In this episode of I Have My Reasons, Deandra Dey sits down with Tamara Lich. Tamara is a Metis grandmother, musician, author and activist. Tamara is well known for her involvement with the Freedom Convoy Protest, a massive national protest movement that took place in February 2022 calling for the end to vaccine and lockdown mandates imposed during the COVID 19 pandemic. 

When this podcast was recorded Tamara was still awaiting the verdict for charges pressed against her by the Crown. While the media has portrayed a very specific story about who Tamara is and what the Freedom Convoy protest was all about, Tamara is here on this podcast sharing pieces of her story.

In this podcast we discuss:

- The misconceptions of the freedom convoy movement

- Some of the finer details of the protest 

- How she became involved in the movement 

- Tamara personal experience and life as she awaits her verdict 

- Her take on politics now 

... And more!

Show Links:
Military Propaganda Testing- Ottawa Citizen

Hold the Line- Tamara Lich

Judge Rules Use of The Emergencies Act Violation of Protesters Charter of Rights and Freedoms 

Connect with Deandra 

Grit and Growth Wellness
Deandra’s Instagram
Deandra Website 

In this episode of I Have My Reasons, Deandra sits down with Anishinabe Elder Bev Rita Jones. Bev is a non traditionalist Elder who is from Keeseekoowenin First Nation in Manitoba Canada. In this episode Deandra and Bev discuss Bev's documentary "Policy Baby" where is which she shares her remarkable journey growing up in- between two worlds deeply impacted by colonial policy. Bev also shares heartfelt stories about her healing journey as well as some really important upcoming initiatives such as her Annual Water Walk and her ceremony planned for June 21st in Riding Mountain National Park.

Get in touch with BevRita Jones:
Anishinaabe Ikwe Water Walk June 13-17
Policy Baby Trailer
Email: ritaredbev@gmail.com

Connect with Deandra:
Grit and Growth Wellness
Deandra’s Instagram
Deandra Website

In this episode of I Have My Reasons Deandra sits down for the second time with Astrologer and Jungian dream analyst Martin Comtois. Martin was visiting Manitoba on his journey across Canada to care for his mother during the last weeks of her life. Deandra and Martin recorded this podcast during the April solar eclipse, an auspicious time!  In this conversation, they are talking specifically about Dreamwork!

Connect with Martin:
Healer Dreamer Astrology
Youtube
Email

Connect with Deandra:
Grit and Growth Wellness
Deandra’s Instagram
Deandra Website

In this episode of I Have My Reasons Deandra sits down with Juno nominated singer- songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Cara Luft. As a Folk heroine Luft deserves her solid reputation as one of Canada’s finest live performers whose engaging, down-home style comes wrapped in a warm and delicious sense of humor.

In this episode Deandra and Cara discuss:

Cara’s childhood steeped in music and community
Being a woman in the changing and evolving music industry
The archetype of the artist and landing in trust
The beginning of the crowd funding and patreon era
Life performance and community connection

And more!


Connect with Cara Luft:
Website
Instagram
Spotify

Connect with Deandra:
Grit and Growth Wellness
Deandra’s Instagram
Deandra Website

In this episode of I Have My Reasons, Deandra and Karli sit down with Sarah Salter Kelly who was visiting and offering workshops in Erickson Manitoba this past spring. Sarah is a talented writer, healer and speaker.

Her wisdom is authentic, embodied and hard won – generated through years of integrating the tragic homicide of her mother and learning to forgive the perpetrator – alongside 30 years of studying personal growth, mysticism, restorative justice, and earth-based healing traditions.

Over the past 16 years she has run a private healing practice, facilitated retreats in Canada and in Peru, taught trauma-focused and shamanic healing workshops, and presented at conferences/public events. Most recently she has authored her first book Trauma as Medicine.

In this episode Deandra and Karli sit down with Sarah and discuss:
- The conception and birth of her book “Trauma as Medicine”
- Trauma healing as a self led empowered journey
- Living an embodied life
- Psychedelic therapy
- Healing and motherhood
- And so much more!

