Elizabeth Muhle was 28 when her fiancé Cameron was diagnosed with high-grade spindle cell sarcoma. He passed away a year and a half later. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Elizabeth — now a social worker, therapist, and author of the memoir Soaring with Burnt Wings — shares what it was like to become a caregiver in her 20s, rebuild her life afterward, and turn that loss into her life's work supporting others through grief and trauma. Belinda opens up about her own loss too: her mom passed from cancer at 54, just months after Belinda's wedding. Together they talk about the stigma around therapy, how to find the right therapist ("it's like dating"), why grief shows up in the body and not just the mind, and what healing actually looks like season to season — not a straight line, and never fully "over." We also cover practical resources for parents whose kids are struggling with anxiety or mental health, including 811, Access Mental Health, and the Strongest Families program. In this episode: - Elizabeth's own journey to becoming a social worker after struggling with suicidal ideation and self-harm as a teen - Losing her fiancé Cameron to sarcoma at 27, and life as a young caregiver - Belinda's story of losing her mother to cancer at 54 - Why "finding the right fit" with a therapist matters more than credentials - The stigma around therapy — especially for men - The mind-body connection and how grief manifests physically - The "bowling ball" analogy for carrying grief - Elizabeth's memoir, Soaring with Burnt Wings - Illumination Therapeutic Services & the Healing Cocoon Collective - Resources for parents of struggling kids: 811, Access Mental Health, Strongest Families About Elizabeth Muhle: Elizabeth is a registered social worker and founder of Illumination Therapeutic Services and the Healing Cocoon Collective in Okotoks, Alberta, specializing in grief therapy and support for the terminally ill and their loved ones. She is the author of Soaring with Burnt Wings: Lessons in Love, Life, Laughter and Surviving Unimaginable Loss. If this episode resonates with you, please like, comment, and subscribe to Hear Me Out with Belinda for more honest conversations about resilience, mental health, and life's hardest moments. This episode discusses grief, loss, and mental health, including references to suicidal ideation. If you're struggling, please reach out to a professional or a crisis line in your area.

0:00 Cold open: Elizabeth's story of losing Cameron

1:20 Intro: resilience, trauma & finding hope

1:52 Meet Elizabeth: Illumination Therapeutic Services & Healing Cocoon Collective

2:43 Why Elizabeth became a social worker

3:24 What a social worker actually does

3:44 Finding "the right fit" in a therapist

5:16 Elizabeth's memoir: Soaring with Burnt Wings

6:19 Belinda's story: losing her mom at 54

8:28 The losses within the loss 9:30 The "bowling ball" analogy for grief

10:18 Grief is ever-unfolding

12:29 Overcoming the stigma of therapy

13:07 What to say to someone on the fence about therapy

17:16 The mind-body connection in trauma and grief

23:00 Resources for parents: 811, Access Mental Health, Strongest Families

25:57 What healing looks like

29:07 Closing thoughts

#GriefJourney #MentalHealthMatters #Resilience #GriefSupport #HearMeOutWithBelinda

