Holly Mathers

I have lived my life as the sibling of a sister with a chronic illness. This has played a major role in shaping my life choices. Being aware of illness issues and the impact of Amy’s illness on me and our entire family, contributed to my decision to become a counsellor and then to focus on working to address the gap that exists in services, resources and support for families dealing with illness. The isolation I felt as a child trying to cope with Amy’s illness is something I hope to reduce for the people we have contact with through our work.

I have experience working with teens, young adults, couples and families in Waterloo Region in Ontario, Canada. I have facilitated grief groups for young adults at The Coping Centre and a group for teens who have a family member or friend with cancer. It was called Support Space and took place at HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre. I also taught spiritual life classes and discussed spiritual issues with 12-16 year olds in treatment programs for behavioural, emotional or psychological problems at Lutherwood, in the mental health services division. I facilitate Caregiver Support Groups for people who are providing care to someone with an illness. I am a relief member of the Mobile Crisis Team at the Canadian Mental Health Association.

I am a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Christian Counsellors. I have an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from York University in Toronto, Ontario and a Master of Theological Studies degree in Pastoral Counselling from Waterloo Lutheran Seminary at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.

I speak publicly to various groups about families and illness issues including the Wellington- Waterloo chapter of theTourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada , the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I have led sessions for staff working with families who have a child with mental health issues and I spoke about my experiences with postpartum depression at Power, Pride, and Passion – Enhancing the Understanding of Mental Health and Women in Society.

For more than two years, I hosted a radio show where I discussed a variety of topics pertaining to illness as well as other life issues affecting individuals and families.

In the fall of 2010, I co-taught the course Assisting Families Dealing with Chronic Illness at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. This is a course developed by Amy and myself.