Meet
Andrea
AKA Bipolar Babe
Speaker. Author. Changemaker.
Andrea Paquette is a mental health advocate, speaker, writer, and founder of the Bipolar Babe Project, which she launched in 2009 after her own diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
What began as a personal blog and online community quickly grew into a movement that connected thousands of people seeking understanding, hope, and reliable mental health information.
In 2010, that work evolved into the Bipolar Disorder Society of BC and later the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society, a national charity dedicated to reducing mental health stigma through education and awareness. Andrea offers her leadership as President and Co-Founder.
For more than 15 years, Andrea has shared her lived experience to help others feel less alone. She has presented to over 850 schools, workplaces, community organizations, conferences, and events across Canada and beyond, reaching countless individuals with her message of resilience, acceptance, and recovery.
Andrea is also a long-time mental health writer, contributing articles and personal stories to bpHope Magazine for more than a decade. Through her writing, speaking, and advocacy, she continues to create honest conversations about mental health while empowering people to embrace their own stories.
No matter our challenges, we can all live extraordinary lives.
Her work has been recognized through numerous awards and honours, including the Courage To Come Back Award given by Coast Mental Health, the Canadian Psychiatric Association President's Commendation Award, and the Mel Cooper Citizen of the Year Award. She has also been featured nationally through Bell Let's Talk and other media campaigns highlighting mental health awareness.
At the heart of everything Andrea does is a simple belief: no matter what our challenges we, we can all have extraordinary lives.