Episode Notes

Jan's six-word story: “Persevere through the toughest of times.”

Listen in to hear more of Jan's story!

“You are your children’s champion & hero—you are more than enough.”

This week, Mikaela speaks with Jan Stewart, a highly regarded mental health governance expert and advocate. Growing up in New York and moving to Toronto after marrying a Canadian, she was untouched by major adversity throughout her youth and imagined a similar, happy life for her children. In her raw and emotional book Hold on Tight: A Parent’s Journey Raising Children with Mental Illness, she candidly describes the shock she and her husband faced when each of their two young children started exhibiting troubling behaviours.

While it took time to find the right doctors, diagnoses and treatments, Jan’s roller coaster journey with the children’s multiple mental health disorders taught her to insist on an integrated partnership approach with all those involved and propelled her to help parents of children with similar challenges. Her book gives readers invaluable insights and advice to become empowered and inspires them to persevere and never give up. It also importantly serves to better educate health care professionals on the parental perspective, as well as families, friends, educators and employers of those affected by these challenges.

While Jan takes great pride in her business career, the majority of which was spent as a senior Partner with the global executive search firm Egon Zehnder, it is her mental health governance experience that has been the most meaningful to her. This includes currently Chairing the Board at Kerry’s Place Autism Services, Canada’s largest autism services provider, and previously serving as Vice Chair at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

She also served on the Parent Advisory Council at Mass General Hospital’s Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Advisory Council of Access Open Minds, the Advisory Board of LIGHTS, and the Board of Directors of the former Ontario OCD Network. In addition, she co-founded the OCD Parent Advisory Group at SickKids Hospital. Jan is a Diamond Life Master in bridge and enjoys genealogy, fitness and dance.

In this episode, we reflect on Jan’s role as a caregiver and parent, how she takes care of herself, the mindset shifts needed in the mental health care system, and more! Here are a few tidbits of our conversation:

• It is okay to get through minute by minute when we’re in survival mode—we don’t always have words in these moments
• Focus on connectivity—better education & providing emotional support amongst one another.
• The patient is the whole family—we need more family-centered approaches in the mental health care system
• Forgive yourself for your mistakes
• When we share our stories, we have to be mindful of how we represent others.
• Hold on tight!

Taking care of the caregivers goes way beyond healthy eating, exercise, and sleep:

• Connect with other parents
• Find humour
• Carve out time for yourself (away from your kids & partner)
• Give your partner & support system the benefit of the doubt

Connect with Jan here! · Website: janstewartauthor.com @janstewartauthor on Instagram & Facebook

Disclaimer: This Podcast, along with Resolvve’s & Unsinkable’s mental health learning, educational content, and storytelling is not therapy and is not a replacement for therapy. Please seek professional help if needed.

Go to www.resolvve.ca or weareunsinkable.com to get the support you need. Mikaela offers 1:1 peer support here.

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