Show Notes

We all experience stress and kids have stress too! Not all stress is bad stress and it is important that we all have the tools and support to manage when things feel difficult or overwhelming. In this episode of OnPoint Parenting, host Chantelle Quesnelle and guest Beth McCague, Psychology Associate at the SMCDSB, explore the topic of stress during the pandemic.

Here’s a little bit about our guest this week…

With a background in educational and clinical psychology, Beth McCague is passionate about sharing the application of emotion neuroscience and wellness principles with educators, families, and students to enhance well-being. Beth has worked with hundreds of groups of professionals as well as with families navigating mental health challenges. Beth has co-authored several articles and book chapters pertaining to Emotion Focused work and Learning Disabilities and is co-founder of Emotion Focused Skills Training in Schools. Beth is a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario and thoroughly enjoys her role at the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board supporting students, educators, and families. Beth is a mother to three creative and energetic kids who she and her husband enjoy many adventures with.

Our children are facing a dramatically different landscape because of this pandemic. Beth and Chantelle touch on the daily stresses our children are dealing with during these ever changing times. They discuss the importance of just letting your child experience their feelings and emotions first before jumping into helping them problem solve. They examine different ways to help your child cope with the stress they are feeling and acknowledge that parents have their own stress too!

Check out some of the resources that will help you manage stress with your child on the Resources Page of this website.

Together host Chantelle Quesnelle and Lisa Hickling-Miller explore the topic of mood challenges in the context of the pandemic. We discuss what's expected and when more support might be needed, the impact of screen time on mood, and the importance of creating a safe space for our children to talk about their feelings. Simcoe Muskoka parents will hear some important information and tips and likely will relate to the experiences that Chantelle and Lisa share as parents themselves.

Here's a little bit about our guest this week:

Lisa Hickling Miller, BAH, M.A., RP is a Registered Psychotherapist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in

Counselling Psychology and has worked in the area of Child and Adolescent mental health for over 25 years in Simcoe County. First at

the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre where she developed and implemented the Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Program and

then as a Supervisor and Clinical Manager at New Path Youth and Family Services before joining the SMCDSB 3 years ago. Lisa has also

maintained a private practice for over 20 years. As a busy mom of 4, Lisa enjoys skiing, hiking, swimming and spending time with her family and dogs. Lisa can also be found performing with Bravado Show Choir in her spare time.

NOTE: Please be aware that we briefly discuss suicide in this episode and it may not be appropriate for some listeners.

Check out some of the resources that will help you understand mood challenges on the Resources Page of this website.

This episode is all about summer! Together School Counsellor Doug Lowther and Chantelle Quesnelle explore some common summer parenting challenges such as scheduling, problem solving, and responding to the dreaded “I’m bored” proclamations from kids. Doug describes this summer as the “bridge to the new normal” and identifies ways to support our kids as we navigate through another pandemic summer, filled with disappointments but also hope and opportunity.

Here's a little bit about our guest this week:

Doug Lowther is a School Counsellor and a longstanding member of the SMCDSB Psychology Department team. He has been with the school board for 28 years (and counting)! Prior to his time at SMCDSB, Doug worked in children’s Mental Health agencies in Simcoe county. He grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia (they are all small towns) and he takes trips out east whenever possible. Doug enjoys coaching basketball and makes a concerted effort to be a good neighbour. He always has a story to tell and sees the best in every student and family he supports.

Check out some of the resources that will help you strategies and finding balance during the summer months on the Resources Page of this website.

This episode focuses on ways to support your child or teen who is expressing excitement and worry about going back to school. Excitement and worry can feel the same in the body and how we label and make sense of those physical and emotional experiences matter! Our children and teens often take cues from us; which, we can use as an advantage in helping them navigate these big experiences! In this episode we discuss what it can be like to observe our children moving through such big experiences, as well as a number of strategies such as naming emotions, understanding the physical and emotional experience, and using mindfulness.

Check out some of the resources for this episode on the Resources Page of this website.

Parents, if you are feeling quite worried or stressed about your child or teen’s returning to school, this episode is for you! As parents, we have been through a rollercoaster of emotions around supporting our children over the pandemic and many of us will be facing our own worries or concerns watching our children or teens re-engage in school. In this episode, we explore the origins of some of these worries, and a number of ways to tackle our own stressors related to our children or teens returning to school, such as identifying what is in our control, positive self-talk, mindfulness, self-care, and awareness of the information we consume and surround ourselves with. And, in attending to our own self-care, we model healthy self-care and coping strategies for our children or teens! It is a win win!

Check out some of the resources for this episode on the Resources Page of this website.

Talking about race, racism, equity and activism looks very different across households. In this episode Tracey and Chantelle explore ways to have conversations about these important issues with our children and teens. Together they explore the importance of being curious and tolerating discomfort when the conversation gets challenging. While conversations are important, actions speak volumes. This episode identifies ways that families can encourage activism in both small and big steps.

