Running Wild with Christine

Friends, lovers and strangers - meet my darling dear friend Oona. Oona runs and co-founded a tech co-op called BRAVE, that provides services to prevent overdose deaths. Today, she discusses with me the myriad rabbit holes that brought her to her calling, as well as her personal experiences with grief that currently inhabit her heart.  We talk about the virtual supervised injection site app that she helped create and implement, and how technology continues to allow for tangible, actionable change (despite our growing disappointments with it). Join us for this very personal, vulnerable and rich episode about how life is senseless and we - and only we - ascribe it its meaning.  Topics: substance use, the #overdosecrisis & OD prevention, isolation, reaching out, social media, death, soulmates, taboos in the circle of life, rites of passage, grief vs pain, coping, colonialism, parenting, self-love, and so much more!  Oona's prompt and homework for the week goes as follows: in what ways do you currently put yourself at the center of your own life? If you do manage to do so, what tools do you use? Feel free to answer this question via email or by finding me on IG.  Thanks so much for listening. To support BRAVE, go to brave.coop. To get in touch with Oona, you can find her @the_oona_verse. Thanks again for spending this hour with us and don't forget to support this podcast any which way you can if this has brought you anything worth keeping. xx

Hello lovers! Meet Josh! You might know him as Ivan in Amazon's comedy series Upload, but Josh is also a writer and hilarious human all around.  He takes me down memory lane as we explore his childhood in Baldwin Hills, LA and going to multiple denominations of religious schools. We share our common experience of having survivalist parents and coming out to our parents as creatives. Join us for this wonderful ride down some unexpected paths of conversation and some real deep shit.  Topics: favorite kinds of underwear, shame, immigrant mentality, our worst #weed stories, quarantine stories, parenting, #marriage, the impulse to create, OnlyFans for Crying, being #softandsquishy vs. tough love, vulnerability as strength, resilience, sexuality and boundaries, writing and MORE!  Reference: The Defiant Ones on Netflix, Untamed by Glennon Doyle, My Dad Wrote A Porno - the podcast.  For more about Josh, you can find him on IG @joshbanday or at joshbanday.com for more on his writing and VO/acting work.  Thanks again for joining us for this glorious rabbit hole of a podcast episode and I hope some of these topics will inspire you to have these difficult conversations with your parents, children and/or chosen family. With all the love, your C. 

Welcome my lovers. Let us delve into the wild woman archetype today. Meet Fiona. She is a women's empowerment educator and feminine embodiment facilitator. We go back to her worldly upbringing, boarding school stint and decade of confusion spent climbing the corporate ladder. We then dive into the interesting bit, the breakdown bit, the "fuck this shit" bit. Stick around for this fascinating saunter around femininity and sexuality. I really loved getting to know Fiona and I hope you will too!  Thank you for one of the few things that you do right, @instagram.  Topics: online connections, Brexit, life changing moments, fucking the system, travel, the digital nomad life, yoga, sex, periods, shame, shadow-banning, witches, wilderness, communities of self-identified women, movement, power, patriarchy, unlearning, trust, rules, healing, (as always storytelling), individualism vs. community, presence and so much more!  For coaching and more on the Wild Feminine Way, go to fionamccoss.com or @fionamccoss on IG! If you're in Seattle, WA, this Sunday Feb 9, check out the "We Sensual Womxn" event at the Mind Body Sanctuary!  Resources: Wild by Cheryl Strayed, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, Women who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

Hello everyone! We are closing off September, also known as Alopecia Awareness Month, with this vulnerable and rage-filled episode with Janessa St Pierre! Join us for this tour of the marks as she has experienced them, working in the film industry as a Black woman in Vancouver.  As usual, we go back to childhood and family, ballet dancing and high school socialization, to highlight how we got here. Listen in if you wanna rage with us about racism, misogyny, the male gaze and how toxic the filmmaking machine still is. Last but not least, Janessa takes the time and energy to share her Alopecia story with us and raise some awareness about the autoimmune disorder and its lack of representation.  Topics: reaching awareness of racist micro-aggressions, performative activism vs. accountability, belonging & internalized racism, inclusivity & imposter syndrome, toxicity in the film industry, the 3 different types of Alopecia, why is hair loss scary?, beauty standards, storytelling and the way it informs the collective self, and much more.  The first half of this conversation ties into a lot of stories featured by @iastories about the potential strike of film technicians in the US at the moment and I urge you to educate yourself about what it takes to make the TV shows and movies that you love, and amplify the voices fighting for our workers' rights.  Shout out to Jason ALM for introducing us way back when and to Sommer from @raisethatbarre. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it widely as the intent here is to spread a moment of vulnerability, togetherness and awareness.  With love, C. xox

