4 - Debbie Berlin: From Spark to Flame

Accidental Intellectual

Social worker and psychotherapist, Debbie Berlin joins us to discuss her trajectory into social work, how and why she decided to share her personal story of mental health, the importance of honesty, the inspirational work of palliative care, and so much more!

Debbie has practised as a social worker and psychotherapist for more than 25 years in women’s shelters and community-based services. For 16 years she worked with children and families in the stem-cell transplant and pediatric brain tumour programs at SickKids. She has facilitated groups for individuals with disordered eating and body image issues for over 20 years at Sheena’s Place, where she has acted as Executive Director for the past 5 years. She is also an adjunct lecturer at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. In 2014, Debbie became a founder of Neshama Hospice. When built, Neshama Hospice will be Canada’s first hospice residence based on Jewish values and located in North York, Ontario. Debbie actively engages in public speaking and has presented at numerous conferences including TEDx Toronto in 2013.

For resources or to find out more, visit Sheena's Place and Debbie's Private Practice. Listen to Debbie’s TEDx Talk and look for updates from Neshama Hospice as it moves forward into the construction phase. For more information or for support with eating disorders, visit the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC).

This episode of Accidental Intellectual is produced by Bronwyn Lamond, Rachael Lyon, Harrison McNaughtan, Stephanie Morris, Lee Propp, and Ariana Simone. Our theme music is by Alexandra Willet and our branding by Maxwell McNaughtan.

To learn more about the Accidental Intellectual podcast and get full show notes and a transcript of this episode, visit our website at www.accidentalintellectual.com.