Red Roof Recovery

11/28/2025

STARTING DECEMBER 1 🕛

Join us for Tai Chi Flow at Goderich Martial Arts, Hakko Denshin Ryu Jujutsu 💥

📌 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Cost: $10.00 per class

As a Mental Health Professional, I love to share my Tai Chi practice of gentle, flowing movements that promote mindfulness, relaxation, balance, and overall well-being.

This class will focus on simple, repetitive movements that are easy to follow along with. The pace of the "flow" is slow and steady, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the movements and connect with your breath.

Dress comfortably for slow movements.

Send a message to learn more

11/26/2025

I like to remind people - and myself - to "talk to and treat yourself like you talk to and treat a good friend." 💫

Feeding our mind with positive messages helps the neuroplasticity of our brain to sculpt & strengthen new neural networks that will serve us in healthier ways.

As a person who has lived with depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, PTSD (and self-medicated my illnesses with alcohol and other drugs for many years) - I am privileged to be aligned with LifeRing, Dr. Low's Recovery Method, and SMART Recovery.

These peer-to-peer mental health support groups are led by trained leaders who have regained and maintained their mental health with the methods they learn in meetings.

I encourage you to attend an online or in-person meeting - see what resonates for you. We all require different things at different times. I'm always happy to answer any questions.

We have an 🙌 in-person 🙌 SMART meeting every Sunday in Goderich. Message me for details, or find us on the SMART app.

Peer-Support Websites:
https://liferingcanada.org
https://recoverycanada.ca
https://recoveryInternational.org
https://smartrecovery.org

Keep learning, keep growing, keep showing up for yourself.💫

May the force be with you,
and remember...
YOU are the force!
❤ Tanya

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11/23/2025

Building Mental Fitness for Stronger Communities. 💪

Since 2020, I’ve supported individuals and families through Red Roof Recovery. 🙏

The mission has evolved with our new training division ~ Mental Health Fitness Alliance (MHFA) ~ shifting the conversation from illness to wellness... and from stigma to strength.

Just like we invest in physical fitness to strengthen muscles and endurance, we can develop the same qualities in our minds.

Mental fitness equips us to handle stress, adapt to change, and navigate challenges with greater confidence and clarity.

At the heart of MHFA is MIND MOJO, a practical training model that combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) and Mindfulness. Together, they create a powerful framework for reducing stress, improving communication, and strengthening family & workplace culture.

Join us for...

📍 Community workshops to make mental fitness skills widely accessible.
📍 Corporate training tailored to organizations, providing employees with practical tools to manage stress, build resilience, & strengthen communications.
📍 Educational programs for schools and community groups to promote wellness and reduce stigma.

Mental health affects every aspect of life and work. Join us on this movement to make mental fitness a priority.

The next MIND MOJO session happens at the Goderich Legion on Wed., December 3rd at 9AM.

Pop over to Mental Health Fitness Alliance and follow us please. 💫

11/21/2025

11/20/2025

Thanks for the work you're doing.🙏. It's much needed, and needs to be talked about more and more and more!

I hope we can soon eliminate the stigma around mental health illnesses like addiction. It saddens me to live in a society that justifies the consumption of alcohol while condemning the consumption of other drugs. The hypocrisy is baffling.

If we can consume alcohol in "bars & restaurants," why can't we create similarly civilized places to consume other drugs safely? Using a prohibition/abstinence approach just further discriminates against a vulnerable population.

Imagine a world that provides safe places where people can be seen as fellow humans who are self-medicating the pain of their lives... where humans in crisis can potentially connect with their fellow humans to build a relationship that might help them create a plan for a better life. Imagine what a world that could be. 🤔

Peer Supporr vs EAPs

1. Lived Experience = Immediate Credibility

Peer Support workers have been there! Addiction, mental health struggles, trauma, relapse, rebuilding.
That creates trust faster than an EAP counsellor who may be clinically trained but hasn’t experienced those realities firsthand.

People open up quicker when they feel understood, not assessed.

2. EAPs Are Short-Term ☆☆Peer Support Is Ongoing

EAP sessions are usually:

Time-limited

Scheduled around work hours

Focused on short-term intervention

Peer Support offers:

Flexible, ongoing contact

Texting, drop-ins, follow-ups

Support through setbacks, not just sessions

It’s practical because life doesn’t fit into 6 free appointments.

3. Peer Support Works in Real Life, Not Just Offices

EAPs typically take place in clinical or corporate environments.
Peer Support can meet people:

In the community

At coffee shops

At recovery meetings

During stressful life moments

This makes it more practical for someone in active stress, addiction recovery, or a crisis.