HELLO EVERYONE! I know it's been a hot sec but what can I say? Mama's on vacay! It's fair to say this one was SO WORTH going back to the keys for.  Meet Dallas Barnes, CEO of Reya Health - a digital platform for personalized contraceptive counselling. Dallas created her company to help people with ovaries navigate their birth control journey. If you're like us, it's been a wild fucking ride figuring it out with NO guidance and you'll be screaming alongside the episode: ME FUCKING TOO!  In our RWWC custom, we retrace some of the steps which led Dallas to where she is today and how Reya Health came to be two years ago. Sadly too many of us are familiar with feeling dismissed or unserved by the medical community when negative side effects arise. Funding for research in marginalized genders' health must be prioritized in order for a lot of us to avoid unnecessary trials and tribulations. Help us spread the word, echo our plea for more research funding and help yourself with Reya Health. The app launches September 1st, and while the website and services are currently only available in Canada, if you are able to help Dallas cross borders do get in touch.  Topics: the challenges of starting your first business, celebrating small wins, discovering your sexuality, accessing the RIGHT birth control methods for yourself, setting boundaries, safety and access to information, advocating for yourself, feeling validated. Mention: Dr Sarah Hill. Give @reyahealth a follow and as always please do share this episode if you've found it helpful! With all my love, C. xox

Hello lovers! Please meet the lovely Kristine. You might know her from @theportraitsessions or @persepective feminine on IG. She is here today to chat with me about definitions of intimacy, of community and of relationship models. Join us on this exploration of - well, our feelings, and - the effects of covid isolation on our non-monogamous relationships.   Topics: pendulum swings, being alone together, codependency, control and consequences, cohabitation in non-monogamy, emotions vs reason, fear-based decisions, *a rant* about the lack of resources for ENM, loving your partner in opposing ways, living authentic lives in the good and the shitty, online dating and SO MUCH MORE.  Come join us on this exploration of how we have learned to love, to have sex, to see ourselves, and to create community.  Please feel free to refer back to episode 96 with Devon for context if you are curious! Go check out Kristine and her beautiful, awe inspiring work. Thank you so much for listening and remaining faithful to our human explorations. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for future episodes! With all the love, C. x

Hi everyone! Meet Erin Davidson, sex and relationship therapist from Vancouver, BC, here today to talk about her new book Break Through the Breakup. Join me in discovery Erin's story of the "reformed good girl/people pleaser" as we discover which rules she decided to scrap and how she ended up here. Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault content. We talk about unlearning religious sexual scripts and messages, highschool boyfriends in university, and embodying the attributes that we personally decided were valuable. What would happen if sex didn't exist? Or not in the way we conceive of it? Join us on this ride down my favorite rabbit holes.  Topics: Christianity vs Sex, hearts as the backpacks of our lives, heartbreak, shame & guilt, sexual debuts, therapy, processing sexual assault openly, #metoo, the power of writing, healing, the 3 Components of Self Compassion, and so much more!  For more about Erin, go to erinedavidson.com or find her on IG @erin.e.davidson. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast and sticking around. I see you and I'm so grateful for you. So much love, C. xo

Hello weirdos. Meet my good friend Tony. Tony and I went to university together and have managed to stay in each other's lives in various capacities for the last 8 years. Today, in line with men's health month, we are here to talk about mental health and in particular, how it's affected Tony and what tools have helped him in difficult times. Join us for this walk down memory lane at UBC and how the last two years have shaped his relationships.  Topics: children of divorces, athletes and their outlets, #dormlife, the evolution of dating, communication skills, unconventional career choices, vulnerability and emotions, #videodates, going to therapy, reaching out and sharing with friends, and life advice from an auto-mechanic shop.  Shout out to the OG UBC Pit Pub and its survivors, as well as anyone who survived Gage towers. Also bonus embarrassing story of my boat accident at the end of the episode. You're welcome  Thanks so much for listening. We hope that as a society we can foster a more healthy mental environment for all people and dismantle the systems of shame that have previously prevented men from seeking and receiving mental healthcare. As always, Tony and I are here if you need an ear or a shoulder for support. You can reach him @t.ganto on IG and you know where to find me. With all the love, C. xo

