Sharon Roberts (she/her)
Ottawa, Ontario

Sharon Roberts began volunteering as a part of her recovery journey after becoming ill with anxiety and depression, leaving a job as a registered dietitian. One of the tools that she used was journaling, which became an important part of her recovery journey. As a part of re-entering the work world, after years of treatment and therapy, she decided to volunteer at a retirement home in her neighbourhood. She enjoyed working with seniors and it provided social interaction, which is lost for anyone with a mental illness.

When she discovered Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa, her first encounter with peer support, it was life-saving to connect with others who shared similar experiences and struggles. She became a WCC facilitator in 2019 after WCC brought its workshops to Ottawa through Mood Disorders Ottawa. She felt that writing to prompts took things to “a whole other level” and it was inspiring and uplifting to have the privilege of listening to the creations of others.

Sharon shares that writing has become a lifeline for her. Over the years, she’s facilitated for MDO; for a collaboration with Somerset West Community Health Centre; for a Veteran’s group; for the Seventh-Day Adventist church (Writing for Spiritual Growth) in-person and then online; and for the BIPOC community. She currently facilitates a workshop at the Royal Ottawa Hospital.