Hearing Loss, Motivation & Taking Chances With Bobbi-Jo Marlatt
Hearing care is about more than devices — it’s about communication, confidence,
empowerment, and helping people take the next step.
In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda Waites sits down with Bobbi-Jo Marlatt, a Hearing Instrument Specialist, author, educator, and lifelong hearing aid wearer, for a powerful conversation about hearing loss, patient care, motivational interviewing, and what it means to help people feel empowered in their better hearing journey.
→ How Bobbi-Jo’s childhood hearing loss shaped her career in hearing care
→ Why good communication habits made hearing loss feel normal in her family
→ What motivational interviewing is and how it can empower healthy change
00:00 Introduction
01:22 Bobbi-Jo’s Personal Hearing Loss Story
03:23 Growing Up Around Hearing Aids
05:19 Writing A Book On Motivational Interviewing
06:44 What Motivational Interviewing Really Means
10:04 Using Better Conversations In Everyday Life
12:47 Vulnerability, Speaking, And Women In Business
14:48 The Story Of Wally The Chicken
16:35 Taking Chances And Pushing Past Limits
18:52 Where To Find Bobbi-Jo’s Book
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ABOUT BOBBI-JO MARLATT
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Bobbi-Jo Marlatt is a passionate Hearing Instrument Specialist who has worn hearing aids since
childhood. After earning her BA in Psychology, she became an HIS and later pursued a Master
of Applied Health Sciences and a Master of Education. Her work focuses on hearing care,
patient-centered communication, education, and motivational interviewing.
Instagram: @pluralpub
Website: www.bobbi-jo-marlatt-mclsc-med
Sometimes the biggest opportunities come when you stop asking whether something is possible and simply take the chance.
If this conversation helped you better understand hearing loss, motivational interviewing, patient-centered care, or the power of taking chances, make sure to like, comment, and subscribe.
Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement on their own better hearing journey or a reminder to take the next step.
#HearingLoss #HearingAids #HearingCare #MotivationalInterviewing #PatientCenteredCare
#BetterHearing #HearMeOutWithBelinda #HearingInstrumentSpecialist #CommunicationSkills
#WomenInHealthcare #HearingHealth #Okotoks
Host: Belinda Waites
Watch full episode Youtube: @belindawaites
Instagram: @belindawaites
Belinda Waites - Hear Right Canada – Okotoks: where better hearing starts with listening.
🌐 hearrightcanada.ca
"Hearing Loss, Motivation & Taking Chances With Bobbi-Jo Marlatt"

What does it take to rebuild your life when everything falls apart?
Sometimes the darkest chapters of our lives become the foundation for our greatest purpose. In this powerful episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda Waites sits down with Yulia Pisanova to share her remarkable journey of immigrating to Canada, overcoming isolation, surviving an abusive relationship, rebuilding her confidence, and finding purpose through community service and volunteerism. This is a story of resilience, courage, personal growth, and the power of never giving up.
Yulia opens up about the challenges many immigrants face, including language barriers, starting over professionally, raising children without a support system, and navigating life after trauma.
Through the support of organizations like Rowan House, community connections through Rotary, and her own determination, Yulia transformed her life and now gives back by helping others.
If you're struggling through a difficult season, rebuilding after hardship, or looking for inspiration to keep moving forward, this episode is for you.

→ The realities many immigrants face when starting over in Canada
→ Why community support can change the course of someone's life
→ How abuse and manipulation can happen gradually and quietly
→ The importance of trusting yourself and rebuilding confidence
00:00 Introduction
02:14 Finding Community Through Rotary
03:52 Moving to Canada From Russia
06:08 Building a Life Without a Support System
10:58 Starting Over and Career Challenges
13:01 Recognizing the Warning Signs of Abuse
24:58 The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
30:25 Rowan House and Rebuilding Life
37:14 Finding Purpose Through Volunteering
42:38 Lessons, Gratitude, and Moving Forward
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ABOUT YULIA PISANOVA
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Yulia Pisanova is a resilient immigrant from Russia, children's book author, community volunteer, and advocate for personal growth and healing. After overcoming significant personal challenges, she rebuilt her life in Canada through determination, community support, and service to others. Today, she is actively involved in Rotary and volunteers with organizations that helped her during her own journey.
Your circumstances do not define your future. With courage, support, and persistence, even the most difficult chapter can become the beginning of a new story.
If this conversation helped you find hope, courage, or inspiration, make sure to like, comment, and subscribe.
Share this episode with someone who may need encouragement to keep moving forward.
#Resilience #ImmigrantStory #PersonalGrowth #WomenSupportingWomen
#CommunityLeadership #Rotary #MentalHealthAwareness #DomesticAbuseAwareness
#Inspiration #Hope #CanadianImmigrant #HearMeOutPodcast