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Victoria Maxwell          

Inspirational Mental Health Speaker, Performer & Author

An award-winning keynote speaker, mental health advocate, playwright and performing artist, Victoria Maxwell (BFA, BPP*) has been changing the conversation around diversity, mental health and workplace wellness for over 20 years. And she brings her trademark sense of humour making it fun!

Virtually or in-person, Maxwell presents her one-woman performances sharing her personal story of recovery from bipolar disorder, anxiety and psychosis to increase awareness, transform negative beliefs and ignite powerful conversations about mental health. She helps people understand how to support someone who's struggling and for those who are struggling, she empowers them to reach out.

Prior to her diagnosis, she was an actress playing small roles opposite actors such as "The X-Files'" David Duchovny, John Travolta and Johnny Depp.

For 5 years after her initial diagnoses, she refused to accept she had mental illness. In turn, she was in and out of hospitals. After acknowledging her conditions, with the help of her family, a good psychiatrist and others, she became proactive in her recovery. She’s now a passionate advocate dedicated to helping others.

For the last 20 years, Maxwell's helped audiences better understand the ‘insider’s’ experience of mental illness and recovery; how to comfortably speak to someone who’s struggling and how to create long-lasting wellness in a supportive environment.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health named Maxwell a leader in mental health and her theatrical keynote “That’s Just Crazy Talk” has been rated one of the top anti-stigma interventions in the country. Her media appearances include CNN, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Women’s Health UK. She can also be seen in season 2 of CBC TV’s series "You Can’t Ask That".

Maxwell’s a core member of CREST.BD, a global research team studying bipolar disorder and has blogged for Psychology Today magazine for over 12 years.

Speech Topics

That's Just Crazy Talk - My Family's Story of Mental Illness, Recovery and Reducing Stigma

It couldn’t be a more important time to talk about mental health. Through the medium of theatre, Victoria offers your audience a one-woman show that creates a safe and comfortable way for people to learn and speak openly about mental health and reach out for help.

This funny and very truthful performance describes her journey of coming to terms with mental illness within herself, the mental illness within her family and the stigma it carries. It follows her experience as a child of a parent with a mental illness and what it took for Victoria to overcome these challenges.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) named "That's Just Crazy Talk" one of the most effective anti-stigma tools in the country.

Two research projects measured its ability to decrease stigma. Findings demonstrate the show significantly reduces stigma. For information, see the MHCC evaluation report which summarizes the evidence and details from the studies.

She’s performed both virtually and in-person to rave reviews. This unique one-woman show leaves audiences with hope, understanding and strategies to support others struggling with mental health issues.

Take-Aways:

  • Increased comfort discussing mental health and the opportunity to talk about it openly.
  • Understanding the experience of mental illness from different family perspectives
  • Strategies about how to support individuals with mental health issues to encourage them to reach out and accept help earlier.
  • A look at the impact of stigma across multiple generations.
  • Reduced stigma and increased awareness.
  • What wellness and recovery looks like.
  • Insight into what works and what doesn’t in treatment plans.
    • Inspiration, hope and encouragement.

Wow, You Look So Normal - My Mental Illness Journey in the Workplace

"Wow, You Look So Normal" is Victoria Maxwell’s award-winning one-woman show that captures her experience in the workplace before, during and after a bipolar disorder, anxiety and psychosis diagnosis.

It helps people better understand mental health issues in the workplace and best practices for returning to work. The opportunity to comfortably and openly discuss mental illness, decreases stigma and offers solutions to challenging situations.

Based on her true-life story, this performance follows her journey of recovery with mental illness from being a Safeway cashier to wearing a backless hospital gown; to working with job coaches and finding her way back into employment. It’s a personal story of a mental health struggle and the triumph, when diversity in the workplace includes supporting mental health issues.

This funny and moving show entertains, educates and inspires in equal measure. Exploding stigmas about mental illness, mental health and recovery, it creates the space for critical conversations that help you understand what is possible.

You’ll learn what changes and strategies are needed to create healthy, safe environments for those struggling with mental health in the workplace.

Take-Aways:

  • Reduced stigma and increased awareness and empathy of workplace mental health issues
  • Strategies to help employees or co-workers who are struggling at work
  • Ability to recognize the warning signs of mental health issues
  • Understand the difference between mental health and mental illness
  • Increased comfort discussing workplace mental illness, and mental health and opportunity to talk about it
  • Powerful message that employment success after mental illness is possible and employment is a pathway to wellness
  • Qualities of a supportive manager
  • Effective return-to-work strategies

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