by Monique Caissie | Dec 7, 2016 | Blog
(As published in Huffington Post)
I still remember as a little girl while at school, I suddenly began to feel very poorly and almost passed out. When the school nurse took my temperature, she immediately called my father to come bring me home. By the time he got there, the cold compresses had had their effect and I felt quite normal. My father punished me for faking a temperature and pretending to faint. To this day when I get sick, I try to power through, convincing myself that it will pass. (more…)
by Monique Caissie | Nov 23, 2016 | Blog
Growing up in Montreal, Quebec during the rise of a separatist political party in the 1970’s, this gave me a front row seat to how families can be divided because of political differences. Every Sunday, after church, this division played out in my living room.
(more…)
by Monique Caissie | Nov 9, 2016 | Blog
(Published in Huffington Post)
I just came back from a two day “Think Tank” for forward thinking business people. This experience gave me an opportunity to reflect on the people I’ve been hanging out with since deciding to tip my toe in the world of entrepreneurialism.
Besides laughing and socializing, we shared many personal stories of challenges and how we overcame them; learning from each other. (more…)
by Monique Caissie | Nov 1, 2016 | Blog
(Published in Huffington Post)
As a recovering doormat, I struggled with setting boundaries. But first, I needed to figure out when my boundaries were actually being crossed. When working as a counselor in mental health, I got a crash course on personality disorders. These disorders have a strong element of emotional blackmail to them where another’s boundaries are unimportant. This was an eye opener! (more…)
by Monique Caissie | Apr 12, 2016 | Blog
(Published on Huffington Post and a chapter in the book
Stand Up, Speak Out Against Workplace Bullying: Your Guide to Survival and Victory Through 23 Real Life Testimonies)
When I watched the powerful 2012 documentary called “Bullied”, I cried in recognition, grief, anger and sheer sense of helplessness to stop it.
At the end, there were memorials for children who had taken their lives because of bullying. I wanted to reach through my TV and shake those school principals and parents. I understood the victims and their sense of isolation and despair.
The main difference between children’s bullying and adults’ bullying is that the more “mature” bully leaves no physical scars. After all, there are laws for that!
Having worked in mental health, I’ve seen the other kinds of scars. Unfortunately, I’ve also been victim to them myself. (more…)
by Monique Caissie | Feb 19, 2016 | Blog
(Published on Huffington Post.) Thursday, February 18th, I listened with rapt attention to The Right Honourable Paul Martin as he engaged with 5 Former First Nations Chiefs. In the image above, from left to right, they are Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, Matthew Coon Come, Phil Fontaine, Ovide Mercredi and Georges Erasmus. This was our last mainstage panel discussion of a week of sharing and brainstorming to reclaim and rebuild after 20 years of abusive neglect by our Canadian government.
The full title of the AFOA conference was “Leadership and Governance: Transformational Change through Education and Capacity Building”. The messages of hope and transformation rang throughout the week without naively denying what has happened. (more…)
by Monique Caissie | Dec 24, 2015 | Blog
This was published on Huffington Post.
It is December 4 and there are probably 40 people in the room at the “welcome cocktail” for the volunteers of our annual convention. I hug an acquaintance, start catching up and then I start coughing. I take a sip of my wine but the mucus in my throat seems to get thicker.
Cough. Cough. Wheeze. Cough. Some people are looking at me. Oh, how embarrassing.
Deciding to catch my breath privately, I leave and head down the hall looking for a ladies’ room while digging for my asthma puffer. (more…)
by Monique Caissie | Nov 16, 2015 | Blog
Published on Huffington Post
The Paris aftershocks will last beyond the funeral services of lives lost. With our mental health facilities and qualified intervenors at an all-time low, increasing our knowledge can go a long way to recovering from the shock of this much publicized global event.
Here’s a quick review of what we need to know about mental trauma. The shock will increase adrenaline which can last a few days. Adrenaline should start to slow down again at some point and sleep patterns, eating patterns and emotional management should begin to recover. (more…)
