A woman who has faced the pain of battling mental health struggles and watched her own daughter go through her own struggles is now taking that experience to help other women.

Helen Guenther has faced her own struggles with anxiety and depression. But when her daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder, Guenther says it was as if her "whole world fell apart."

Guenther and her daughter have walked side-by-side to find freedom and now she walks alongside others facing struggles. Guenther has created "Grace Groups," faith-based support groups for people who have loved ones battling mental health.

"I was barely treading water to survive," Guenther says. But, thanks to the help of counsellors and others, she was able to come through the other side. "During one of Rick Warrens's messages (he said) 'Your pain often reveals your purpose.' And I thought 'How beautiful is that?' God wants us to help others with the same help we've been given."

"This group is not about you. It's about what God can do through you."

Guenther says that too often Christians keep their struggles to themselves. "For the longest time my daughter was like, 'I'm the only one going through something like this.' I told her everyone has something, but everybody is trying so hard to cover up that something that we never see it."

That conversation with her daughter encouraged her to finally start a faith-based support group for Christian women. Her pastor was supportive of the idea and she put together her first Grace Group. However, it hasn't always been easy for Guenther, despite her feeling God's prompting to follow through.

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"One day I was driving to the group and those negative thought gremlins were going through my head. Thoughts like, 'Who do you think you are, trying to lead a group of women? It's going to be too stressful.' And then I just felt this peace come over me, and it was like, Helen, this group is not about you. It's about what God can do through you."

She has used that moment to remind herself that God will use those who are willing in order to help others.

Over the years Guenther has continued to lead the groups at a church on the outskirts of Winnipeg. As a former teacher, she used her years of experience in education to plan out the groups and lessons. She also decided to go back to University at the age of 54. Guenther enrolled in a program to earn an Applied Counselling Certificate and will be graduating this fall. She says she plans on using it to help her run more Grace Groups.

She has also published a book based on her experience, called Pressing On: The Blessed Journey Alongside a Daughter with an Eating Disorder. You can find it at a number of online retailers.