Mind Full: The Canadian Psychological Association podcast

Are older buildings actually creepier? Infrasound with Dr. Rodney Schmaltz 16.07.2026 37min

"We did NOT disprove ghosts!" Today on Mind Full, we are speaking with Dr. Rodney Schmaltz, who recently had a study he led at MacEwan University go somewhat viral. People do love the paranormal! Dr. Schmaltz talks about the whirlwind that comes with having a study suddenly catch the attention of the public, and about the study itself. You know how sometimes you get a creepy, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck feeling in some older buildings? It may not be ghosts - it may be infrasound! Infrasound exposure is linked to aversive responding, negative appraisal, and elevated salivary cortisol in humans: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1729876/full?ref=404media.co Dr. Schmaltz on Quirks & Quarks: Do old buildings give you the creeps? New research could explain haunted feelings https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/infrasound-paranormal-9.7209127 In The Guardian: Spooky feelings in old houses may be caused by boiler sounds, study suggests https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/27/spooky-feelings-in-old-houses-may-be-caused-by-boiler-sounds-study-suggests

Psychology and cancer care with Dr. Sheila Garland 18.06.2026 31min

Psychologists play an important role in the care of all kinds of medical conditions. Sheila Garland joins the Mind Full podcast to talk about her role in helping people going through cancer treatment. She highlights the importance of having trained mental health professionals in as many healthcare settings as possible.

Stigma and isolation: Unhealthy relationships in rural areas with Andrea Chantree and Keely Horan 04.06.2026 32min

We often think of gender-based violence as something rather cut-and-dried, a view which often leads to a lot of stigma, and the expression of sentiments like “why doesn’t she just leave”. In reality, the situation is a lot more complex and nuanced, especially in rural settings where just leaving may not be an option. Keely Horan and Andrea Chantree from the Family Transition Place women's shelter in Dufferin County focus not on "domestic violence" per se, but on "unhealthy relationships" writ large. Family Transition Place: https://familytransitionplace.ca/

Emojis, femmephobia, and the workplace with Dr. Erin Leigh Courtice and Dr. Karen Blair 26.05.2026 1h 1min

Our language is constantly shifting and evolving. Turns of phrase that would have been foreign to our parents are commonplace for us, and our kids have a language all their own that will one day be the way everyone speaks. The same is true for the ways we communicate. Internet shorthand is now familiar to most of us, and most of us use emojis in our texts and correspondence. It’s the emojis we’re talking about today. Dr. Erin Leigh Courtice conducted a study on emoji use in the workplace, and Dr. Karen Blair found some gender-related data in that study to be particularly interesting. Dr. Blair’s article in Psychology Today: The Real Reason Emojis Get Judged at Work https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inclusive-insight/202604/the-real-reason-emojis-get-judged-at-work Ottawa U article: Should emojis be used in workplace communications? https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/news-all/should-emojis-be-used-workplace-communications The impossible balance: https://klb-research.github.io/tightrope/ Dr. Courtice's study: https://online.ucpress.edu/collabra/article/12/1/147309/217078/Emojis-at-Work-The-Effects-of-Emoji-Use-on The Riordan & Glickson study mentioned by Dr. Courtice: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2329488420971690?casa_token=9CETIqfPeVkAAAAA%3Ahm8Al3ORC_TtBA886e7WoNw7-93-cUTtMv0QIM6ANFtXUbTEIq-4edGwGu8q7sxf3jIftp4HYVawpw

Publishing children's books: Another path to knowledge mobilization with Marlee Kostiner 07.05.2026 39min

Marlee Kostiner put her passions for writing, digital media, and mental health to use publishing children's books. She has one of her own - Namoosté - but her main focus is on helping mental health professionals write evidence-based books for kids. She joins Mind Full to discuss the publishing process and the importance of knowledge translation in today's world. Garden Wolf Publishing: https://www.gardenwolfpublishing.com/ Marlee's email: mailto:marlee@gardenwolfpublishing.com

Stress, exhaustion, and cynicism: Workplace burnout with Dr. Melanie Badali 23.04.2026 55min

