Your past has been driving your life.
It's time to
take the wheel.
Have you spent your life being told you're too sensitive, too difficult,
or never quite good enough?
Years of criticism, manipulation, and abuse can leave you questioning yourself long after the mistreatment ends.
Discover what might still be influencing your choices, your relationships, and the way you see yourself.
What if the person you've spent your life trying to fix was never actually the problem?
You don't need to become someone new.
You need to "undo" who you were taught to be.
For most of my life, I believed there was something wrong with me. Because from a young age, I was told I was too sensitive. Too emotional. Too difficult. Never good enough. Decades of narcissistic abuse, bullying, and domestic violence reinforced those beliefs, and they followed me into every area of my life—my relationships, my career, my decisions, and even how I saw and spoke to myself.
But here's what I finally realized: Just because someone convinced me of something about myself didn't make their opinion true.
Still, I spent years trying to fix things about myself that were never the problem in the first place. Until now.
Because real transformation isn't about becoming someone new. It's about UNDOING who you were taught to be.💕
Follow Dana’s personal journey through her
best-selling & multi-award-winning memoir trilogy
Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse
Dana’s best-selling and multi-award-winning debut memoir that tells the true story of her volatile and abusive relationship with a narcissistic partner. From the initial red flags to the psychological warfare that almost ended her life, Gasping for Air pulls back the curtain on the very real and insidious nature of narcissistic abuse and how anyone can be lured into the complex lair of lies, deceit, and betrayal.
Choking on Shame: The Scapegoat Child in a Narcissistic Family
The prequel to Gasping for Air, which delves into Dana’s tumultuous childhood, exposes how growing up with abuse and trauma set the stage for tolerating toxic relationships later in life. This #1 New Release is a courageous look at the childhood wounds behind the shame – and how understanding those early injuries is key to breaking free from the toxic cycles and generational trauma.
Rising from the Ashes: Breaking the Cycle of Narcissistic Abuse
In the final book of her memoir trilogy, Dana attempts to rebuild her life after decades of abuse, a difficult divorce, and the domestic violence that followed. Facing rejection and opposition from the very people she thought would support her, Dana is forced to confront the devastating reality of toxic family systems, and her own crippling beliefs in her unworthiness of love and acceptance. A journey of self-discovery, healing, and empowering revelations, Rising from the Ashes is a heart-wrenching testament of one woman's persistence to emerge from the darkness of the past, stronger than ever.
Want a PREVIEW before you commit?
Download the first two chapters of Gasping for Air – free
Get a powerful glimpse into Dana’s story of survival, awareness, and healing.
Book Dana to Speak at Your Event
Who I Work With
Why Dana?
Survivor & Advocate: Dana isn’t just talking about overcoming narcissistic abuse – she’s lived it. With decades of firsthand experience, she speaks with authenticity and empathy about surviving narcissists, from a painful childhood to a toxic marriage.
Bestselling / Award-Winning Author: As the author of Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse, Dana shines a light on the hidden realities of emotional and psychological abuse. Her memoir – inspired by her own life – became a #1 bestseller, validating countless readers and bringing awareness to covert abuse. trauma.
Inspirational Speaker: Dana has quickly become a sought-after speaker for conferences, corporations, and community groups. She has been featured on nearly 300 podcasts and media interviews worldwide, sharing her story and insights with audiences around the globe. Event organizers praise Dana’s warm, engaging style, raw relatability, and actionable takeaways.
Empowering Identity Strategist: In addition to speaking, Dana offers self-guided and supported courses that provide practical tools and heart-centered guidance for rebuilding self-worth, setting healthy boundaries, and aligning time and energy towards the life you truly want and the version of yourself just waiting to live it.
The Real Obstacle
The issue isn’t talent, intelligence, or opportunity.
The biggest challenge faced by individuals
and teams
is internal:
self-limiting beliefs.
They crush confidence, block creativity, and keep people
playing it safe and small.
Why Dana
With certifications in Emotional and Positive Intelligence
Over two decades leading top sales teams and helping hundreds of people
Dana turns EQ into a powerful tool
for leadership, growth, and success.
The Power Shift
After hearing Tara speak, audiences don’t just leave inspired
they leave empowered.
They walk away with tools they can use right away to lead more
effectively, communicate with clarity,
and show up with confidence. Dana delivers relatable stories,
real-world strategies, and actionable
insights that stick.
A Speaker that disrupts what you believe and empowers you with the truth to excel!
Dana S. Diaz is the speaker that curates the Power within through unflinching truth.
Deep down, you know there’s something bigger waiting for you.
You’ve got an amazing idea one that people need but you’re not sure how to take the first step.
With the right strategy and a coach who’s been there, you know you could build something powerful. You don’t want to waste time (or money) chasing methods that don’t work you want a proven path.
You’re ready to learn what it really takes to start and grow a successful business that lasts.
Looking for a Dynamic Expert Podcast Guest?
Dana S. Diaz is not only a powerful speaker—she’s also an exceptional podcast guest. With over 300 interviews to date, Dana brings clarity, compassion, and credibility to every conversation.
