I’m Leanne, and I am a powerful Lived Experience voice, advocating for understanding and empathy toward mental health concerns and parenting.
My life has been confusing because I had no idea about my diagnoses until later in life, so my experiences before age 40 were an unbridled mélange of emotions and actions, including elation, sadness, depression, impulsivity, anger, violence, sex, love, revenge, hyperactivity, hate and addiction.
…then I had a child, and all of that changed.
Experiencing and managing a severe breakdown brought my mental health issues to light, and, with the help of some great doctors, the support of (a few) family and friends, and the extremely powerful motivation to be a present and functioning parent to my child, I was able to begin healing quickly and effectively.
This is why I’ve established the site: to create a place of #RelatableSolidarity for those who need/want to learn more about their own situation through the stories of 1st Voice & Lived Experience, and to support and advocate for others who face similar circumstances.
I truly believe that, in order to effect change, we must say (or write) what we know and believe to be true, in order to gain perspective.
So please read and share, comment and critique – we’re all in this together, and it’s through a multitude of voices that we can loudly proclaim the desire for understanding and the need for change.
I speak in 1st Voice from living 40 years with undiagnosed ADHD, and then [still] learning how to parent with it, in an effort to encourage a more compassionate future for myself and others by honestly sharing insights and resources through this website and the anonymous public forum, ParentalMental.com
Lived-experience with ADHD, BPD, cPTSD, Childhood Emotional Trauma, ACEs, Anxiety and Depression.
Leanne is available for speaking engagements, to consult and advise clinicians, professionals, community groups, government, schools, businesses and service organizations on supporting parental mental health, including mental illness and ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).
She also delivers workshops and presentations on how to better understand and accommodate individuals (children and adults) living with ADHD and its related mental health concerns, to provide more equitable and inclusive opportunities for participation.
In limited situations, Leanne provides coaching, advice and support to individuals who want to gain a better understanding of living with an individual who has ADHD. The focus is on non-ADHD adults living with their diagnosed partner.
Click here to contact her.
Recent Involvement:
Vice-Chair, National Council of Persons with Lived Experience (of Mental Illness), Advisors to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Consultant, Accessibility (Confidential Client) – Analyzing and assessing Federally-regulated organizations and policies from an ADHD & Mental Illness lens to ensure accessibility and inclusivity.
Keynote Speaker, Guardian Network’s 2023 National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health.
Consultant/Contributor, Standards Council of Canada – National Standards for Mental Health & Substance Use Health Services (SCC MHSUH Standardization Collaborative)
Consultant, Mental Health Commission of Canada – Mental Health & Cannabis – Parenting and Cannabis Use.
Editorial Team, Daymark Foundation – Perinatal Mental Health Policy Collaboration.
“Recovery Through Patient-Led Introspection and Self-Awareness: Writing For Rehabilitation“, Published in Ontario Shores Journal of Recovery in Mental Health, Vol. 4 No. 1 Winter 2020.
Canadian Mental Health Association National Conference, 2020 – “Integrating Appropriate Representations of People with Mental Health Concerns into Society/Research/Information”
Presenter, Grandview Kids, Family Engagement: Supporting the mental health of parents and caregivers to children with disabilities – Coffee + Connecting.
Canadian Mental Health Association National Conference, 2021 – Facilitated a public conversation on the importance of supporting parental mental health.
Children’s Mental Health Ontario Conference, 2021 – “Parental Mental Health – Facilitating Positive Interdependence”
Parents For Children’s Mental Health (Associated with Children’s Mental Health Ontario) – Guest Speaker at the monthly ADHD Group.
Mental Health Advocate, Global News National, June 21, 2022 “Federal Liberals face criticism about $875M in missing mental health spending” (tv/print)
My work:
divaPR
The Prom Show
Parental Mental