In this episode of As I, A Peer, Jeff Turner sits down with Lora Pesant, a laughter yoga facilitator, wellness educator, and longtime advocate for proactive mental health care.

Laura shares her lived experience growing up around addiction, navigating anxiety, and witnessing a parent’s late-in-life bipolar diagnosis and how those experiences shaped her relationship with safety, identity, and joy.

The conversation explores:

- How childhood instability can quietly plant the seeds of anxiety
- Why labels like “addict” or “disordered” don’t tell the full human story
- A traumatic solo travel experience that brought anxiety to the surface
- How laughter yoga became a practical, embodied tool for nervous system regulation
- The science-backed mental and physical benefits of intentional laughter
- Why joy doesn’t have to be earned—and how choosing it on purpose can be healing

Lora also breaks down what laughter yoga actually is (and what it isn’t), how it works in group settings, and why it’s being used in wellness spaces, conferences, and high-stress workplaces around the world.

Learn more about Loras work:
https://www.adventuresinwellness.ca/

Go here for a free guide on managing over thinking:
https://subscribepage.io/manage-over-...

Go here for more on personal wellness and peer support:
https://thejeffturner.ca/

Psychosis is one of the most misunderstood mental health experiences and it’s rarely talked about with compassion or clarity.

In this episode of the As I, A Peer Podcast, I sit down with John Gerard, a visual artist, author, and peer-support-trained advocate, to talk openly about psychosis, perception, recovery, and lived experience.

We explore what psychosis actually feels like (beyond movies and headlines), how art and creativity can become a grounding practice, and why peer support isn’t about fixing people, it’s about sharing hope.

If you’ve ever wondered how to support someone without judgment — or how people rebuild their lives after their reality shifts — this episode offers a clearer, kinder perspective.

John Gerrard's website: http://johnfgerrard.com
Instagram: ‪@johngerrard473‬

Go here for a free guide on managing over thinking:
https://subscribepage.io/manage-over-...

Go here for more on personal wellness and peer support:
https://thejeffturner.ca/

Hanna Marie is a master’s-level art therapist, menstrual educator, counselor, and social worker, but more than that, she’s someone who’s learned to turn her lived experience into purpose.

In this conversation, we talk about growing up between countries, finding identity through art, and learning how to reconnect with the body after years of disconnection. Anna Marie shares how her creative process became both a form of healing and a way to help others do the same.

If you’ve ever lost touch with your body, your creativity, or your sense of belonging, her strory might help you find your way back.