NSB Logo Ann Dowsett Johnston Ann Dowsett Johnston

Ann Dowsett Johnston

Speaker Exclusive

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Expert | Women's Wellness & Workplace Resilience Speaker

The bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, Ann Dowsett Johnston is a prominent voice on addiction, mental health and recovery. With a specialty on the closing gender gap on risky drinking, Ann’s message has never been more urgent. Her TEDx Talk—Drinking and How it Changed my Life—has more than 1.5 million views. A former award-winning journalist, Ann has earned many honours for her advocacy. Now a psychotherapist, specializing in women, addiction and concurrent disorders, Ann lives in Toronto.

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
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Mental Health and Addiction: Beating the Twin Curse of the Overacheiver

Every person has a public story, a private story and a secret story. Ann’s was depression: for decades, she medicated this affliction with work. Overwork led to stress, which she ultimately medicated with alcohol. This double whammy—mental health and addiction issues—has become the twin curse of a growing number of professionals. How do you turn a life around? With grit and gusto and extreme self-care. There is no worthier role for an employer to play than helping to shepherd an achiever back to balance and health. With candour and passion, Ann will explore the signs of trouble and the signposts on the journey back to a life of joy and meaning.

 

Our Love Affair with Alcohol: How a Fairy-tale Romance Blocks Strong Policy, and How Media Can Help

To create strong alcohol policy, we need to take a hard look at the best available evidence, examine our core values and ask ourselves: what do we want for Canada? What role does the media play in the outcome? Enormous. Ann Dowsett Johnston argues that the media is key to shaping strong policy: essential in disseminating good research, advocating for change and puncturing many myths.

 

The Drinking Diaries: Why Women Drink Too Much and What We Can Do About It

Alcohol consumption is on the rise, and women are leading the growth, both here and in most of the developing world. Parity in postsecondary achievement, parity in the workforce, and now this? Clearly, this is not what Gloria Steinem had in mind. The marketers think differently. Ann Dowsett Johnston explores this phenomenon: what’s driving the trend in risky drinking for all age groups, the health risks, and what can be done.

Stigma and The Workplace
All too often, a troubled employee is a high performer whose life has gone sideways, who may be suffering from concurrent disorders. How do you shepherd that person towards appropriate help and then re-integrate them back into the executive or high-performing team? How do you deal with resentment and discomfort within your team? How do you foster a stigma-free environment of support? As addiction reaches epidemic proportions in North America, this is a leadership challenge for all corporate teams. People can and do recover. As one of the team of experts on the upcoming national Life in Recovery survey—which will make big news across Canada this fall—I can tell you that this evidence is well supported. I can advise on this important area, tailoring my talk to each and every sector.

Stigma and The Workplace

All too often, a troubled employee is a high performer whose life has gone sideways, who may be suffering from concurrent disorders. How do you shepherd that person towards appropriate help and then re-integrate them back into the executive or high-performing team? How do you deal with resentment and discomfort within your team? How do you foster a stigma-free environment of support? As addiction reaches epidemic proportions in North America, this is a leadership challenge for all corporate teams. People can and do recover. As one of the team of experts on the upcoming national Life in Recovery survey—which will make big news across Canada this fall—I can tell you that this evidence is well supported. I can advise on this important area, tailoring my talk to each and every sector.

Audience reviews:

  • Ann is very warm, relatable and genuine. People appreciated her charisma, conversational style and her candor.

    The hour flew by as she has a wonderful way of holding the audience’s attention. People agreed that this is an important topic and they thought Ann clearly exhibited a passion for it and an expertise in the field – both of which made her a very compelling speaker. - Torys LLP
  • On behalf of House of Friendship we want to fully endorse Ann Johnston both as a speaker and a champion for individuals struggling with addictions. The event was sold-out in advance and there wasn't a spare seat to be had in the hall. Ann challenged our thinking through the presentation with her insights, research, and experience.



