#OurAnxietyStories

Shane Koyczan is a spoken-word poet and writer, best known for writing about issues like bullying, cancer, death, and eating disorders. Shane is best known for the anti-bullying poem “To this Day” which has amassed over 25 million views on YouTube and performed live at a Ted Talk event.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Shane reflects on his journey with anxiety, sharing that bullying playe...

Hannah Stone is an artist who began painting and designing clothes in 2002. Inspired by the nostalgia of childhood visits to the seaside arcade, Hannah claims her work "has a way of transporting the viewer to a sweeter and simpler time”.     In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Hannah dives into her journey with anxiety and bipolar disorder, sharing that she didn’t realize she had anxiety her ent...

Mark Antczak  is Anxiety Canada’s in-house Registered Clinical Counsellor and Clinical Educator. Mark also practices at  the Vancouver CBT Centre , where he specializes in providing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to adults with anxiety spectrum disorders.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Mark dives into his personal journey with anxiety and panic, as well as his professional experienc...

Joanna Zelichowska is a registered clinical counsellor and the manager of  Jessie’s Legacy Eating Disorders Prevention Program  at Family Services of the North Shore. Jessie’s Legacy was named after Jessie Alexander, a young woman who took her own life after a long battle with disordered eating and depression. Although Jessie did not live to see this happen, her hope upon her own recovery was to h...

Born and raised in Kelowna, Jeff Roberts is a 32-year-old leading what could be considered a normal, average life.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Jeff shares that although he leads a normal life, he has a rather unique story. Reflecting on his high school years, Jeff recalls a specific traumatic incident, involving using the restroom, that set-off 15 years of severe anxiety. Over the yea...

Eboni  Fisher  is a young BIPOC queer singer, songwriter, actor and mental health advocate. In recent years, Eboni has written and performed an original piece titled “I Can’t Breathe” to raise awareness amid the Black Lives Matter movement during Pride, as well as at the Juneteenth Freedom March in 2021.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Eboni talks about her experience with social anxiety,...

Stephanie Zito is an Educational and Counselling Psychology PhD candidate at McGill, and the founder of the self-care spotlight initiative on Instagram ( @SelfCareSpotlight ), which has now become a safe space for nearly 400K people to connect with and support one another.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Stephanie discusses her experiences with health anxiety and panic as a university stu...

TC Carling is the President & CEO of the  Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF) , providing information, tools, and motivation for men and their families to lead healthier lives. Previously, Carling has gained valuable leadership experience holding executive roles with Canucks Sports & Entertainment, GSL Group, and most recently as President & CEO for Fortius Sport & Health. He a...

Minister Sheila Malcolmson is a Canadian politician who has served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia for the electoral district of Nanaimo. She was elected as MLA for Nanaimo in 2019 and re-elected in 2020.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Minister Malcolmson discusses her role as Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, where she focuses on removing barr...

Dan Pietens is a pencil artist from London, Ontario, known for his highly realistic portraits of professional hockey players including Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. To help raise awareness around anxiety, Dan donates proceeds from his artwork sales to Anxiety Canada.   In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Dan shares that anxiety affected his work as a physiotherapist, which led...

French-Canadian Eugenie Turner was one of few women in the Royal Canadian Air Force selected to serve overseas on a bomber base in the Second World War. There she witnessed horrific crashes, dodged bombings, and worked around the clock on the historic D-Day.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Eugenie discusses her experiences as a World War II veteran, noting that her excitement to enlist su...

Dr. Kyle Burns  is a psychiatrist and Co-Director of VanPsych, a centre that provides high-quality, empirically supported and compassionate care for people with complex mental health challenges. Dr. Burns completed his medical degree and psychiatry training at the University of British Columbia and joined Anxiety Canada’s Board of Directors in 2016.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Dr. Bur...

Botswana born and Canadian raised, 14-year-old Malia Baker is a multi-talented actor best known for her role of Mary Anne Spier in Netflix’s highly acclaimed remake of the “Baby-Sitters Club”. Most recently, Baker also joined Nickelodeon’s second season of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” as Gabby Lewis.    In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Malia discusses her evolving journey with anxiety. Malia...

