Chances are, when you think of Judy Collins, you immediately think of her legendary career, but hers is also a story of compassion. Her life has been about dealing with challenges and obstacles, sometimes in a very public way. Her example has helped countless others through their own struggles.

Her willingness to share her pain so that others don’t feel alone recently earned her the Erasing the Stigma Leadership Award for bringing awareness about suicide and mental illness.

She also deserves an award for shattering the negative stereotypes of aging. Not resting on her four gold and two platinum albums, it seems she never stops. She’s still writing, touring and making new music, including the recent Silver Skies Blue, which garnered her first Grammy nomination in 40 years, and her latest, A Love Letter to Stephen Sondheim.

Judy talks to Growing Bolder about her legendary career and this latest passion project dedicated to Sondheim, including a DVD by the same name. She also candidly discusses her many struggles, including her son’s suicide and her own battles with bulimia and alcoholism. Find out why she’s passionate about helping others overcome their obstacles in life and why she’s encouraged that more people, such as actress and writer Lena Dunham, are willing to talk about taboos that were previously kept hidden.