Hi friends, lovers and strangers, meet Ariel. Ariel comes to us this week thanks to Mark, to tell her story of addiction and recovery. Trigger warnings for eating disorders, addiction, mental health and sexual trauma. Please listen at your own discretion.  Ariel candidly recounts her childhood and adolescence, with the hindsight that recovery allows. We follow her along her journey from teen rebellion, through adventures and homelessness, into treatment facilities and life on the other side. If you've ever wondered how or why people are nice, you might wanna listen in to Ariel's revelation about pro-social behaviour and what happiness is.  Topics: bulimia, alcohol and drug addiction, trauma, rock bottoms and amends, homelessness, escapism, negative self-talk, the inefficacy of social safety nets and programs, emotions, NA & AA, sober dating & sex, healing, abortion, polyamory, and so much more!  Shout out to charlfordhouse.ca. Thanks so much for listening to yet another  story. We tell these with empathy and love in mind. If you know anyone who would benefit from hearing it, please do share. To get in touch with Ariel, you can find her @thattallgirlariel. With lots of love, your C. xo

It's a warm welcome back to Neil Fox from episode 22!! Over two years later, the host of the Cinematologists podcast is back. The movie he'd just finished is now being distributed globally next month, and we catch up on the movie industry today and the hurdles film makers may (should?) face.  If you want the full back story, listen to the previous episode, but in brief, Neil is a senior lecturer in Film at the School of Film & Television, Falmouth University, a screenwriter, podcaster and very lovely all around human. We catch up today about what it's like teaching the next generation of filmmakers and learning from them in turn. We talk about his film Wilderness (2017, Baracoa Pictures) and how it might hold up today. It was written five years ago, and depicts social and personal themes that are quite timely. Please do consider giving it a watch. Now, join us for this conversation about the realities of our industry.  Topics: hindsight, what stories need telling, shifts in mindsets, #metoo and #blm, the problem with the film industry, you vs. the machine, the missed opportunities for post-COVID work life, modern day exploitation vs. worthy sacrifice, rethinking filmmaking, and some hopeful notes.  For more about Neil, go to drneilfox.com! Thanks for listening to another episode and for your continuing support. With all my love, C. 

Hi everyone! Welcome back to Andreia from episode 105! She is a Marriage and Family Therapist, based in Denver, Colorado. Today, she wanted to discuss one of the most prevalent topics that she's heard this past year: "My partner doesn't make me happy anymore." We delve into codependency in long-term committed relationships and establish some common hurdles and resources. It was so refreshing and helpful to hear Andreia talk about her personal experiences, alongside mine, as well as the theoretical frameworks that guide her practice. Listen in, even if you're not in a relationship, as there are some crucial self-worth nuggets of wisdom in here.  Topics: therapy as a "last resort", the effects of isolation on relationships, autonomy vs connection, communication, defining individual happiness, family patterns, distinguishing and making room for someone else's feelings, codependency, where you draw self-worth from, boundaries, evaluating the myth of "marriage is boring", establishing your relationship's TOS, being lost in translation, what does "better sex" mean,  self-exploration, the biggest enemy of excitement, the three S's that can help you: Self-Awareness, Self-Soothing and Sharing.  Reference: Family Systems Theory: "Differentiation of Self" (Kerr & Bowen, 1988), Esther Perel's Mating in Captivity at estherperel.com. For more on Andie, go visit her IG @andies.therapy.couch! Thanks for listening.

Hello lovers! Meet Taty. She's a sex blogger, speaker and educator, currently in grad school at Widener university. Join us on this fun journey of figuring out how to break it to your Southern family that you're moving North to study sex! We talk about how other people's reactions can turn a genuine curiosity into a repressed, shameful taboo. Luckily, Taty had a great lightbulb moment that put her back on the right track. Listen in to find out more about her journey and what it takes to do what sets your soul on fire.  Topics: shame and embarrassment, sexuality and culture, shibari, the Bible as an R rated book, the meaning of life, defining what Sex is, attending sex conferences, personality vs. sexuality, power dynamics in kink, how writing about sex affects her dating life, unsolicited propositions, watching porn in the classroom, imposter syndrome, helping people find their pleasure, and doing whatever the fuck it is you want to do.  Reference: The Daily Show's Michael Kosta clip about Masturbation vs. the Alt-Right; Dr. Ruth.  Thanks for listening as per usual. We love that you're here. Please do not hesitate to reach out with comments, feedback and suggestions for past or future episodes. You can find us on IG @runningwildwithchristine. For more about Taty, go to @taty_k_king on IG or twitter. Shout out to @javaydabae and @stephauteri!  As always with lots of love, C. xox