Kelly Hrudey  is a former NHL goaltender, a current analyst for Sportsnet's Hockey Night in Canada and a regional broadcaster for the Calgary Flames. He is also a mental health advocate and an Anxiety Canada Champion.   In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Kelly shares how his journey with anxiety began with his daughter, Kaitlin, who was diagnosed with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (...

Charlie Demers , is a Canadian comedian, political activist, voice actor, and writer. In this episode, Charlie shares how he has navigated obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder, discussing how anxiety has impacted his work as a Comedian. Charlie dives into his experience with cognitive behavioral therapy, highlighting the financial barriers that many face w...

Nickie Lewis is a creative Vancouver resident who has dabbled in costume design, theatre and most recently the creation of art installations that focus on nature and sustainability.  In this episode, Nickie shares that she is solution-oriented, and perceives challenges as something she has control over “fixing". However, unlike the challenges of her past, COVID-19 isn’t something she can “fix”, wh...

Alayna Joy is an LGBTQ+ content creator with over a quarter of a million followers on Youtube .  In this episode, Alayna shares her journey with anxiety, discussing experiences with aviophobia (a specific phobia that involves a fear of flying), as well as panic attacks. Alayna notes that her lived experiences with anxiety led her to discovering mindfulness and compassion, tools that she now active...

Judith Law is the Executive Director of Anxiety Canada , a non-profit organization devoted to developing free online, self-help, and evidence-based resources on anxiety. In this episode, Judith shares a brief history of the nationalization of Anxiety Canada (formerly AnxietyBC), touching on how a nation-wide need for accessible evidence-based resources on anxiety influenced the organization’s re-b...

Maya Fleischmann is a post-secondary student on track to pursuing a career in family law. In this episode, Maya shares how as a child, anxiety manifested for her as perfectionism, and that she was unaware that what she felt was considered to be anxiety until she received a formal diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as a teenager. Maya also touches on the tools and techniques, such as m...

Marlisse McRobie is a parent in residence at FamilySmart who provides peer support for parents and caregivers whose children have mental health and/or substance use concerns. In this episode, Marlisse shares her experience seeking support for her son who showed symptoms of anxiety from a young age. Marlisse also touches on how her son’s experience with anxiety opened her eyes and allowed her to re...

Anastasia Williams is a registered nurse (RN), currently working as a case manager in home and community care. In this episode, Anastasia touches on her lived experience with anxiety, emphasizing the lack of awareness and support she encountered growing up. Anastasia recalls being labeled as “problematic” and “attention seeking”, and states that only recently was she able to label the feelings she...

Graeme Partridge-David is a parent in residence at FamilySmart who provides peer support for parents and caregivers whose children have mental health and/or substance use concerns. In this episode, Graeme shares his family history with mental health challenges, emphasizing his own lived experience with anxiety and panic attacks. Graeme also touches on how his lived experience with anxiety has allo...

Elizabeth May is a Canadian politician who served as leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2006 to 2019 and has been a Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands since 2011. Elizabeth also founded and served as the Executive Director of the Sierra Club Canada from 1989 to 2006. In this episode, Elizabeth shares how her daughter's experience with anxiety allowed her to truly understand the de...

Greyston Holt is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles in 50 States of Fright, Batwoman and Bitten. In this episode, Greyston shares how worries around Covid-19 led him to feeling physical symptoms of anxiety. Greyston also touches on how he tackles anxiety-provoking situations in the film industry, such as auditions. *** This podcast is brought to you by Anxiety Canada™, a leader in developi...

Vitoria Murakami is a member of the CMHA BounceBack Youth Advisory Committee , where she acts as a peer educator and actively contributes to the CMHA BounceBack blog . In this episode, Vitoria shares her experience immigrating to Vancouver from Brazil, emphasizing how attending a new school, living far from loved ones, and having to make new friends led to heightened feelings of anxiety. Vitoria a...