Connect with Sarah Salter Kelly:
Website
Instagram
Facebook

Connect with Deandra and Karli: 

Grit and Growth Wellness
Deandra’s Instagram
Deandra Website

Youtube Video:

In this episode Deandra sits down with singer song-writer Alana Levandoski.  Alana has a remarkable way of transforming complex concepts and experiences into songs that speak to your heart and bones.  Her recent work, CIANALAS/TÃSKNOTA is being released under a new name MEDIATRI XXX. This Folk Opera resonates deeply with listeners as its story is both our history and our present.  Alana, a scholar at heart, has so much to offer and yet they are just breaking the surface in this conversation.

In this episode they discuss:

- Living the life of an artist and mother in a non conventional way
- Her journey in the music industry and her eventual exit
- Her time in a monastery which birthed a new musical path   
- Western Mysteries versus state religion
- The importance of nuance in these cultural and political times
- The creation of art  without an agenda
- The loss and then the remembering of our stories
- Her Folk Opera: CIANALAS/TÃSKNOTA

ALANA:
MEDIATRI XXX Spotify
Instagram: @themediatrix
MEDIATRI XXX Facebook
Alana Levandoski Spotify
Alana Levandoski Facebook
SUBSTACK

DEANDRA:
Spotify
Instagram: Deandra.dey.music
Counselling at Grit and Growth Wellness

RESOURCES:
Ever-Present Origin by Jean Gebser

In this episode of I Have My Reasons Deandra sits down with Kate Joyer. Kate is an artist, an activist and an alchemist of eros. She created The Dancing Serpent Mystery school, a temple of individual and collective awakening. Kate is passionate about supporting women in awakening their lost feminine through mentorship, deep feminine meditation dance and group work.

In this episode we discuss:
- How Kate came to this work
- Reclaiming the lost feminine, Eros and our deepest love as part of our collective path       forward
- Soul initiation, and soul-centered living
- Connection to earth and nature as part of our awakening and more!

The song Deandra spoke about in the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/track/5dRp6ChkPy9UGP8RzNK33S?si=07fda518e8734e57

Connect with Kate:
Website: https://dancingserpent.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancing.serpent/
Radio Show/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3eEOnOPlUunWk1UeQdgIgw?si=f4e9c5bce83a4b45

Connect with Deandra: 

Website www.deandradey.com
Counselling: www.gritandgrowth.center
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deandra.dey.music/

In this episode of I Have My Reasons Deandra sits down with Gord Oaks. Gord is a Musician and Certified Shiatsu Acupressure Therapist (a relative of Acupuncture). He has been exploring, studying, and applying Qi Gong, Yoga and Meditation in his life and work since 1991, and is a firm advocate for the empowering and Universal nature of the internal healing arts.  This episode was recorded outside, so along with our conversation, you can hear the wonderful sounds of the Manitoba spring.

In this episode Gord and Deandra share in conversation about:

• Gord's story and his journey of monastic lifestyle
• Mindfulness practises as a way of healing and cultivating our attention 
• The impact of clinging to things and the idea of right effort 
• The middle path as described in Buddhism as the inclusive path 
• Creativity and music

You can connect with Gord here:
www.patreon.com/gordoaks

Gords Music:
Love Uprising album on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Uprising-Gord-Oaks/dp/B016TEUME4

Love Uprising on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/gord-oaks/1050481837

Or on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/530qYcjx1xjmCCk3FRA7GU

Resources Shared by Gord:

• The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
• “The Tao of Pooh” book. 
• “The Tao Te Ching” translation by Stephen Mitchell
• “Peace is Every Step” by Tich Nhat Hahn
• “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran
• Any book by the western Ajahn Chah Sangha found at https://forestsangha.org/teachings/books

In this episode of I HAVE MY REASONS Deandra sits down Annie Brees. Annie is a women's health coach and co-founder of both Balance 365 and Raise The Bar Initiative. In this episode she is hilarious, honest, and shares her practical yet wise approach to showing up as yourself for yourself and others. 