Here's a little bit about our guest this week:

Tracey Grose is the Culturally Responsive Lead for School Mental Health Ontario leading the infusion and implementation of culturally responsive mental health support for Ontario students. She is also the chair of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) School Social work Advisory Group. Tracey’s areas of interest include social justice education, optimizing the educational experience of black students in Ontario, addressing systemic barriers to student success, community partnerships and organizing social workers to advocate for youth mental health. Tracey is a graduate from the University of Toronto and the University of Georgia and holds a Master of Social Work degree. She has worked in both hospital and education settings with children and youth and was the first black social worker with the Durham District Board of Education. With over 20 years’ experience in the field of child and youth mental health, Tracey believes schools are the first and ideal location to enhance a better understanding of youth mental health and well-being.

Check out some of the resources for this episode on the Resources Page of this website.

On this Episode, School Counsellor Lisa Hickling Miller and host Chantelle Quesnelle explore some of the stressors that students and families are facing as we head into the 2021 holiday season. You will hear some important insights from students themselves as well as tips and strategies for parents. This episode touches on the impact of COVID-19, financial stressors, managing expectations, and what to do if a family member provides unwanted observations on how someone has changed. The episode closes with some important reminders of the services that can be accessed over the holidays if your child's typical mental health supports are not available.

Here's a little bit about our guest this week:

Lisa Hickling Miller, BAH, M.A., RP is a Registered Psychotherapist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and has worked in the area of Child and Adolescent mental health for over 25 years in Simcoe County. First at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre where she developed and implemented the Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Program and then as a Supervisor and Clinical Manager at New Path Youth and Family Services before joining the SMCDSB 3 years ago. Lisa has also maintained a private practice for over 20 years. As a busy mom of 4, Lisa enjoys skiing, hiking, swimming and spending time with her family and dogs. Lisa can also be found performing with Bravado Show Choir in her spare time.

Check out some of the resources for this episode on the Resources Page of this website.

In this episode SMCDSB School Counsellor Mary Katherine Charters and Chantelle Quesnelle explore common questions and worries youth may have about accessing mental health services and the ways that parents and caregivers can support their child or teen when accessing support. You will hear from our student voice correspondents as well as information from community partners.

Here's a little bit about our guest this week:

Episode Guest: Mary Katherine Charters, MSW, RSW

School Counsellor - First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Education

Mary Katherine Charters is a parent to two young daughters, a School Counsellor with the SMCDSB counselling and psychology team, and a Registered Social Worker by trade. In her role, she provides culturally sensitive counselling supports to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, K-12, from a strengths-based and trauma-informed lens, as well as trauma-informed consultation support to schools. Focusing on positive mental health, life promotion, healing, and wellness helps Mary Katherine to see the gifts of all students, as she works to help them realize their potential.

Check out some of the resources for this episode on the Resources Page of this website.

On this episode Chantelle has a conversation with OneChild Founder and President Cheryl Perera discussing the important topic of human trafficking in Ontario. Together they discuss ways to build parent and caregiver awarness of this local issue as well as explore the ways that we can all respond, advocate for change, and prevent childhood sexual exploitation.

Here's a little about our guest this week:

Bio: Appointed to the Order of Ontario, distinguished as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100, Cheryl Perera is an international children's rights advocate. She is the Founder and President of OneChild, the first organization in the world empowering children and youth to combat the sexual exploitation of children (SEC) through prevention education, advocacy, survivor care, and survivor empowerment. Cheryl holds a Masters of Advanced Studies in Children’s Rights from the University of Geneva and a B.A.(Hons) in Ethics, Society, and Law; Political Science; and Women’s Studies from the University of Toronto. She is also a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Oxford’s Executive Education programs on Transformational Leadership and Public Policy in the 21st Century. Her life-long crusade that she started as a student of the York and Toronto Catholic District School Boards, has led her to become a sought-after speaker, sharing the stage with Heads of State, UN Secretary-Generals and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Al Jazeera, Financial Times of London etc. and featured in 5 books.

Check out some of the resources for this episode on the Resources Page of this website.

On this episode, Chantelle has a conversation with Amanda Lamb from Pine River Institute in follow up to parent webinars that were presented this spring. Together, they go deeper into the topic of screen time and parenting. You will also hear from our student voice correspondents, Emma and Isabella, as they talk with Chantelle about social media and cell phone use from the perspectives of secondary students.

Here's a little bit about our guest this week - Amanda Lamb, Director of the Centre for Family Initiatives, Pine River Institute

Bio: Amanda began her career at Pine River in 2010 and brought with her a strong passion for working with youth and their families to support positive communication and relationships. Through her time at Pine River she has worked with countless families that struggle with mental health and addictions, first as a Youth Counsellor and then as our Aftercare Coordinator. In 2018 Amanda returned to school and has since completed her training as a Relational Psychotherapist.

As the Director of the Center for Family Initiatives, Amanda brings a deep commitment to the wellbeing of youth and their families through empathy, acceptance and compassion. She is experienced in working with families who find themselves in crisis as well as with those that are just starting to explore the field of mental health. Amanda hopes that by educating and supporting families early on, they can foster greater resilience and sustain their mental wellness through difficult life transitions and the challenges we all face.

Check out some of the resources for this episode on the Resources Page of this website.