biography

Victoria Maxwell BFA, BPP*                                Mental Health Educator, Consultant, Actor and Writer  

Victoria Maxwell (Crazy for Life Co.™) is one of North America’s most sought-after educators and speakers on the ‘lived’ experience of mental illness and recovery, reducing stigma, improving therapeutic alliance and adherence and addressing workplace mental illness.

 Creative Director of Crazy for Life Co.™ and an award-winning actress and playwright with over 18 years experience, Victoria has worked alongside David Duchovny, John Travolta and Johnny Depp, among others.

 After her diagnosis of bipolar disorder, anxiety & psychosis, she became extremely proactive in her recovery. She combines her theater background, personal experience of psychiatric illness & professional knowledge as a group facilitator & mental health worker, to give a unique & powerful ‘insider’s’ perspective on dealing with depression & other mental illnesses.

Her critically acclaimed one-woman show Crazy for Life, her true-life story about accepting and living with a psychiatric disorder, tours internationally to sold-out audiences and rave reviews. Recent runs include Toronto, England, and New Zealand. Crazy for Life recently captured the Moondance International Film Festival award for best stage play in Colorado and the Gordon Armstrong Theater Award. As well her efforts have won honours as a finalist at the Canadian National Playwriting Competition and the Courage to Comeback Award. She is also featured in the Knowledge Network documentary ‘Living with Depression’ and numerous national magazines.

Crazy for Life Co.™  programs provide health providers with key insights to make them more effective in their jobs, assists employers to recognize employee depression early and enhance workplace wellness. Most popular packages combine her solo shows, Crazy for Life or Funny...You Don't Look Crazy?! with customized seminars for company conferences or in-house training. Helping Those Who Help Others and Creating Healthy Bottom Lines: Understanding Depression & Helping Employees Who Face It prove to be exceptionally inspirational and informative programs for conferences worldwide. Her highly anticipated second play Funny…You Don’t Look Crazy!? premiered in both Canada and the US and continues to tour throughout North America to capacity audiences.

“Incredibly enlightening…
Recommended at the highest level.”

Dr. Harry Karlinsky, MD, FRCPC                              Director, Department of Psychiatry
University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Victoria is a charismatic keynoter and performer whose honest, often hilariously irreverent approach to her own experiences disarms the prejudices often associated with mental illness, even as she provides crucial information on how to deal with it openly and effectively – in the workplace and elsewhere. A frequent guest on radio (CBC, CKNW; 600AM) and television, she also writes columns for various health magazines, and websites (Visions Magazine, the Mood Disorders Association Journal, the Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorders website).