In this episode of Inside the Wellness Hive Unplugged, host Gabriella welcomes Jenny Jonker, founder of Dragonfly Counseling, to discuss the profound impact of lived experiences on mental health and social work. Jenny shares her journey as a refugee from Nicaragua, highlighting how her family's struggles shaped her understanding of mental health and the importance of cultural sensitivity in therapy. The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating mental health within communities that often stigmatize such discussions, emphasizing the need for authenticity and compassion in therapeutic settings.

Jenny elaborates on her approach to counseling, which prioritizes human connection over rigid professional boundaries. She discusses the significance of creating a welcoming environment at Dragonfly Counseling, where clients feel at home and valued. The episode also touches on the importance of self-care for therapists, the role of lived experience in understanding clients' struggles, and the innovative therapeutic techniques like EMDR that help individuals process trauma. Overall, the conversation is a heartfelt exploration of healing, resilience, and the power of being human in the therapeutic process.

The Wellness Hive

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Dragon Fly Counselling and Wellness

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Step into Season 2 with a soft, grounded beginning. In this New Year’s Day solo episode, Gabriella invites you into a different kind of fresh start — one rooted in intention, embodiment, and remembering your own rhythm.

Instead of resolutions or reinvention, we explore a gentler truth: you don’t need a new you… just a deeper return to yourself.

This episode offers:

A reflective New Year reframe

A grounding winter-inspired ritual

Tender questions for your healing season

A deeper look at the mission behind Inside the Wellness Hive Unplugged

Let this be your slow, intentional entry into the year — a moment to breathe, reconnect, and begin again with softness.

New year. Same mission. Always healing.

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Disclaimer: The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, reflect, and invite curiosity — not to replace therapy or professional mental health care. Healing is deeply personal, and support matters. If you’re feeling called to explore this work more intentionally, you’re welcome to reach out to The Wellness Hive and connect with a therapist who can walk alongside you.

In this heartfelt finale, Gabriella brings Season 1 to a close with reflection, gratitude, and intention. Together, we revisit the stories, conversations, and healing moments that shaped the first season of Inside the Wellness Hive Unplugged.

This closing episode weaves:

A beautiful recap of the season’s themes

Highlights from guest conversations

Gabriella’s personal reflections and lessons

Listener stories and questions

A gentle ritual to close one season and welcome the next

Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or you’re joining the Hive now, this finale invites you into a moment of pause — a place to honour your own healing, acknowledge your seasons, and open yourself to what’s coming next.

Thank you for being here. Season 1 complete — may your hive hum and your bloom continue to unfold.

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@thewellnesshive.inc

Disclaimer: The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, reflect, and invite curiosity — not to replace therapy or professional mental health care. Healing is deeply personal, and support matters. If you’re feeling called to explore this work more intentionally, you’re welcome to reach out to The Wellness Hive and connect with a therapist who can walk alongside you.

In this episode of Inside the Wellness Hive, host Gabriella welcomes Jodie Muir, a registered social worker and psychotherapist, to discuss the importance of empathy, compassion, and evidence-based practice in therapy. Jodie shares her journey to founding Root & Bloom Therapy Services, emphasizing the significance of grounding before growth and the cyclical nature of personal development. They explore the challenges of perinatal mental health, the power of choice in parenting, and the importance of teaching children to face their fears. The conversation highlights the value of embracing all emotions and offers practical tools for those feeling stuck. Jodie also shares exciting developments at Root & Bloom, including new community offerings.

Keywords: wellness, mental health, therapy, perinatal support, empathy, compassion, evidence-based practice, grounding, growth, parenting, emotional health

Takeaways

• ​Empathy and compassion are foundational in therapy.
• ​Grounding is essential before pursuing growth.
• ​Seasons of life impact our growth and wellness.
• ​It's important to recognize the difference between normal and common experiences in parenting.
• ​Every emotion serves a purpose and should be acknowledged.
• ​Parents can project their childhood fears onto their children.
• ​Teaching kids to face their fears fosters resilience.
• ​Self-compassion is crucial in navigating life's challenges.
• ​Feeling stuck can stem from unrealistic expectations.
• ​Practical tools like ice therapy can help regulate emotions.
• ​

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Root & Bloom Therapy

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Disclaimer: The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, reflect, and invite curiosity — not to replace therapy or professional mental health care. Healing is deeply personal, and support matters. If you’re feeling called to explore this work more intentionally, you’re welcome to reach out to The Wellness Hive and connect with a therapist who can walk alongside you.