    - House of Friendship
  • The audience loved Ann. She impressed most with her approachability and her down to earth style. I felt as though I had known her my whole life. Her presentation was powerful and you could hear a pin drop in that room. What a beautiful person.

    - Executive Director, Breton House
  • She was a rockstar whose message was challenging and fit perfectly with what HoF is trying to accomplish.


    - Attendee, House of Friendship Conference

Speaker Biography

“Our secrets keep us sick.  At the heart of good work is finding a compelling, authentic voice—whether in recovery, in leadership, or in life transitions.” – Ann Dowsett Johnston

 Corporate leaders facing rising employee burnout, mental health challenges, and substance use issues turn to Ann Dowsett Johnston because she delivers evidence-based insights with authentic credibility. Unlike theoretical speakers, Ann combines journalistic research, clinical training, and lived experience to address complex workplace wellness topics.

Her approach focuses on helping organizations understand the connection between workplace stress and mental health challenges. Drawing from her clinical practice and research, Ann provides frameworks that can help leaders recognize early warning signs, create more supportive environments, and reduce stigma around seeking help.

Event planners note that Ann Dowsett Johnston’s presentations are both powerful and accessible, with audiences appreciating her authentic, down-to-earth style and her ability to make complex topics relatable and actionable.

 Ann Dowsett Johnston brings:

  • 30+ years of award-winning journalism and communication expertise
    • Licensed psychotherapist credentials with specialization in addiction and life transitions
    • Bestselling author status with international media recognition (NPR, CBC, The Atlantic)
    • Former Vice-Principal experience at McGill University with leadership insights
    TEDx Talk with 1.5+ million views demonstrating compelling content

 Biography

Transforming Lives Through Authentic Leadership and Evidence-Based Advocacy

Ann Dowsett Johnston’s journey from high-achieving journalist to mental health advocate exemplifies the power of authentic transformation. As the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, she exposed the “pinking” of the alcohol industry and its targeted marketing to women, earning recognition from the Washington Post as one of 2013’s top 10 books.

Her investigation began with a deeply personal reckoning. Despite professional success as Vice-Principal of McGill University and architect of the renowned Maclean’s university rankings system, Ann confronted her own relationship with alcohol in her 50s. This experience, combined with her journalistic rigor, produced groundbreaking research on women’s rising alcohol consumption rates and the societal factors driving this trend.

Clinical Expertise Meets Corporate Leadership

Ann Dowsett Johnston fulfilled a decades-old dream by earning her Master of Social Work from Smith College, transforming from student to licensed psychotherapist. Her clinical training at Toronto’s Jean Tweed Centre and private practice experience provide deep understanding of trauma-informed care, addiction recovery, and women’s mental health challenges.

This unique combination—corporate leadership experience, clinical training, and journalism expertise—positions Ann Dowsett Johnston to address workplace mental health with unprecedented authority. She understands both boardroom pressures and therapeutic interventions, making her guidance immediately applicable for organizational leaders.

Award-Winning Authority and Media Recognition

Ann has earned seven National Magazine Awards, the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy, and recognition from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Her honorary Doctor of Laws from Queen’s University acknowledges her advocacy work destigmatizing mental health and addiction.

Her media presence includes appearances on NPR, CBC Radio, and coverage in The Atlantic and The Guardian. Her TEDx Talk on women and alcohol has garnered over 1.5 million views, demonstrating her ability to engage diverse audiences with complex topics.

Innovative Programs and Continuing Impact

As co-founder and director of the National Roundtable on Girls, Women and Alcohol, and founding director of Faces and Voices of Recovery Canada, Ann continues contributing to national policy discussions. Through her “Writing Your Recovery” workshops, she explores how organizations can incorporate therapeutic communication approaches and storytelling as tools for healing and connection.

Currently working on her second book while maintaining her psychotherapy practice, Ann Dowsett Johnston remains at the forefront of evolving understanding about workplace mental health, gender-specific addiction patterns, and trauma-informed organizational development.

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