“When opportunities too amazing to deny came across my bow, I went in that direction.”— Dr. Eric Weissman

Dr. Eric Weissman, an assistant professor and a PhD in Social Science at University of New Brunswick, has been developing and applying a lived experience form of scholarship to the study of homelessness, housing, mental health, and substance use in Canadian and US cities since 1999 — an academic pursuit based on his own history of addiction and homelessless. He is currently studying mental health issues and housing precarity among post-secondary students across Canada.

This episode of The Living Jewishly Podcasts is an episode of What’s in Your Toolbox?, a podcast about mental health and the tools that we use to cope and heal. Host Bobby K sits down with Dr. Weissman to talk about personal reinvention, the rise of youth anxiety and homelessness, his ongoing documentary exploring the real-life stories of Canada’s homeless population, and what’s in his toolbox.

“Time flies… and then there’s this really wild painting finished.”— Dr. Eric Weissman

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

• Dr. Weissman’s incredible journey and how he’s used his lived experience to create meaningful impact
• How physical activity provides an outlet for our energy — and why it’s more important than ever to consciously engage in it
• How Dr. Weissman discovered the calming nature of fly fishing and why he became a fly fishing guide in Mexico

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:51 Intro

02:34 About Dr. Weissman’s work

05:40 Early friendship & moving to Red Deer

08:22 Fly fishing

13:57 Back to school & back to art

16:53 Anxiety & physical activity

17:48 Having pets & nurturing ecosystems

20:55 Power of laughing

23:19 Student homelessness & mental health

25:12 Dr. Weissman’s journey & lived experience

29:25 E.A.S.T.

31:02 Subtext: Real Stories

Links:‌ ‌

Subtext: Real Stories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CezCHIXzXHU

https://vimeo.com/12400258

https://www.unb.ca/faculty-staff/directory/arts-sj-socialscience/weissman-eric.html

To get in contact or learn more about Living Jewishly:

Visit‌ ‌our ‌website: https://livingjewishly.org

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Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2YEegjapKpQeXG6zh6tzw

or send us an email at hello@livingjewishly.org.

Shalom!