We're all a little familiar with the concept of workplace burnout - when the workload exceeds our capacity, or when the office culture becomes untenable. Dr. Melanie Badali joins Mind Full to explain in greater detail the nuances as well as the signs, symptoms, and approaches to dealing with burnout on the job. Dr. Badali's bio: https://www.nssac.ca/professionals_Badali.html CPA "Psychology Works" fact sheet: Workplace Burnout https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-workplace-burnout/ Workplace Standard - Mental Health Commission of Canada https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/workplace-standard/ Guarding Minds at Work https://www.guardingmindsatwork.ca/ Workplace Strategies for Mental Health https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/ Preventing burnout - Canada.ca https://www.canada.ca/en/government/publicservice/wellness-inclusion-diversity-public-service/health-wellness-public-servants/mental-health-workplace/preventing-burnout.html

A lifetime of advocacy: Supporting survivors of clergy sexual abuse with Gemma Hickey 09.04.2026 36min

Gemma Hickey was the recipient of the 2025 CPA Humanitarian Award, which is presented to outstanding individuals who are not psychologists whose commitment and persistent endeavors have significantly enhanced the psychological health and well-being of the people of Canada. Gemma is a longtime advocate for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, and for the visibility and inclusion of members of our 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Gemma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justbegemma/?hl=en Gemma's book 'Almost Feral' at Atlantic Books: https://atlanticbooks.ca/books/almost-feral Pathways Foundation Newfoundland: https://www.facebook.com/pathwaysfoundationnl/ Artforce: https://artforcenl.org/

Bipolar disorder and a new health information tool with Dr. Kelsey Collimore 26.03.2026 34min

Mood disorders are complex, which means that both the diagnosis and the treatment can be complex. Such is the case with bipolar disorder, a mood disorder characterized by manic highs and depressive lows. Getting accurate, evidence-based information about the condition is essential, which is what led The Royal, a specialized mental health centre in Ottawa, to create a virtual health information tool for people living with the condition. Dr. Kelsey Collimore, the clinical psychologist who led this initiative, joins Mind Full to talk about it. The Royal client and family resource hub: https://www.theroyal.ca/client-and-family-resource-hub/ Bipolar disorder education series videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuvIFrHQhXvkZr1SpiPpYY_jJ4AFJoCVg

Drayton Gilbert and the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal 13.03.2026 28min

Every year at the CPA’s convention, we sell orange T-shirts designed by Indigenous artist Betty Gilbert to raise money for a local charity. This year, if you attend our convention and purchase an orange T-shirt, that money will go to the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal. Drayton Gilbert has gone from being a youth who accessed the services they provided to being the centre’s manager of operations, and he joins the podcast to talk about the work the Centre does with Indigenous people in Montreal. Native Friendship Centre of Montreal: https://www.nfcm.org/en/about-us/ Support the NFCM: https://www.nfcm.org/en/support-us/

Jinn in the Family: Oral storytelling and cultural richness with Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman 12.03.2026 45min

Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman came back to the Mind Full podcast to talk about his new book - this time a work of fiction! Jinn in the Family tells the story of a family, originally from Zanzibar, and the Jinn that follows them throughout their lives as they move around the world - including to places like Winnipeg. The novel brings a psychological lens to the concepts of cultural resilience and family dynamics. Jinn in the Family: https://leadwithdiversity.com/jinn/ Lead With Diversity Press: https://leadwithdiversity.com/press/ Other books by Dr. Abdulrehman, including 'The Poetry of Angry Black and Brown People': https://leadwithdiversity.com/books/

This is Psychology: HIV, AIDS, and healthcare inequity with Dr. Sean Rourke 26.02.2026 38min

It’s psychology month! Throughout February, we’ve highlighted the ways psychology shapes our everyday lives, and helps us in ways we don’t always notice. Today we’re going to focus on one way psychology interacts with the healthcare system, specifically in the field of HIV and AIDS. Our guest, Dr. Sean Rourke, just won a major award for his life’s work, the inaugural Eric Jackman award from the Royal Society of Canada. From the days when an HIV diagnosis was seen as a death sentence to today, when early detection can result in a long and full life, he has been helping Canadians in a myriad of ways.