4. Zero Stigma / Zero HR Barriers

Many employees won’t use EAPs because they fear:

HR finding out

Being labelled “unstable”

Professional consequences

Peer Support is independent, confidential, and stigma-free, which means people are more likely to actually use it.

5. Focuses on What People Need Right Now

EAPs often follow structured clinical protocols.

Peer Support focuses on:

Safety

Connection

Harm reduction

Coping tools

Real-time problem solving

It’s practical because it meets people exactly where they’re at, not where the program expects them to be.

6. Relationship-Based vs. Appointment-Based

EAP = scheduled, formal, distant
Peer Support = relational, human, responsive

The strength of the relationship is the intervention.

7. Navigating Systems Is Easier With Peer Support

EAP counselling alone can’t fix:

Housing stress

Detox waitlists

Doctor access

Transportation

Financial stress

Relapse risk

Trauma responses

Peer Support can walk with them:

Help them call detox

Attend appointments

Build routines

Create safety plans

Support sobriety day-to-day

It’s practical because it’s hands-on support, not just talk therapy.

Bottom Line

EAPs are a resource.
Peer Support is a relationship.

One gives you sessions.
The other gives you someone who understands, stays with you, and helps you move forward in real time.

11/20/2025

I used to have LOTS of "conditional" acceptance in my life. That's what kept me self-medicating with alcohol and other drugs for too many years!

I've thankful to have found SMART (Self Management And Recovery Training) - founded by doctors and based on cognitive therapies.

Learning to practice "UNCONDITIONAL acceptance" ~ for myself, for others, and for life ~ was a game-changer for me.

It's such a valuable tool, I created a playlist from SMART so I can access it easily... and regularly!

🔗 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhYIo_HWTXnLsizbCmbSXSjtLyO2ef6cb&si=TCxOI3dHl2WUu1pB

Instead of being a servant to my mind, I've learned to manage my thoughts, feelings, moods, and behaviours. I watch and re-watch, listen and re-listen, and practice, practice, practice - with patience & persistence.

Better Mental Health is achievable with a persistent willingness to exert consistent efforts to help ourselves.

Use the neuroplasticity of the brain to sculpt & strengthen new neural networks to serve you in healthier ways. What we practice grows stronger!

Watch your language. 🎯 Remember to speak to yourself & treat yourself like you treat & speak to a good friend.

May the force be with you,
and remember...
YOU are the force!
❤ Tanya

11/16/2025

I used to have "low discomfort tolerance" beliefs...
telling myself things like, "Overcoming mental health illnesses - like addiction, depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, PTSD... - should be easier. It should not require so much work and practice, and not require me to make changes in my life."

And, then I remember... "What we practice grows stronger!"

I keep retraining my brain with affirmations and other repetitive actions that sculpt & strengthen new neural pathways that will serve me in healthier ways.

And then, I stay focused on what's within my control - and express gratitude for everything. 🥰

We are all on our own unique path, but you are never alone. Keep seeking, keep learning, and keep showing up for yourself ❣

Tap into our complimentary digitial mental health toolkit https://mentalhealthfa.ca/toolkit. Pick your favourites, and do them repetitively.

May the force be with you,
and remember...
YOU are the force!
❤️ Tanya

11/14/2025

11/13/2025

Unconditional acceptance for ourselves, for others, and for life.

It is the hammer in my toolbox to maintain freedom from addictions and better mental health. 💫

I used to have LOTS of 'conditional' acceptance in my life. That's what kept me self-medicating with alcohol and other drugs for too many years!Learning abou...

11/11/2025

Use the neuroplasticity of the brain to sculpt & strengthen new neural networks to serve you in healthier ways. What we practice grows stronger!

Breathless media reports and popular books often perpetuate the belief that we've reached the apex of humanity.

I was a journalist for 20 years and my job was to perpetuate what I now call the FUD Factor (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).

For the past 20 years, I've been broadcasting a new message - and I made it rhyme so it can be memorable (and maybe even musical ) to encourage you to “take the diet that really works… a digital diet!”
🎶🎶 "Don't watch, read, or listen to news
and feel how much your life improves."🎶🎶

Things are the same as they've always been and always will be.

You're just like the people who came before you.

We are all just a brief stopover until the people who, just like us, will come after.

The earth abides forever, but we will come and go.

While we're here, let's just do our best... and be kind - to ourselves & others.

Watch your language. Remember to speak to & treat yourself like you treat & speak to a good friend.

We only have to navigate the waves of life one-day-at-a-time. Would you like some help to become an expert surfer? I'd love to hear from you! https://calendly.com/mentalhealthfa

We are all on our own unique path, but you are never alone. Keep seeking, keep learning, and keep showing up for yourself.

May the force be with you,
and remember...
YOU are the force!
❤ Tanya