Being kind to yourself can feel impossible in a world that celebrates hustle and perfection. In this reflective solo episode, Gabriella explores what self-compassion really means, why it’s so hard, and how to practice it in everyday life. With gentle storytelling, practical tools, and a guided self-compassion exercise, you’ll learn to quiet the inner critic and offer yourself the same care you so freely give others.

Disclaimer: The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, reflect, and invite curiosity — not to replace therapy or professional mental health care. Healing is deeply personal, and support matters. If you’re feeling called to explore this work more intentionally, you’re welcome to reach out to The Wellness Hive and connect with a therapist who can walk alongside you.

In this episode of Inside the Wellness Hive Unplugged, Gabriella sits down with Kate Scott — a Social Worker with over 15 years of experience and a fierce advocate for people living with both mental health and substance use challenges. Kate’s work spans frontline support, harm reduction advocacy, and groundbreaking PhD research at the University of Windsor, where she explores how systemic barriers keep people from getting the care they need.

Together, we unpack the ways our mental health and addiction systems operate in silos — and how this separation creates devastating gaps for people with concurrent disorders. Kate shares her thoughts on the current debates around involuntary treatment and the push to close harm reduction sites, highlighting the real-life impact these decisions have on communities.

From the disconnect between research and practice, to why integrated treatment is still so rare despite decades of evidence, to powerful stories from the field, Kate reminds us that the heart of recovery is compassion, dignity, and meeting people where they’re at. Because, as she says, “dead people don’t recover.”

What if your relationship with pleasure was a gateway to healing?

In this powerful and heart-centered episode I am joined by Taylor McConnachie—Registered Psychotherapist, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, and founder of Embodied Sexual Wellness—for a deep, affirming conversation about sexuality, shame, and somatic healing.

Together, we explore:

What "embodied sexual wellness" really means—and why it matters

• How trauma, shame, and disconnection can affect our relationship with pleasure
• Why safe, inclusive, and affirming healing spaces are essential
• Practical ways to rebuild trust with your body and desires
• Navigating communication, consent, and intimacy in relationships
• The culture shifts we need when it comes to sexual wellness and mental health

Taylor’s approach is trauma-informed, sex-positive, kink-aware, and queer-affirming—bringing a deeply compassionate and holistic lens to topics that are often misunderstood or left in the shadows.

Whether you're beginning your journey of sexual healing or just curious about what it means to live more fully in yourbody, this episode offers insight, empathy, and empowerment.

Stay Connected:

Website: https://www.embodiedsexualwellness.com/

Instagram: @embodiedsexualwellness

What if your dizziness, brain fog, or lingering headachesafter an injury weren’t just in your head — but signs that your brain and body aren’t fully back in sync?

In this episode of Inside the Wellness Hive Unplugged,we sit down with Haley Carter, a Registered Physiotherapist who specializes in concussion recovery, vestibular rehab, and restoring functional movement after injury. Haley brings a deeply integrative, heart-led approach to healing that goes far beyond just treating symptoms.

We explore:

• What actually happens to the brain and body after aconcussion
• How vestibular rehab works (and why balance is about morethan not falling over)
• The myths that hold people back from real recovery
• How advocacy and collaborative care can change everything
• Why healing is as much about connection, nature, anddowntime as it is about protocols
• Whether you're navigating post-concussion symptoms, chronicdizziness, or are just curious about the power of neuro-informed movement, thisone’s for you.

Stay Connected at:

Website: https://b3therapy.ca/

Instagram: @b3therapybrantford

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