You Had Access to Real-Life Experience and Compassionate Support?
Learn from someone who truly understands the challenges of anxiety, depression and addiction recovery. As a suicide survivor and recovered addict with an associate's degree in psychology (working on my bachelor's in forensic psychology), I offer a unique blend of professional knowledge and personal experience. I was diagnosed with PTSD, BPD, generalized anxiety and I have a whole cocktail of traumas and losses under my belt. If I can do it, so can you!
There Was a Simple Way to Enhance Your Therapy?
I will show you small, manageable lifestyle changes that could make a big difference in your therapy outcomes. Happiness Boost is designed to work in harmony with your therapy sessions, amplifying their effectiveness.
You Could Manage Your Anxiety and Depression Symptoms?
Imagine having the skills to navigate moments of anxiety and depression as they arise. Our course offers practical, evidence-based strategies to help you manage symptoms effectively, so you can stay in control even during challenging times. You'll learn techniques for calming your mind, regulating your emotions, and maintaining balance, no matter what life throws at you.
Constant Worry: Do you find yourself constantly worrying, unable to quiet your mind no matter how hard you try?
Emotional Rollercoaster: Are your emotions all over the place, with highs and lows that feel out of your control?
Therapy Plateaus: Are you in therapy but feel like you're not making the progress you hoped for?
Struggles with Motivation: Is getting out of bed or completing simple tasks a daily battle, leaving you feeling drained and unproductive?
Overwhelming Stress: Does stress consume your day-to-day life, making it hard to focus on what truly matters?
Physical Symptoms: Do you experience physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, or a racing heart that seem tied to your anxiety or depression?
Limiting Beliefs: Does your Shadow tell you that healing isn't possible for "someone like you" or that and that has become an absolute truth?
Exhaustion: Do you feel like there is so much you want to do, but you feel mentally and physically exhausted?
Defeated: Do you feel like nothing you've tried, from conventional therapy to Yoga, to maybe even the bad stuff, has led to healing?
In November 2018, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) administered by my mental health professional showed my depression at a 20 (21 is severe) and my anxiety at a 16 (15 is severe). It was so bad that I was considered SMI (Serious Mental Illness), a diagnosis given when “one or more mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder(s) results in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.” Those mental health professionals told me that “happiness wasn’t possible for someone like me.” Gee, thanks!
But then, everything changed. At my lowest point, ready to end it all, Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park was playing in the right place at the right time and brought me down from the ledge of suicide. In that moment, I made a vow to myself: to give life one more year, to see if things could get better.
Over the following months, I began making changes in my life because, well, if I was going to live a life conducive to mental health, I needed an overhaul. Some of these changes worked wonders, while others fell short of my hopes. But through it all, I persevered, driven by a newfound determination to find light in the darkness.
And you know what? Those changes, those small steps forward—they added up. When I had the DASS administered again in May 2020 (as the pandemic settled in), my scores told a different story: my depression was a 3, and my anxiety was a 2.
They had sworn it wasn’t possible – that once you were diagnosed SMI, it was lifelong. But by their own professional standards, I no longer met the criteria of having a serious mental illness. They had never seen it happen, but they had to decertify me!
I PROVED THEM WRONG!!!!!
While moments of anxiety and occasional bouts of depression still find their way into my life, the contrast is striking. Now, I navigate these challenges from a place of strength. I’ve cultivated a lifestyle that nurtures my mental well-being, equipping me with a diverse set of tools to counteract those symptoms. What once felt like an endless battle with my own mind has evolved into a relationship of understanding and acceptance. My Shadow and I, once adversaries, now work together.
It was grueling to figure out what I needed to do, what worked and what didn’t. Once I figured it out, once I got the pieces in place, everything shifted. It’s a journey I never anticipated, but one that I’m immensely grateful for. And now, I want to share those pieces with you so you don’t waste your precious energy going through the maddening trial and error phase,
The Happiness Boost Course
Formulated by someone who has actually been at rock bottom, this is a personal, step-by-step program to help those struggling with stress, anxiety and/or depression develop a lifestyle conducive to optimal mental health to finally start living their happiest lives.
- Learn my 5 Puzzle Pieces of Happiness framework that took me from being suicidal to being decertified as having a Serious Mental Illness (SMI.)
- Shift your mindset from waking up in a place of defeat and hopelessness to passion and excitement.
- Eliminate toxic influences that sabotage your mental well-being by identifying and eliminating the harmful habits and thoughts.
- Embrace sustainable habits instead of jumping on another fad diets or forced exercise routine. I’ll show you how to develop enjoyable habits that support your mental health journey, making it easier than ever to stick with them.
- Master the 3 C’s of sustaining happiness by gaining the confidence and resilience to navigate stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions with ease using my tried-and-tested framework.
Dial down the digital. I get the need to socialize with friends. I get wanting to feel “connected” or “informed”, but if your brain is constantly distracted by buzzing and twittering, it will lose the ability to be mindful, one of the biggest skills we can develop for stress reduction and happiness. Turn off social media notifications on your phone and delete or deactivate the chat apps.
Tidy something up. This increases feelings of productivity while reducing the stress and anxiety that subconsciously comes with clutter. Be it cleaning our a drawer or organizing a shelf, it will give you a boost.
Have a serving of berries. Raspberries. Blackberries. Blueberries. It makes no difference. Their flavonoids reduce inflammation which is associated with depression and they are found to have chemicals similar to that of valproic acid, which is a mood stabilizing drug.
Turn up some music and dance. I don’t mean professionally (unless that skill is available to you, of course.) I mean just flailing about and shaking your body with abandon. You can be alone or with your kids or pets but just giving your body a chance to move and giving yourself an outlet for uninhibited expression can be wonderfully therapeutic.
Put on your favorite outfit. Everyone needs a confidence boost sometimes and it is always gratifying to look at yourself in the mirror in that special shirt or pair of jeans. It’s A-ok to dress up for nobody but yourself. If you do go out, people will notice your confidence and that will only elevate you higher.