This is the first of a three-part series exploring the messy, complicated years of early adulthood—when my sisters, Kate and Teresa, and I began to navigate the emotional weight of our mom’s mental illness and addiction in a new way.

We weren’t estranged yet. But the tether was fraying.

In this episode, we reflect on the years after leaving home—when we were starting careers, becoming parents, and building lives of our own. We were still trying to stay close to our mom through letters, phone calls, and hope. But we were also beginning to feel the cost of that closeness: the resentment, the confusion, and the exhaustion of trying to stay connected to someone whose pain kept spilling over.

We talk about what it meant to set boundaries before we really knew how, how our relationships were impacted, and how we slowly came to realize that love alone wasn’t enough to hold it all together.

This conversation is raw and real—and a reminder that sometimes the hardest part of growing up is learning how to stop breaking yourself to keep someone else whole.

Host & Producer: Jenn St John
Editor: Andrew Schiller
Website: www.jennstjohn.ca
Follow along:
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TikTok: @jenn.st.john
LinkedIn: Jenn St John
BlueSky: @jennstjohn.bsky.social

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Unmasking Mental Health: Real Support, Real Change with CMHA’s Liz Grummett

In this special Mental Health Week episode, Jenn sits down with Liz Grummett of CMHA Simcoe County to explore what it really means to unmask mental health. With over 20 years of experience in outreach, crisis response, and education, Liz shares how connection, compassion, and accessibility are transforming lives—from youth to seniors, farmers to families, and everyone in between.

Together, they talk about:

• How stigma creates invisible weight—and how to lighten the load
• The impact of peer support and lived experience
• Groundbreaking programs for families, caregivers, and rural communities
• Why “meeting people where they are” can be a lifeline
• Liz’s personal tools for creating calm mental health, including breathwork and sensory grounding

This episode also features a moving journal entry from Jenn’s mother—reminding us how the masks we wear to protect ourselves can also disconnect us.

Whether you're a caregiver, a person in recovery, or someone simply trying to feel a little less alone, this is a powerful listen about showing up, speaking out, and making mental health support more human.

Visit cmhastarttalking.ca to learn more about CMHA Simcoe’s programs and services.

Host & Producer: Jenn St John
Editor: Andrew Schiller
Website: www.jennstjohn.ca
Follow along:
Instagram: @jenn_stjohn
TikTok: @jenn.st.john
LinkedIn: Jenn St John
BlueSky: @jennstjohn.bsky.social

If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who might need to hear it too.

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In this moving and deeply honest conversation, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau joins Jenn to talk about what it means to heal—individually, in our relationships, and across generations. With wisdom, warmth, and vulnerability, Sophie reflects on her own mental health journey, from childhood trauma to eating disorders, motherhood, and having her voice through it all.

They explore the ripple effect of inherited trauma, the critical role of self-compassion, and how building emotional resilience begins with honest conversations. Sophie shares the tools she returns to—like morning body tapping, breathwork, and grounding practices in nature—and speaks candidly about the messiness of healing, the power of female connection, and the importance of being seen and heard.

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that growth can come through pain, that we’re never alone in our struggles, and that when we speak our truth, we give others permission to do the same.

To learn more about Sophie’s work, visit sophiegregoiretrudeau.com
Buy her book Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other here: linkin.bio/sophiegregoiretrudeau
Sign up for her newsletter and stay connected: sophiegregoiretrudeau.com/#stay_connected

Host & Producer: Jenn St John
Editor: Andrew Schiller
Website: www.jennstjohn.ca
Follow along:
Instagram: @jenn_stjohn
TikTok: @jenn.st.john
LinkedIn: Jenn St John
BlueSky: @jennstjohn.bsky.social

If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who might need to hear it too.

Subscribe, leave a review, or just send a little love—your support helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.