When I speak with Andrea Paquette, I am struck not only by her courage but by the steadiness with which she carries her story. There is nothing performative about the way Andrea speaks about mental health. Her advocacy is rooted in lived experience, hard-earned insight, and a deep commitment to ensuring that others feel less alone than she once did.
Andrea was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 in 2005. Following her diagnosis, she experienced a severe manic episode with psychosis that brought her to a profoundly dark place. There was a period when she did not know whether she would survive. She often describes herself as “one of the lucky ones,” a phrase that carries both gratitude and an acute awareness of how many others are not afforded the same outcome.
That experience became a turning point. In 2009, Andrea began sharing her story publicly through what became known as the Bipolar Babe Project, initially as a way to process her own experience and create a resource for others navigating a diagnosis that was, and remains, deeply stigmatized. What started as personal storytelling quickly revealed a broader need. In 2010, the project evolved into the Bipolar Disorder Society of BC, later rebranded as the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society to reflect its expanding reach and inclusive mission.
Today, Andrea serves as President and Co-Founder of the organization, which delivers education and training programs across Canada aimed at reducing stigma and fostering understanding around mental health. At its core, the work is about visibility, connection, and dignity, ensuring that conversations about mental health move beyond silence and shame.
Andrea has shared her story in more than a thousand venues across North America, including schools, workplaces, and community settings. What distinguishes her voice is not just her willingness to be open, but her ability to meet people where they are. She speaks with clarity about the realities of mental illness while holding space for hope, possibility, and recovery.
Her contributions have been widely recognized, including the Courage To Come Back Award, a President’s Commendation from the Psychiatric Association of Canada, and national media features through Bell Let’s Talk and the CBC. Yet Andrea is the first to deflect attention away from accolades. What matters most to her is impact, the quiet moments when someone feels seen, understood, or empowered to ask for help.
Andrea is currently writing her memoir, a project she describes as both exciting and deeply vulnerable. It is a continuation of the same impulse that has guided her work for nearly two decades: to tell the truth, even when it is uncomfortable, and to trust that honesty can create connection.
On International Women’s Day, Andrea Paquette’s story reminds us that leadership does not always emerge from positions of power or certainty. Sometimes it is forged through survival, shaped by compassion, and sustained by a commitment to collective care. Through her courage and constancy, Andrea has transformed personal hardship into meaningful, lasting change, creating space for others to live more openly, and with greater hope.