CDI College Career Buzz

This episode deals with body acceptance from a whole and healthy perspective. Diana Bedoya is a Senior Lecturer at Simon Fraser University where she has been the recipient of a Faculty of Science Teaching Fellow and Excellence in Teaching Award. She is a passionate educator, motivational speaker and the author of two nutrition textbooks. She teaches people to love and appreciate their bodies as a way of loving and appreciating themselves. Listen as she and Jennifer sit down to discuss the basic, actionable ways in which we can cultivate this self-love and self-acceptance both within and in our circles.

Hear from CDI College grad Carly, a Licenced Practical Nurse (LPN), talk about mental health for healthcare professionals. The news shows myriad stories of doctors and nurses going through burnout as the pandemic takes its toll on healthcare workers. Whether you are studying to become a nurse or are already one, in this episode, we talk about the challenges of finishing school, adapting to changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, looking for mental support through building relationships at work, and the importance of self-care as medical professionals. The most important ingredient, however, is a passion for your career field.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains accounts from the residential school system and can be triggering to listeners. Please exercise self-care and caution. The Indian residential school system was a part of Canada's history from the 1600s all the way until the 1990s. Financed and designed by the Canadian government, its far-reaching tentacles of trauma and abuse disrupt the lives of indigenous people and communities even today. The residential school system was designed to break family ties and erase the culture of Indigenous peoples. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous, Inuit and Metis children were subjected to this debilitating system, with a large number of deaths going unrecorded. Darlene Bodnariuk bore witness to those children and families when she was forcibly sent to a residential school near Onion Lake, SK. An incredibly strong and powerful soul, Darlene has risen above what she was ‘taught' at the residential institution. Overcoming the shame that they imparted, she raised her own children with only love, she educated herself and achieved her Social Work degree, and currently works as the director of Child Welfare in Onion Lake, SK. She works to reunify families, bringing them together and speaking for them, because she knows the harm that comes from being disconnected. Darlene and her daughter, Tiffaney (campus director of CDI College Edmonton) join us in this episode. Listen to Darlene's account as she shares publicly for the first time. Let us hold space for indigenous voices and really learn (and unlearn colonial conditioning) from their stories.

Mental health counsellor and pastor, Sam Chung, joins us this month to discuss current issues in the world of mental health. The pandemic has opened doors in the field; virtual counselling has made it much more accessible to people all over the country and more people than ever have become aware and interested in exploring therapy options for themselves. We also discuss how famous athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka who have put their own mental wellbeing first, before performance and achievement, are setting a precedent for how attitudes are changing. As always, we pick Sam's brain for actionable and easy ways that students and employees can implement in their daily life. As a licenced counsellor of strong faith, Sam is able to give a very clear and useful perspective on how we can prioritize our emotional, mental and spiritual welfare. 

While we no longer expect our men to be strong and silent anymore, male mental health is still a shadowy topic. Socially, those identifying as males face more barriers to express vulnerability. Dr. Ben (he/him) stresses the importance of awareness and expression in the mental health field. We ask him about his unique journey in life, growing up as one of 12 children in a large, hardworking family, going on to get 4 degrees and becoming a doctor. He goes beyond traditional medicine to integrate mental health and preventative practices into his healing work. Listen to episode 2 of CDI Colleges Pick Me Up Podcast as we uncover the truth about Men's Mental Health and what role gender plays in emotion. 

In CDI College's very first episode, Jennifer-Lee & counsellor Angela Leung dig into juicy topics like collective, generational trauma and the unique mental health struggles faced by first-generation Canadians growing up with immigrant parents. One of our favourite takeaways: “Crazy” is a cuss word! They include helpful tips for listeners about how to maintain good mental health as well as how to go about seeking professional help. Check it out, you'll enjoy this one.