Whether you're producing a podcast on mental health, women's empowerment, trauma recovery, mindset or relationships, Dana offers a voice that’s both authoritative and relatable. The trauma made her funny, too!
Topics Dana can speak to:
How women are conditioned to disconnect from their authentic selves
How subconscious beliefs carry into every aspect of life
Narcissistic abuse and toxic relationships
Breaking patterns that sustain cycles
Childhood trauma and toxic family systems
Rebuilding self-worth and identity, especially under pressure
How I Help
Courses
Self-paced guides designed to build boundaries, confidence, and decision-making skills, so your life feels like your own again. Actionable steps you can implement within minutes. Sustainable shifts that last.
Group Program
A personalized & powerful workshop experience for individuals and organizations who want to build confidence, clarity, and decision-making intelligence that achieves results. And fast! Email for info.
Expert Contributor
Insights & tips from the perspective of someone with lived experience. Featured on over 300 podcasts and globally distributed digital and print media.
Keynote Speaker
Dynamic & Compassionate. Empowering others with actionable steps to break free from conditioning and expectations that hinder their health, wealth, and happiness.
The First Red Flag Rarely Feels Like Abuse
The first red flag in a relationship often presents itself as everything we ever wanted—the one who sees us, wants us, understands us...it's a dream come true, until it's not. What lures us in are the... ...more
mind-body-healing
October 05, 2026•4 min read
Your Thoughts Are Training Your Brain—Here’s How to Take Back the Wheel
Ever wonder why the same thoughts, fears, and patterns keep showing up, and why you keep repeating the same toxic cycles? Learn how your brain reinforces what you repeat—and how to start rewiring the ... ...more
mind-body-healing ,mind-body-spirit
September 28, 2026•3 min read
Who Told You That Was True? How Other People's Labels Become Your Identity (And How To Change It)
What if the beliefs shaping your identity aren’t even yours? Learn how old labels become self-talk—and why rebuilding self-trust starts with questioning who told you they were true. ...more
mind-body-healing
September 21, 2026•5 min read
What others are saying
TESTIMONIALS
A story of strength and overcoming fear and finding self worth! This book was very well written and demonstrated a story I have seen several friends and family go through. The isolation from family and friends, the verbal and physical abuse or even just belittling and loss of self worth. Seeing how the author over comes and find her strength. How after time, she had a great friend who was there waiting. Finding real love with a supportive and caring man and being willing to open up and take a chance to love. I hope many women read this and see it can be anyone and help loose the stereotype and blame, to find ways to prevent this from happening to friends and family or even themselves! A recommended read for all!
AMAZING!!! A MUST READ!!! I couldn’t put the book down! If I didn’t have to work or do life, I would’ve read this cover to cover without stopping. It’s such a well-written, beautifully horrifying story. Dana is honest, raw, and shares intimate details of her relationship that anyone can relate to who has been in a narcissistic relationship. She reminds us of the subtle signs of this behavior that are so easy to overlook and justify when you’re first in it - and then making it hard to leave years down the road -especially when there is a kid involved. I love that the chapters are song titles. There is so much creativity, brutal honesty, and even some humor in this book that make it an easy read. I recommend this book for everyone! Even if you haven’t been with a narcissist, it’s good to know the subtle signs of this behavior and often we encounter people like this in our lives at work and in other situations. I’m going to purchase more books and give them to the people I love that I know would benefit from reading them. Thank you, Dana for sharing your story with us!!
Riveting Truth Here! Dana Diaz is profoundly brave and on a mission in this lifetime. Her book, Gasping for Air took me on a ride that I could relate to through her honest portrayal of what it is like to walk through fire and come out in one piece. Diaz's tempo and pivotal truth-telling uncover realities in living we often hide behind, deny or become desensitized enough to think they are normal. She has stepped up repeatedly to take a ride through hellish hallways all to share with her readers the truth behind abuse and narcissism. Brava, Dana Diaz for dropping the curtain to unveil the cold and brutal truth of a system that is eating humanity from the inside out. And I can't wait for the prequel. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Definitely a MUST read!!! This book grasped my attention from the beginning and I couldn't put it down! Very well written, as it walks you through the experience of an abusive relationship and its toll on everyone involved. This book gave me an enlightened understanding of what victims go through when under the control of a narcissistic personality. Not only was this a great portrayal of how manipulation and control can affect a family, it also gives a heightened awareness as to how it weighs on an individual to the point of trauma induced health issues. Hopefully, this story will be helpful to others in similar situations. Great job Dana!
Very good read. Dana is a great author and knows how to grab the reader. Finished this book in only a few days and can’t wait for the next one!
A great read! I loved this book! Such an important and painful topic, written with such honesty and compassion. I couldn’t stop reading it and rooting for Dana! I have an adult daughter and will be giving her this book. I hope Dana’s well-written reflections of her experiences will help shed light on the warning signs of a relationship with a narcissist. The stories of helplessness, love, optimism and persistence should resonate with every woman of every age!
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