This is Psychology: Cancer care and psycho-oncology with Bob Wakeham and Dr. Sheila Garland 19.02.2026 31min

Psychology Month continues with a look at psychology's role in cancer care. A diagnosis of cancer will affect each person who receives one a little differently. But it will affect everyone. Not just the person with the diagnosis, but the people around them. Family, friends, and co-workers need help as well. Psychologists can play a central role at every stage, from diagnosis to treatment to end-of-life care. Our guests on Mind Full today are friends. Bob Wakeham met Dr. Sheila Garland when he joined her study on insomnia in people who had been diagnosed with cancer. Bob shares his story and experiences with us, and tells us how Sheila's involvement in his life made an enormous difference. Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology: https://www.capo.ca/

This is Psychology: Children, domestic violence, and the COVID carryover 12.02.2026 37min

Our Psychology Month series continues with a look at how the effects of COVID are still being felt by children in schools, particularly in rural settings where incidents of family violence remain elevated. Remember the COVID-19 pandemic? It wasn’t that long ago, but many of us have kind of memory-holed the entire traumatic experience. That said, just because we don’t think about it any more doesn’t mean that the effects aren’t still being felt today. For example, rates of gender-based violence, including femicide, remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels. This is particularly the case in rural communities, and is evident in the attitudes and behaviours of kids in schools. Strained Systems, Escalating Needs: Service Provider Perspectives on the Rural Landscape of Sexual- and Gender-based Violence in the Five-years post-COVID: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394321057_Strained_Systems_Escalating_Needs_Service_Provider_Perspectives_on_the_Rural_Landscape_of_Sexual-_and_Gender-based_Violence_in_the_Five-years_post-COVID Space, place, and the politics of access: Service provider perspectives on health system responses to sexual- and gender-based violence in rural communities: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829225001625 Family Transition Place: https://familytransitionplace.ca/

This is Psychology: Pee, poop, and pre-teen problems with Dr. Jen Theule 05.02.2026 37min

Psychology Month is recognized throughout February. This episode kicks off our special Psychology Month series, highlighting the ways psychology contributes to our lives in ways we might not realize. Just about every little kid has accidents from time to time. But more than one poop accident in a month (encopresis) or more than two pee accidents per week (enuresis) might be cause for concern. Dr. Jen Theule helps explain what signs to look for, how best to potty-train kids, and how psychologists help resolve problems that might occur as children get a little bit older. "Psychology Works" fact sheet on enuresis and encopresis: https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-enuresis-and-encopresis-in-children/ Enuresis and encopresis fact sheet video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5XlyIf1Nmo

Mental health care and the federal budget with Glenn Brimacombe 11.12.2025 47min

The Canadian federal budget has been released, and some changes to Canada's mental health landscape will happen as a result. Our resident economist, CPA Director of Policy and Public Affairs Glenn Brimacombe, joins Mind Full to look forward to what Canadians can expect over the next year.

Training standards for psychologists in Ontario with Dr. Lisa Votta-Bleeker 03.12.2025 35min

As the College of Psychologists and Behavioural Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO) has proposed a number of changes to their entry-to-practice standards for psychologists, the CPA and other psychology organizations around Canada are raising concerns about those changes. Dr. Lisa Votta-Bleeker, CPA CEO, joins Mind Full to lay out those concerns, and what she sees as the dangers inherent in reducing entry-to-practice standards. CPA's response to CPBAO: https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Press%20Release/CPA%20Response%20to%20CPBAO%20Consultation%20-%2025Nov2025_Final.pdf Share your thoughts with the CPBAO: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BZ5SB8Q The full text of the Psychology and Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021 and Ontario Regulation 193/23 Registration with the proposed amendments (in tracked changes), and a three-column chart which shows the proposed revisions to the Registration Regulation can be viewed here: https://cpbao.ca/wp-content/uploads/Consultation-Amendmenhttps://cpbao.ca/wp-content/uploads/Consultation-Amendments-to-Registration-Regulation-under-the-Psychology-and-Behaviour-Analysis-Act-2021-5.pdf

Why we need to stop gambling ads in Canada: Bruce Kidd and Dr. Steve Joordens 13.11.2025 37min