                                                               In this episode they discuss:  

• The nuances of relationships- managing our expectations and ideals of who someone is
• Annie’s weightlifting journey- being a women in a male dominated space  
• Habits as a continual recommitment to self 
• Balance 365- a women's health coaching company 
• Reclaiming exercise and nutrition for balanced health 
• The “all or something” approach to wellness 
• Letting go of outside expectations of who we are supposed to be as women 
• Trusting yourself, your desires, your experience and your emotions 
• Connection to self is a unique journey 
• Living your values of out choice not obligations

                                                                              Resources:

Annie Brees 

Instagram: @annie.brees

Balance 365: https://www.instagram.com/balance365life/

Instagram: @balance365life

Raise The Bar Initiative: https://raisethebarinitiative.com/

Instagram: @raisethebarinitiative

Deandra Dey 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1uMKb5lj24r8Y7hDyWSYd2

Instagram: @deandra.dey.creative

Counselling Website: gritandgrowth.center

IHMR YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkRxrRT-5NkCJhVNyla3auA

In this episode of I Have My Reasons Deandra sits down with Astrologer and Jungian dream analyst Martin Comtois. In this conversation they cover:
Astrology

• Car Jung and Jungian Psychology 
• The Unconscious and the collective unconscious
• Dreams as a path to the unconscious 
• Astrology as a map for our times 
• The "ego" in the east and the western cultures
• Sublimation and spiritual bypassing 
• The pandemic as a spiritual crisis
• Psychology as divergence from the work of psyche 

Episode Resources:
Martins Website  Healer Dreamer Astrology
Martins Youtube
Deandra's Youtube
Deandra's Counselling Work Grit and Growth Wellness

Books Mentioned in this Episode:
The Secret of the Golden Flower - Carl Jung
The Cosmos and the Psyche- Richard Tarnas
Jung's Studies in Astrology- Liz Greene
The Undiscovered Self- Carl Jung
 

Deandra Dey sits down with Clinical Counsellor Cecile Tucker.  Deandra and Cecile worked together at a practise in Kamloops BC. Both Deandra and Cecile are passionate about trauma therapy and this episode covers all things trauma therapy.  More specifically they discuss:

Trauma
Complex Post Traumatic Stress Versus Post Traumatic Stress
The impacts of trauma on identity and personality 
Eye Movement Desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
and more!

Resources:
Cecile Tucker
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Tiktok

Deandra Dey
Website
Instagram
Youtube

The new episode of I Have My Reasons is with Entrepreneur, photographer, birth educator, mother, doula(and honestly so much more) Julie McCoppen. Julie is an advocate and absolute powerhouse when it comes to supporting women and birth. Her company Moga Moms trains yoga instructors in pre and post natal yoga making yoga more accessible to the mothering community.  

This is Julie’s second time on I Have My Reasons but his time she is accompanying Deandra in sharing her two birth stories, both of which Julie attended as a Doula. In addition to sharing the birth stories this episode covers:

The transition into second time motherhood
Motherhood
Homebirth 
Hypnobirthing 
Doula’s and more   

Resources:
Deandra’s Instagram deandra.dey.creative
Deandra's Website www.deandradeytherapy.com
Moga Moms @mogayogatrainings
Video of the Episode: https://youtu.be/_S-TWE6WOAE

In this episode of I HAVE MY REASONS Deandra Dey sits down with midwife Lee Janzen.  Lee is a midwife with Sage Hill Community Midwives in Kamloops BC.  Deandra had the experience of working with Lee in her first pregnancy and it was in her care that Deandra learned what it was like to be supported through pregnancy and birth from a model that values relationship, education, and empowerment.  

In this episode you will hear about:

Lee’s personal journey into midwifery

The midwifery care model, history and stigma

Homebirth and hospital birth with a midwife 

Birth Trauma and the importance of support in labor 

Challenges that midwifery is currently facing

And more! 

