Kathleen's Story: Courage, Connection, & Care

Mental health challenges first appeared in Kathleen’s life when she was 14 years old and experiencing significant depression, leading to her first diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder. When her symptoms didn’t completely disappear with the changing seasons, she was later diagnosed with anxiety and major depression. At age 28 she received a diagnosis of BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and she suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If the stigma and difficulties associated with her mental health diagnoses weren’t enough, Kathleen also navigates chronic pain due to fibromyalgia.

But Kathleen is a person who rises to face her challenges and tries her best to move forward in the face of seemingly impossible situations. To fuel her progress with learning, she took advantage of every mental health course, tool, and resource she could find to help. Several years ago, at a learning event offered by the BC Schizophrenia Society, Kathleen met Eimert, one of CMHA Kelowna’s amazing volunteers, who told her that we were looking for new Peer Supporters.

“Walking in those doors the first time I was nervous, but I knew that it had a greater purpose,” she says. “It didn’t take long before I fell in love with the place.” Fast forward a year and half, and Kathleen has completed training to become an official Peer Supporter and volunteers as much as she can. She visits the McNair Psychiatry Unit at KGH twice a month, where she helps patients learn more about the services and supports available through CMHA Kelowna.

She loves to see people she first met at McNair come into the Wellness Development Centre (WDC) and get permanently connected. “A lot of people don’t know about the CMHA,” she says. “I want to give them the easy breakdown of what we do.”  And while she completely understands how nerve-wracking it can be to walk through the doors for the first time, Kathleen emphasizes that it “doesn’t have to be overwhelming.” She likes to encourage people to ask a family member or friend to accompany them on their first visit. “[The WDC means] having a place where you can talk about whatever you want and not feel judged—or not share at all. Even if you’re just there to listen, it brings it out, helps you feel ‘I’m not alone in all of this’.”

When asked what she wishes people knew about mental illness, Kathleen replies, “I would want people to know that we’re not scary. You don’t need to be afraid of people with mental illness. Most of us come from a place of love but don’t really have a place to belong. I think we’re often all misunderstood.”  

So, what’s next for Kathleen? “I am feeling more confident in my ability and I do feel like I’m growing,” she says. She will definitely continue her work as a Peer Supporter and keep volunteering, meeting people where they are at and connecting over a cup of coffee. She’s always trying to bring new ideas to help make peer support and McNair visits better for everyone. 

As her confidence grows, she is thinking about possibly returning to school to study something in the realm of mental health.

We’re so grateful to Kathleen for giving of herself to help others. Thank you, Kathleen!

To learn more about CMHA Kelowna's Wellness Development Centre, visit:

Community Education & Wellness | Canadian Mental Health Association Kelowna

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