Welcome back friends, lovers and strangers. Meet @fatpheebs! She's a superwoman, a kind soul, and a true sunshine. Today, she shares with us her harrowing story with online abuse and mental health. [TW: SI, SH, MH, SA, Violence] Pheebs is a well-rounded activist, covering body acceptance, self-love, fatphobia, fat positivity, sexual violence, mental health and lately only abuse and harassment. We get to listen in on how one interview about "How Fat Feels" led Pheebs to discover, and own, her voice and place in the world, giving her the strength to go down the rabbit hole of activism and social work.  Please join us for this crucial conversation that should be mandatory listening. There are significant trigger warnings for this episode so please use your discretion. Pheebs is very clear about her duty of care when it comes to the topics at hand. However, it is necessary that we start developing tools to effectively deal with violence online. Please join us on this mission.  Topics: being silenced, shame, bullying, unlearning, transparency & vulnerability, living in a fat body, trauma, mental illness, therapy, self-harm, IRL vs Online,  trolling and death threats, misogyny, fatphobia, doxing, suicide attempts, the inadequacy of resources to deal with online crime, how to protect oneself (HINT: there's no good solution yet), CALL TO ACTION (around 50'). References: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK; Ep 96 with Devon. Please, if you have any constructive input or resources to share with Pheebs, you can find her @fatpheebs on social media. You can also reach out to me if you prefer and I will forward any pertinent information.  Today, and all days, please take care of yourselves and each other. With all my love,  C. xox

Hi Lovers! Meet Irving, the host of Asians in Space, the man behind The Asian Canadian, and one of the participants of @menwhotakebaths. He joins us today to talk the world over. We discuss growing up in Alberta and figuring out how to do this thing called life. We then delve into what led him to creating @theasncanadian page and what matters to him most today.  Topics: internalized racism, basketball, being a dickhead in high school, childhood vs adulthood, fears, trauma, the continuous path of fixing ourselves, perfectionism, therapy, guilt & shame, how we share and find news today, academic gatekeeping, belonging, experience vs. expertise, systems of oppression, the discomfort of the unknown, conspiracy theorists, shifting to a more sustainable system of society, cancel culture, the pedestalization of individuals vs. the eternity of the planet, the ability to be wrong, modernization theory, ... It spirals from there. Tune in you won't regret it. Big shout out to Nicolle Hodges from episode 74 and Ji-Youn Kim from episodes 78 and 104!  For more from Irving, I highly recommend you follow @theasncanadian on IG, or listen to @asiansinspace! Thanks again for listening my darlings and stay tuned for the next episode. Lots of love, C. xox

Hello Lovers! Meet Sommer! She's a dear friend and the bright and compassionate mind behind a new awareness IG account called @raisethatbarre. Her mission is to start a conversation, to shed light on the harsh realities of the dance world, as well as to come up with collaborative, community-based solutions to the hardships faced by dancers. She bares her heart and soul today in this very candid conversation about her experience in the ballet world and her relationship with her body. At 22, she suffered a spinal injury that would end her dance career, AND begin her healing and self-love journeys.  Topics: the toxicity of the dance world (and ballet in particular), body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, socialization and stigmatization, shame around resting, injuries and healing, substance abuse, social pressure, health and sustainability, mental health, feeling not good enough, self-worth vs. looks/thinness, "productivity" and guilt-trips, collaborative solutions, competition vs community, SELF-LOVE and empathy!  Shout out to @maddiebless on IG. You can go and participate in her survey via her link in bio. And many thanks to @paulazulkoskey for the happiest picture of Sommer.  Please do give her a follow @raisethatbarre and engage in the conversation. Thank you all for listening and for sticking around. I have decided to relax my publishing schedule and focus on quality conversations, over self-imposed rigorous scheduling. Thank you for trusting me and sticking around. #humaninprogress  All my love, C. xox

Hello my lovers. Meet Ericka Gail, a non-binary, queer, Black femme [they/them, she/her] trauma therapist, known as @mentalhealthfemme! We start by catching up on the context we find ourselves in this year and the conflicting feelings that 2020 can bring up. They tell me about how their QTBIPOC focus has evolved and shifted over time, and what their recent rise in reach means to them and their work. We talk about the important people in our lives who made us who we are, and how grief can be a driver. Join us in this deep and personal conversation about what drives us as humans and how we cope!  Topics: activism & social justice, vulnerability as a radical practice, fawning as a trauma response, writing, PTSD and anxiety, experiential knowledge, imposter syndrome, asking for help, emotional processing and empathy, public grieving, being a "people pleaser in recovery", and community care.  For more on Ericka, go to @mentalhealthfemme on IG and DM them for the Poetry Zine. I also invite you to Venmo them at EriqooBWM or on PayPayl at paypal.me/ErickaGBey. Thanks so much for listening to another episode of the podcast and please do share it far and wide! Lots of love, C. xox

