Subconscious Belief & Identity Strategist
Your transformational journey towards the highest version of yourself begins with Dana S. Diaz — Author, Speaker, Podcaster & Coach
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Free Power Shift Diagnostic™
Not a personality quiz.
A precision check on your internal systems.
In 7 minutes, identify which gear you’re operating in
and where subtle misalignment may be costing you energy, clarity, or traction.
Remember who you were before the world convinced you to forget.
It's not about what broke you.
It's about the mindset that rebuilds you.
As someone who suffered decades of narcissistic abuse and domestic violence, I know that we often feel like our circumstances are unique; that no one else is going through what we are going through, and no one would believe us if we told them the truth. I also know that it’s not always safe or financially feasible to leave an abusive situation, so there is no judgment here. Just support, community and information.
So, I invite you to engage with all the resources provided herein, to find empowerment to heal, shift your mindset, and create a life around who you were always meant to be. 💕
Follow Dana’s personal journey through her memoir trilogy
Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse
Dana’s best-selling debut memoir that tells the true story of her life with a narcissistic partner and the abuse she endured. Spanning from early red flags to the courage it took to finally escape, Gasping for Air pulls back the curtain on narcissistic abuse and lets survivors know they are understood. (“It’s not just vanity – narcissistic abuse is real, insidious, and it can happen to anyone,” Dana emphasizes in her story.)
Choking on Shame: The Scapegoat Child in a Narcissistic Family
The #1 New Release prequel to Gasping for Air, this upcoming memoir delves into Dana’s tumultuous childhood. It exposes how growing up with abuse and trauma set the stage for accepting toxic relationships later in life. Choking on Shame is a courageous look at the childhood wounds behind the shame – and how understanding those early injuries is key to breaking free.
Rising from the Ashes: Breaking the Cycle of Narcissistic Abuse
In the highly anticipated sequel, Dana shares the next chapter of her journey: healing, empowerment, and rebuilding a life of joy and purpose after abuse. Rising from the Ashes will inspire readers to break the cycle and emerge 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.
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:
Red flags and what they reflect about ourselves
Empowerment with boundaries, boundaries, and more boundaries!
Healing from narcissistic abuse and toxic relationships
Covert emotional abuse and trauma bonds
Childhood trauma and toxic family systems
Rebuilding self-worth and identity
How I Help
Coaching
Psychoeducation-based strategy sessions
Group Program
A personalized & powerful 10-week experience
Expert Contributor
Insights & tips from a therapist’s perspective
Keynote Speaker
Dynamic & Compassionate, encouraging & empowering
How Strong Women Tolerate Disrespect
People presume that strong women don’t tolerate disrespect.
Except… they do. Quietly. Strategically.
The harsh reality is that strong women didn't ask to be strong—they had no choice but to be strong in adverse circumstances they never asked to endure.
What we call strength, however, is really a high-functioning woman who learned to adapt to the pressure.
You see, high-functioning women don’t always have consistent boundaries. These women learned to “push through” overwhelming demands and responsibilities to meet societal, familial, and personal expectations. It's how they learned to survive. They learned to abandon their own wants and needs in deference to some greater good. Society glorifies all of this, conveying a subtle message about self-abandonment being “good” and gracious, and in religious contexts, pious.
But being “good” doesn’t equate to being happy; and that’s where the disrespect comes in.
If you recall a blog post I published last month, wherein I present the statistic about the happiest demographic being married men and single women, I discussed how married women carry the burden of ensuring the fulfillment of those around her—partners, children, parents . . .
In doing so, women get caught in a dopamine and cortisol loop.
Dopamine spikes when we do something “good.” It’s our chemical reward for giving and being of service to others; and that self-gratification supports the external validation we sometimes receive for our efforts. And that is a good thing!
Unfortunately, that dopamine spike is temporary. It’s a false impression of fulfillment that eventually drops.
Cortisol steps in with some level of anxiety and depression to let us know that we have violated our own boundaries or extended ourselves too far to accommodate others. Repeated offenses wear a bit more on our nervous system until total burnout takes over.
Is our mental and physical health worth the price for other people’s happiness?
Let me give you the answer you are probably making excuses for in your head right now—NO.
Any time you disregard your feelings, your time constraints, your energetic capacity, your values, or your boundaries, you are disrespecting yourself; and when you disrespect yourself, you set the standard for others to treat you the same.
People-pleasers will argue that:
➡️They can’t say “no.”
➡️They “have to” do.
➡️But they’re family.
To which I will defend:
✅You CAN.
(You’re just choosing not to, to avoid whatever consequences you anticipate.)
✅You DON’T.
(You’re just telling yourself you’re obligated to avoid the discomfort of disrupting the system you’ve subscribed to.)
✅Biologically, perhaps. But biology is not a permission slip to mistreat or disrespect, unless you allow it.
So, I invite you to reflect on the cost of your strength.
Is your strength felt when you succumb to what others expect from you, no matter the effects?
Or is your strength found within the discomfort of honoring your own needs and wants, regardless of others’ reactions?
No matter which way you choose to look at it, strength without boundaries is always self-abandonment.
If any aspect of this resonated, I invite you to consider my new self-guided program:.
✨The ACCELERATOR is a structured decision framework and boundary execution system. The 6-week cohort begins by clarifying the vision you have for yourself and your future and identifying your subconscious blocks. Then we restructure your boundaries around your values, time, and energy, so that you can move forward confidently, consistently, and unapologetically.
💖To see if the ACCELERATOR is right for you, take the diagnostic quiz at: https://accelerator.danasdiaz.com.
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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