Truth story

Everyone Has a Story. Every Story Has Value.

I shared my own story with Unsinkable in early 2023. I’d worked in the mental health space for nearly a decade at that point, from crisis lines to developmental disability support to employment services. But I knew I needed to model what I ask others to do, speak openly and honestly about the struggles I had been navigating for years. A few months later, 6 months later I joined the organisation as Executive Director.

Unsinkable is a national Canadian mental health charity. What makes us different is that we put lived experience at the centre of everything we do. Our mission is to harness the power of personal narrative to break stigma, build connection and make support more accessible.

That’s what drives me. That’s what drives us.

We start with a story

At the heart of our work is storytelling. We help people explore their readiness, build their confidence and craft their story in the way that suits them. It might be written, spoken, filmed or performed. It might be deeply personal or shared publicly. It belongs to them, always. It could be a:

Individual story building experience, supported by a trained mentor
Group storytelling journey that ends in a community showcase
Growing digital library of lived experience, across formats

Storytelling is not just an expression of healing. It is healing in itself. And it is powerful, for both the storyteller and the listener.

For the storyteller, it can:

Reduce self-stigma
Increase self-compassion
Reframe how they view their own journey

For the audience, it can:

Create a sense of solidarity
Offer a mirror, a point of reflection
Open up new conversations

A story platform is a flexible programme for us

With imagination and application we tend our platform cross four main areas.

Storytelling
Our signature programme. Story is at the core of every other strand we offer. Participants work with us from idea to publication. The process is led by them, not us.

Unsinkable Youth
A peer-to-peer programme for young people aged 16 to 26. Each 12-week cohort is co-designed with youth facilitators, focusing on topics they choose from self-advocacy to identity to building support systems.

Community Champions
A national collective of advocates with lived experience. They take part in panels, community activations and co-created events. This is a space where leadership and storytelling meet.

Unsinkable at Work
We take our model into workplaces. That includes storytelling sessions, lived experience panels and custom events. We work with each organisation to identify internal voices and build safe spaces to share.

Each is rooted in authenticity, but tailored for different contexts. Whether it is a teenager in our youth group, a CEO sharing their journey or a community leader hosting a panel, the principle is the same: real stories connect us.

Unsinkable is a national Canadian mental health charity. Its storytelling programme has reached millions, helping people reduce self-stigma, build connection and access support. The organisation runs youth cohorts, workplace panels and advocacy networks built on lived experience.

Learn more at weareunsinkable.com

Who we work with

Our storytellers and participants span all ages, backgrounds and communities. We work across Canada, with a strong digital footprint.

To date, we’ve:

Supported over 500 storytellers
Reached millions through social media campaigns
Delivered programmes for over 200 young people
Partnered with dozens of community organisations

Referrals come from service providers, youth networks, our own community and social media outreach. We also ensure that every story is connected to relevant support. For example, a story from an entrepreneur about burnout will include links to mental health services designed for entrepreneurs.

We are not a substitute for clinical care. We are a bridge. A space where lived experience becomes the entry point, not the afterthought.

Our work matters

Storytelling is often treated as a warm-up act. Something soft, emotional, subjective. But what I’ve seen is it transforms people. It deepens understanding, inside the individual and across a system. It creates space where shame had once been. And it invites people in, those who have felt excluded, dismissed or afraid to speak.

If we want a mental health system that works, lived experience cannot be decoration. It must be at the centre of design, delivery and leadership

Reach and recognition

Over 500 stories shared through our platform. Youth cohorts serving 200+ participants. Tens of millions reached through digital campaigns. Regular events focused on topics such as eating disorders, suicide prevention, student wellbeing, Black mental health and many more

We have worked with public figures such as Olympian Silken Laumann (our founder) and actor Sara Waisglass (of Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia), as well as business leaders, local advocates and mental health professionals.

What I say to anyone thinking of adopting what we do

If you work in mental health, model the openness you want to see. Let people connect with the human behind your title. Trust builds trust.

If you lead an organisation, make space for stories. Not just as campaigns, but as a structural part of how you connect and serve.

And if you have a story of your own, know this: you are not alone.

The most powerful thing we can offer one another is truth. And when that truth is spoken, it can move the world.

You can read my story here

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