Kathleen C. (she/her)
Ottawa, Ontario

Kathleen’s association with WCC began in the early days of Covid as a writer in WCC workshops offered through Mood Disorders Ottawa (MDO). She was so excited by the experience that she became a facilitator as soon as she could. Kathleen continues to facilitated WCC workshops through MDO and recently began co-facilitating workshops for the underhoused through The Well, a women’s drop in, and other workshops.

In addition, she volunteers for several other organizations. She provides peer support facilitation for the MDO, PSO (Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa), OCO (Ontario Caregivers’ Organization), and Kindspace (LGBTQ2S+ safe place). She is also part of the OHT-CPT (Ottawa Hospital Team – Client/Partner Table) and the OHT-MHSU sub-committee (OHT – Mental Health and Substance Use).

“Of all my work, I find facilitating for the WCC most gratifying. With peer support, I don’t always know if I have made a difference or helped at all, and committee work takes a long time to evolve. However, with a WCC workshop I can see a writer’s eyes light up when they get a prompt they’re excited by. Then, when the other participants show through their feedback that they have understood and appreciated a piece, the writer glows and grows in confidence. I can feel the weight of empathy from the group when a writer has shared a particularly vulnerable and powerful story. I continue to marvel at my own wordsmithing when I write. Who knew I had that in me? There’s nothing quite as moving and transformative as a WCC workshop.”

Kathleen has also participated in WCC’s Write On! program and two of her short stories were published in the 2022 Front Lines anthologies.