My interest in psychology, mental health and psychotherapy began because I grew up with a father with a mental illness. From a young age I wanted to understand people and their emotional lives. I am very aware that when there is a family member with a mental illness, particularly a parent, it isn’t just the person with the illness that needs care, but the whole family. Though the stigma of mental illness has been greatly alleviated thanks to many brave people that have spoken out about their challenges in the last twenty years or so (thank you Oprah and Phil Donahue), many people remain reluctant to discuss their illnesses openly with their family members today. This only adds to the mystery, isolation, shame and misinformation about mental illness. Often, the child of the mentally ill parent will find themselves in the role of the caregiver, forced to grow up very quickly. This role reversal can have life-long negative effects.
