About Open Parachute

Open Parachute® was founded in 2019 by Dr. Hayley Watson and Thomas Pastro. The program was based around interviews of real peers with lived experience to guide students through authentic narratives of growth and change.

Our Mission

Our mission at Open Parachute is to create Generational Change by teaching a skill set to support youth mental health.

What does "Open Parachute" mean?

Our name is Open Parachute because we know that every student faces challenges at some point in their educational journey that make them feel like they are in free fall. At those times, they will need more than kind words or simple self-regulation techniques. They will need a Parachute.

This Parachute is the deep resilience needed to get back on track after a big challenge with academics, peers, or in a student’s personal life. We believe every student has this Parachute inside of them, and they deserve to be given the mental health tools to Open it.

Mental health learning and growth illustration

Why we created Open Parachute

We created Open Parachute because our youth are struggling, and the need to support themselves and each other is at crisis point. Many students lack even the basic skills to cope with everyday challenges. This interferes with academics, relationships, mood, and more. As a society, we wait until students are already in struggle before we give them any tools to support themselves. This approach is like waiting until a teenager gets into a car accident before teaching them to drive. We desire to change this cultural narrative to focus on giving students an in-depth skill set for managing challenges that focuses on preparation and crisis prevention rather than crisis management.

Founded by Dr. Hayley Watson

Clinical Psychologist, PhD Clin Psych, MA Clin Psych, MA Transpersonal Psych, PG Dip Psych, BA Criminology

Dr. Hayley Watson is a clinical psychologist and the Founder of Open Parachute. She holds a PhD in school bullying interventions and four additional academic degrees in the field of mental health.
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Watson has worked across a wide range of sectors, including police victim services, non-profit organizations, private psychology practices, hospitals, schools and universities, and has developed, delivered and researched school-based intervention programs globally.
She trains students, educators and parents/caregivers worldwide in holistic well-being practices, and in March 2024, Dr. Watson authored "Finding the Words: Empowering Struggling Students through Guided Conversations" (Jossey-Bass/Wiley).
Dr. Watson is a registered clinical psychologist in New York and Australia. She does not provide clinical services in Canada.