194: A Social Worker's Story on Silencing Shame

This beautiful person connected with me on Instagram and ever since she has become someone I am grateful to call a friend.

Katie is a therapist and the woman behind the Instagram page @katie.theBipolarTherapist. She received her Bachelors Honors Degree in Psychology in 2007 and, following being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 with psychosis, completed her Masters of Social Work degree in 2010.

She graduated with distinction and proceeded to work in the Mental Health field within a healthcare environment since that time. Katie has experience working in programs such as Eating Disorders Treatment, Intimate Partner Violence, Crisis and Suicide Intervention and within an Acute Mental Health Unit in a hospital setting.

In addition to providing individual and group based therapy, Katie has recently started to speak publicly about her lived experience with Bipolar Disorder Type 1, generalized anxiety disorder and OCD. She is dismantling the stigma around Mental Illness, providing education, advocacy and telling her story about managing her mental illnesses while living a fulfilling life.

Katie speaks openly about the impact not knowing about her diagnosis had on her professional life and relationships. Despite the challenges, Katie managed to build a supportive relationship with her husband, Ryan.

She shares her feelings around opening up about her diagnosis publicly and how this has transformed her experience into advocacy, aiming to educate others and reduce the stigma around mental illnesses. The episode explores the importance of self-knowledge, support, and ongoing learning in living well with bipolar disorder.

For more Katie, stay connected with her here!

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation

02:01 Guest's Journey to Diagnosis

09:04 Living with Bipolar Disorder: Personal Experiences

11:51 Support Systems and Relationships

20:45 Managing High Stress Situations

23:52 Opening Up About Bipolar Disorder

27:09 The Power of Sharing and Advocacy

32:23 Living Well with Bipolar: Final Thoughts