A Calling to Help Others: Meet Lydia McIsaac

We are lucky to have people in our community who have a passion for helping others. That passion is what has driven Lydia McIsaac over the course of her 35-year career in the field of mental health and addiction services. It’s also what led Lydia to join the team at CBU as the Mental Health Nurse. 

“As the Mental Health Nurse at CBU, I provide confidential consultations to students, faculty members and staff who may have questions or concerns about mental health issues,” Lydia explains. “I help with the navigation of services, including booking appointments with CBU counsellors or accessing other services if needed.”

Lydia lives in Sydney but is originally from New Waterford, where she and her husband raised their two sons, both of whom are now CBU Alumni. Lydia’s career began in 1986 as a Registered Nurse, later specializing in Mental Health and Addictions. Over the course of her career, Lydia has worked many roles within the field including inpatient nurse, psychosocial rehabilitation, outpatient clinician, crisis case management and intake and urgent care. She is also a trainer in both Suicide Risk Assessment and Mental Health First Aid Canada. We are so lucky to have such an experienced and dedicated professional joining us here on campus. 

Lydia knows the stigma surrounding mental health and illness is the largest barrier for those seeking help. “Mental health issues impact one in every five people yearly, so it’s very important to be able to recognize and talk to someone who may be having a difficult time,” Lydia says. “I am very passionate about decreasing the stigma and demystifying mental illness, so that people are not as reluctant to seek help for themselves or to help others.” Lydia plans to provide workshops that will share information about Mental Health First Aid Canada, Suicide Risk Assessment and Mental Health Promotion as a whole, with the goal of helping all members of the CBU community.

Lydia will be located in the Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre, and appointments can be booked by emailing healthservices@cbu.ca. Welcome to the team, Lydia!