Staying connected to our inner experience or our outer experience is difficult at the best of times, but when we get into social situations or in a chaotic environment, it can be even more difficult to connect with what's happening for us(how we feel, what we need, what we want to say etc. ) and what's happening around us. 

This meditation is a practise that helps to strengthen the ability to have awareness of what's happening in yourself and your environment.

For the full blog post on the meditation CLICK HERE.

In this episode of I Have My Reasons Mental Health Counsellor Deandra Dey sits down with British Columbia based Nervous system consultant,  Somatic Experiencing practitioner and Adventure guide Verdell Jessup. 

In this podcast episode they discuss:
How Verdell came to this work
Trauma and healing through the nervous system
Panic attacks
Spiritual bypassing      
Why meditation and breathwork can cause more harm,  
An embodied path to healing, and more!  

Episode Resources:
Website: Verdell's Jessup 
Instagram: @VerdellJessup
Somatic Experiencing Resources
Gordon Neufeld
Research on the Adverse Impacts of Meditation 

 In this episode Deandra is interviewed by  friend and fellow podcaster Robyn McLean. Deandra is a counsellor, singer-song writer, yoga instructor, podcaster and mother. 

In this episode you will hear about:
people pleasing and passivity and its impact on relationship 
motherhood and empowerment
the importance of rest for counselling and creative practise
Intellectualized self healing verses embodied self healing  
the nervous system and nature
and more! 

To learn more about Deandra check her out here: www.deandradeytherapy.com

Robyn has been working in the field of evaluation, applied research and strategy for more than fifteen years. She is the leader of her company Tapestry Evaluation and has a passion and focus for systems-level change meaningful impact and community collaboration. Robyn is the host of her new podcast Weaving The Future, a guide to transforming the world inside and out.

In this episode:


Community healing through self-healing 
Pleasure and joy as key components of change 
Community transformation and what can we do 
The current climate of social activism


Resources:
Weaving the Future: https://weavingthefuture.buzzsprout.com/

https://www.facebook.com/weavingthefuturepodcast

“Weaving the future is a how-to guide for transforming the world inside and out. So many of us feel the need for major changes in how we are living. And many of us also question - what can we do? Where do we start?  The goal of this project is to clarify those questions at a deep level. We will also talk about practical next steps for transformation at all levels

http://www.tapestryevaluation.com/

Stephanie Patsula is a Canadian Visual Artist, MFA candidate in New Media at the Unversity of Alberta, program director of Parallel Space and an Art Educator for the City of Edmonton. Stephanie is an artist is all that she does and a natural community builder.

In this episode, we talk about the impacts of Covid-19 on:
Creativity
Personal Art practise
The somatic body
Trauma response
Community
and more!

Resources:

http://www.stephaniepatsula.ca/
Instagram: @S_Patsula 

In this episode of I Have My Reasons, I speak with Patricia Neufeld, Academic, Educator and Counsellor. Pat was my professor and clinical supervisor during my Masters of Education Counselling program at Thomspon Rivers University. This conversation is thoughtful heartfelt and I am been very excited to share. 

Together we discuss:

The habit of people-pleasing 

The journey of personal inquiry and growth 

The role of a counsellor and the counselling field 

And much more!

Resources from the episode

Bliss and Grit Podcast
http://www.blissandgrit.com/

Mike Erickson is a musician, vlogger, content creator, husband, father of three and life enthusiast! Over the last few years, I have seen Mike shift and change to better honour the needs of himself and his family. Watching this process, along with his fearless drive to create content has been inspiring!

In this Episode with Mike Erikson we talk about:

Mikes experience with anxiety and anxiety management 

Video and content creation

Social Media and how it can hinder the creative process 

and more!

INSTAGRAM: @beatmikmedia

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSByLRuGOGNbZRZCpH-DooA

The body scan meditation is a core practise of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This meditation is done laying down in a comfortable position. With this meditation, you will be guided to systematically attune to the sensations in your body while trying to maintain a sense of openness and self-compassion. 

