista Lamb, who recently released her book ‘Beyond Banting: Decoding Canada’s Diabetes Research Superstars.’ During our conversation, we discussed the different types of diabetes that present (type one and type two), the stigmas associated with diabetes, and the impact this chronic illness has on a person’s mental health. Together, we also explore how...

On today’s episode, we dive into the world of autism with Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt who is a writer, actress, and consultant/advocate for diversity, autism, and disability representation in entertainment.  We discussed how Ava got her autism diagnosis and what it meant for her, what stigmas she and other autistics often face, and how she would like to create inclusive autism representation on and off screen. We also talked about the representation of autism in television shows such as As We...

Respectability alum, Michael J. Dougherty, talks with us about Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus and disability representation in Guillermo del Toro films such as The Devil’s Backbone and The Shape of Water. Michael is a film person, screenwriter, essayist, occasional actor, and advocate living & working in Hollywood. He’s also the co-founder of the ReelAbilities Film Festival: Los Angeles, entering its 6th year, which presents films and discussions by and about the disability community. ...