In her first book, titled “Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other,” Sophie Grégoire Trudeau gets personal, inviting readers on her journey toward self-knowledge and empowerment by drawing on the expertise of mental health professionals and leaders.
“It’s a labor of love, of presence, of research, of team effort,” the author, activist and philanthropist said of the self-help guide and memoir, which touches on her struggles as a child, career woman and mother.
“We’re bombarded with information non-stop and we’re not that thirsty for more and more information, but we’re thirsty for wise knowledge and silence and rest,” she added at the book’s launch, held at Montreal’s Hotel Gault on Monday night.
“Mental health is the number one cause of absenteeism at work. So this is a real crisis that we’re facing. I’ve been trying to share this information for more than 20 years and unfortunately it took a pandemic for people to realize that without nourishing human connection, we don’t feel well,” Grégoire Trudeau said.
Keeping the focus off her relationship with Prime Minister Trudeau, Grégoire Trudeau hopes her first book will help to spread mental health research as well as the knowledge she’s gained in the field over her two decades of advocacy work.
“When we think about mental health, it’s the fabric of our lives. It’s not just the absence of mental illness. It’s how we sleep, what we bring our attention to, how we treat ourselves when nobody’s looking, how we eat, what we eat, and what we put our attention to. […] I really want people to be able to have more tools […] to be able to regulate their own selves, you know, and start developing more emotional leadership,” she told CityNews.
Grégoire Trudeau also revisits her struggles with panic attacks and eating disorders with an approach that feels warm and safe.
“The biggest gift in all of this is when people come up and share their personal struggles with me. That is a sacred gift,” the mental health advocate said. “We’re all one trauma away from each other. […] Through human connection, we can heal.”
“Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other” will be available in libraries on April 24.