This type of meditation can support mental wellness, help us to relax, and assist in chronic pain management. In fact, after doing the body scan meditation many people report feeling that their pain is more manageable. Further to that, some people find that after doing the body scan meditation, they are able to relax and fall asleep. 

In Episode 6 of I Have My Reasons Kamloops Mental Health Counsellor Deandra Dey speaks with her good friend and colleague Kamloops Registered Massage Therapist Melissa West. Melissa is passionate about taking an interdisciplinary approach to healing chronic pain. This passion and experience led her to open her own pain management clinic in Kamloops.  Melissa’s team at Change Your Pain Kamloops includes Registered Massage Therapists, a Naturopath doctor, Counsellor and a Kinesiologist.

In this podcast, Deandra and Melissa talk about:

The autonomic nervous system
Pain and the nervous system
What happens in our bodies when dysregulated
Trauma and how it impacts the state of our nervous system 
Understanding and supporting our nervous system - a helpful tool in our healing journey

Resources:
Deandra Dey Therapy www.deandradeytherapy.com

Change Your Pain Kamloops www.changeyourpain.com

Niel Person- Pain Management https://lifeisnow.ca/

Hayatbakhsh, M. R., Najman, J. M., Jamrozik, K., Mamun, A. A., Alati, R., & Bor, W. (2007). Cannabis and anxiety and depression in young adults: a large prospective study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46(3), 408-417.
https://www.sciencedirect.co++m/science/article/abs/pii/S0890856709616853

Battistella, G., Fornari, E., Annoni, J. M., Chtioui, H., Dao, K., Fabritius, M., ... & Giroud, C. (2014). Long-term effects of cannabis on brain structure. Neuropsychopharmacology, 39(9), 2041-2048.

https://www.nature.com/articles/npp201467

Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical hypotheses, 67(3), 566-571.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987706001666

Beauregard, M. (2007). Mind does really matter: Evidence from neuroimaging studies of emotional self-regulation, psychotherapy, and placebo effect. Progress in neurobiology, 81(4), 218-236.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008207000123

After starting his journey towards self-healing and having his two boys, Cory left his successful construction/excavation company to start the Breath Integration Coaching and Training Center with his business partner Lynn Aylward. 

In this episode Deandra and Cory talk about:

Cory’s journey to where he is now spiritually and professionally
Breathwork practise and what it has brought him
Parenting as an opportunity for learning and spiritual growth

Breaking down and destigmatizing the concept of higher-self
Working with deeper pain, not just the symptoms 
Acceptance and forgiveness as the centre stone to healing 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Forgiveness: The Greatest Healer of All by Gerald G Jampolsky

https://www.amazon.ca/Forgiveness-Greatest-Gerald-G-Jampolsky-ebook/dp/B0053GIJJU

Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander https://www.amazon.ca/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195

A Course in Miracles https://acim.org/acim/

The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabury https://drshefali.com/the-conscious-parent/

Connect with Cory:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coryerlandson/?hl=en
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cory.erlandson1/

Breath Integration Coaching and Training Centrehttps://www.breathintegrationkamloops.ca/

In this episode, Deandra sits down with influencer, coach and entrepreneur Jennifer Campbell. Jennifer is co-founder of Balance365life a program dedicated to helping women deprogram from the pressures of diet culture and gain autonomy over their health and wellness journey. 

In this episode, we talk about:

Jenn's company Balance365

Body Neutrality VS Body Positivity

How Jenn became inspired to do this work 

Body autonomy and weight loss for overall quality of life 

Intergenerational impacts of diet culture 

The importance of understanding our needs and listening to ourselves/bodies 
  
Resources:
Balance 365life Radio https://www.balance365life.com/category/b365-radio/

Balance 365life https://www.balance365life.com/

Mothers Daughters and Body Image- Hillary McBride https://www.amazon.ca/Mothers-Daughters-Body-Image-Ourselves/dp/1682613542