Beverley mum turns lived experience into books supporting parents through mental health crises

A Beverley mum has turned her experience of supporting her daughter through mental health difficulties into a three-book collection designed to help other parents feel less alone.

Author and coach Sami Ward, founder of Chaos to Calm, created the books after struggling to find the kind of honest, practical support she needed during her own family's difficult moments. Her focus is on parents of young adults navigating mental health crises, and the emotional demands that supporting a loved one can place on them.

Support shaped by experience

In her submission to Good News England, Sami explained that the collection draws on her experience supporting her daughter through emotional dysregulation. She wanted to give other parents resources that spoke to the situations they were facing and recognised their own need for support.

The Chaos to Calm Knowledge Series sits alongside a companion self-care journal, Dear Diary, WTF..., intended to help parents take small steps towards looking after themselves.

The idea brings the parent into the picture: someone trying to support their child while also making sense of what is happening and finding a way through each day.

Two guides and a journal

According to Business Mondays' report of the launch, the collection was released on 10 September and includes:

• A Real Parent's Guide to Psychiatric Admission in the UK
• A Real Parent's Guide to Emotional Dysregulation
• Dear Diary, WTF...

In a comment published by Business Mondays, Sami said: "There's such a need for honest, practical support that doesn't talk down to parents, and doesn't pretend this is simple."

That emphasis on honesty runs through the purpose of the collection. Sami's aim is to offer something parents can relate to while they find their way through challenging circumstances.

Helping parents feel less alone

Sami says the books are already helping mums across the UK feel understood. In her pitch, she described wanting the collection to reach more families still searching for support that speaks their language.

For the Beverley author, sharing her lived experience is a way to turn something difficult into a resource for others. The collection gives parents a starting point for reflection, practical understanding and attention to their own wellbeing alongside their child's needs.

Readers can find more information about the collection in the original launch report.

Story and photograph submitted by Sami Ward, who confirmed permission to share them. Book titles, launch date and the quoted comment are attributed to Business Mondays' report, published on 18 September 2026.