Hi everyone! Meet Andreia! She is a Marriage and Family Therapy Candidate, based in Denver, Colorado. Andreia joyfully walks me through her Brazilian upbringing, including her progressive Catholic high school, and her journey into American society. We meander through the little life things that end up shaping lives and get us to a point of embracing our true selves. Join us for this lovely introspection - the stuff you wish you knew about your therapist.  Topics: coming out of one's sheltered childhood, the endless international student life, being nerds, immigrant obstacles, the struggles of corporate life, mental health, anxiety, tools for BIG life changes, relationships and therapy, being true to oneself, facing insecurities, asking "Why Now?",  how COVID has affected couples and families, survival mode and sex drives, redefining joy, grief and lessons, and the state of the world.  Thanks Casey Murphy for the intro! Check her out in ep 37 for more about her businesses! Reference: Esther Perel at estherperel.com. For more on Andie, go visit her IG @andies.therapy.couch! Thanks for listening. speak to you all next week. Do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to come speak on the podcast, priority will be given to BIPOC, Trans and Sex Workers' voices. All my love, C.

It's a warm welcome back to our dear Ji-Youn (jee-yan) Kim. If you haven't yet met her in ep 78, Ji-Youn is an anti-oppressive, trauma informed counsellor. She's an advocate for rage as liberation, and facilitates workshops called Processing Rage in collaboration with Cicely Blain. She reached out to me a couple of weeks ago to use this platform to talk about white supremacy and toxic power dynamics in the counselling industry. So that's what we did. Here's our unfiltered conversation on spiritual bypassing, white supremacy and oppression as it takes place on a LOT of counsellors' couches. Stay tuned for tools on what to look for in an anti-oppressive counsellor.  Rage trigger warning.  Topics: #counselling, trauma, the current climate of #BLM "awakening" for non-Black people, the repercussions on anti-oppression activists of color, #mentalhealth, the toxicity of feel good therapeutic approaches, tone policing, cognitive dissonance and self-doubt, white saviour complex, white fragility, racial gaslighting, de-colonizing your mind, going past attachment theory, the roots of therapy, community vs individual, and SO MUCH more. Role models and resources mentioned: Dr. Mullan @decolonizingtherapy, Ericka Gail @mentalhealthfemme, Alishia McCullough @blackandembodied. Thanks so much for listening. Please do share this episode and spread the word. Hire Ji-Youn. You can find her here: itsjiyounkim.com or @itsjiyounkim on IG.  Speak to you all next week! C, xox.

My lovers you are in for a treat today! Meet Eman Salem, our fave badass life coach and CEO of Iron Self! We dive right in, without much intro, into the meat of it. Listen in if you've ever felt unable to be true to yourself, either due to your upbringing, your current setting or your imposter syndrome. I say this, but the episode is all about Eman and I's personal experiences and families. This is not a "things you should do" episode, it's lessons we've learned.  There's tons of incredible stuff in here, and Eman was so very generous with me. Let's get radically vulnerable together.  Topics: difficult conversations, vulnerability, immigrant mentality, feeling sexually caught between two cultures, cognitive sexualized dissonance, queerness!, self-work as privilege, validation culture, tough love, the role of the ego, resistance to healing, empowerment, community building, and feeling valuable.  To find out more, go to @ironself18 on IG and stay tuned for the online course! SHARE her platform if it genuinely speaks to you!  Thank you so much for listening my loves. The platform is available for any BIPOC should they want it! Do not hesitate to reach out or share if it can be of interest. In the meantime, let's get to work. Yours, C. xo

Welcome to our first guest of Season Three: photographer and visual artist Kriss Munsya. He came over to the podcast to talk about his current project The Eraser, as well as his life more broadly. We discuss his upbringing as an immigrant from the DRC in Belgium and his journey to today. We talk about hitchhiking from New York to Brazil (in 2013!!) and the riches of meeting people whose path you otherwise would never have crossed. He casually tells us about his first movie, and subsequent documentaries, expanding on what kind of art and storytelling matters to him.  Topics: being made to feel "not Black enough"; Europe vs the Americas; feeling lost; stumbling into making his first movie; touring with bands across the world; control issues; culture shock, politeness as a concept, grieving a lifestyle; the charm of grimey bars & their honesty; the current state of the world, the outside look on America today; feelings of hate, hope and sadness; art, love and empathy as activism, and wisdom in humility.  You can watch more about Kriss' films here: krissmunsya.com/videos. Go check out the gorgeous project @mgmt.krissmunsya and @krissmunsya on IG, as well as his Etsy page where you can purchase his prints.  Thanks so much for keeping up with the podcast. Can't wait to bring more incredible people to the "couch" and continue to foster this vulnerable and authentic environment we've built. With love, C. xox