Biography Spotlight

Kristy Anthony

Coordinator of the Black Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support Program

Kristy Anthony is the Coordinator of the Black Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support Program at Families Matter in Calgary, Alberta. Kristy is also a Peer Support Worker, Group Facilitator and leads a team of Black Perinatal Mental Health Peer Supporters for this program.  Kristy and the Peer Support Team all have some form of Lived Experience with Perinatal Mood Disorder (PMD), whether it be postpartum anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or feeling overwhelmed during a challenging time in their lives. Kristy and her team can speak to the stigma and barriers of struggling with PMD in the African/Caribbean/Black community. They also inspire other parents with their stories of success and hope, in having journeyed to the other side.  In addition to Peer Support, the Perinatal Mental Health of Black Families program offers the following virtual sessions:  Melanin Mama Circle and Black Couples Connection (a registerable single session previously known as A Night of Connection for Black Couples).

Kristy is originally from the island of Grenada in the Caribbean and grew up mostly in Canada. She understands the bicultural life of an immigrant and celebrates both cultures while exploring the challenges of conflicting values, racism and unconscious biases. Kristy is an artist by nature and her first passion is dance. She continues to explore various cultural modalities of healing, bringing together the worlds of Mental Health and the Arts.  She provides educational presentations for both Professionals and Families, as well as Community Events. Kristy is motivated to affect change through community connection and spreading awareness via inspired educational sessions and engaging events.

The CHAT is a perfect example of Kristy and the Peer Support Team working to foster that community connection piece of the puzzle.

If you are interested about programming for Perinatal Mental Health for Black Families, please contact Kristy for more information.