In the wake of the NBA gambling scandal, and with Canadians watching televised sports more often, now is the time to curtail the ads that normalize gambling - especially for children. Bruce Kidd and Dr. Steve Joordens from the University of Toronto return to the podcast to reiterate their warnings about the harms inherent in advertising gambling. Bruce is a Canadian Olympian and a recipient of the Lou Marsh award as Canada's top athlete. Steve is a psychologist and professor who has written about the "weaponization of psychology" in encouraging addictive gambling behaviour. Ban Ads For Gambling website: https://unbetgamblingads.com/about Senator Marty Deacon's Bill S-211: S-211 https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/s-211 Get involved: https://unbetgamblingads.com/send-a-letter-you-to-mp-mpp

Resilience, culture, and living with war - Tomas Vanderkam and Ukraine 30.10.2025 38min

The world is paying attention to the current war between Russia and Ukraine. While it is devastating and horrific for the Ukrainian people, it is just the latest in more than a century of war, occupation, oppression, and resilience. What makes a person resilient? What makes a people resilient? And how does that come through in a country where violence and threats from all sides have been ongoing for lifetimes? Tomas Vanderkam's research into resilience is informed by his Ukrainian heritage, and he joins the podcast to explore both. Tom's presentation from the CPA convention in June: https://youtu.be/YfiYZq44qF8?si=Ntl6XApWsmCeAAHa Free Ukrainian history lecture playlist from University of Toronto: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGDWF-S8Wt4XVNFMHOt1UvlMwg_HlP9Ov Link to Tomas' full paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384562816_Voices_of_Resilience_in_Ukraine_Psychological_Predictors_of_Resilience_in_Survivor_Narratives Some Ukrainian resources: A Survey of Ukrainian Historiography by Dmytro Doroshenko: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Ukraine/_Topics/history/_Texts/DORSUH/home.html The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25255053-the-gates-of-europe Contemporary media: The Kyiv Independent: https://kyivindependent.com/ Zaborona: https://zaborona.com/en/ Donate to help Ukraine: https://u24.gov.ua/

Correspondence with killers - in conversation with Jeffrey Smalldon 10.10.2025 1h 2min

Forensic psychologist Jeffrey Smalldon spent decades corresponding, conversing, and probing the minds of some of America's most notorious killers, from John Wayne Gacy to the Manson family. Why are we, as a society, so fascinated with history's most violent and depraved acts and events? Are Canadians different from Americans in our fascination with such horror? Jeffrey Smalldon's book, 'That Beast Was Not Me: One Forensic Psychologist, Five Decades of Conversations With Killers': https://www.blacklyonpublishing.com/product-page/that-beast-was-not-me-one-forensic-psychologist-five-decades-of-convers Jeffrey Smalldon's website: https://jeffreysmalldon.com/ An additional note for today's episode. Early on, we discuss the difference between Canada's recollection of historic political assassinations and America's. That Americans (and Canadians, thanks to our proximity and our consumption of American culture) know locales like Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated, Dealey Plaza in Dallas where JFK was shot, or the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, the site of the killing of Martin Luther King. I suggested that Canadians were less likely to know that kind of detail about similar events, even though political assassinations are much rarer here. I wondered how many Canadians knew about events that had happened in their own city - the biggest political assassination in Canadian history was that of D'Arcy McGee, on of the Fathers of Confederation, on Sparks Street in Ottawa. Another was that of Pierre Laporte, murdered during the FLQ crisis in 1970. And a third was the assassination of Atilla Altıkat, a Turkish diplomat gunned down on Island Park Drive in Ottawa in 1982. Curious after discussing these things, I mentioned them to my boss later in the day after recording this episode. While she was sort of familiar with Laporte, the other two events came as a surprise. Then I went to dinner with my mom and asked her - she was also unfamiliar with D'Arcy McGee. But more surprisingly to me, she had almost no recollection of the murder of Altıkat. I would have been a baby or toddler, and the event took place about eight blocks from where we lived at the time.

Before the budget: Federal considerations with Glenn Brimacombe 02.10.2025 52min

The 2025 federal budget will be delivered November 4th. Glenn Brimacombe, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Canadian Psychological Association, joins Mind Full to discuss the advocacy approach to the budget process. We know many things that Canadians and mental health professionals want - parity between healthcare and mental health care, for example. How are we doing in advancing those priorities, and what can the rest of us do? CPA input on the federal budget: https://cpa.ca/cpa-provides-input-into-2025-federal-budget-august-2025/