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The past has been driving you. It's time to take the wheel.
95% of your life is running on a subconscious autopilot you didn't program. From toxic relationship recovery to professional breakthroughs, I provide the tools to override the patterns and beliefs that stall your progress—so you can accelerate into a life that's truly yours.
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Identify the Glitch in Your System.
Your life can't move forward if your settings are stuck in the past.
Take the 7-minute Power Shift Diagnostic™ QUIZ to pinpoint exactly what is draining your power—and get the roadmap to take it back.
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 used to call myself 'broken.' This belief carried into every area of life—relationships, work, my sense of self.
What I came to realize is that none of us are ever 'broken'—we've just been conditioned to disconnect from ourselves.
But that's not who we are. It's who we had to be to survive.
Now that I've removed myself from the difficult relationships and environments that disconnected me from my authentic self, I help other women rebuild trust in themselves, set boundaries without guilt, and move through life with more clarity and confidence than ever before💕
Follow Dana’s personal journey through her memoir trilogy
Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse
Dana’s best-selling and award-winning 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 the very real and insidious nature of narcissistic abuse and shows victims that 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 accepting 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 from the devastation of divorce and abuse. Facing rejection and opposition everywhere she turns, Dana is forced to confront the devastating reality of toxic family systems, and her own crippling beliefs in her unworthiness of love and acceptance. Through a journey of self-discovery, healing, and empowering revelations, Rising from the Ashes is a heart-wrenching and triumphant 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.
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
Neuroscience-based programs designed to help you take back your life
Group Program
A personalized & powerful 6-week experience for those wanting results and support
Expert Contributor
Insights & tips from the perspective of someone with lived experience
Keynote Speaker
Dynamic & Compassionate, encouraging & empowering
I Didn't Want to Celebrate Mother's Day . . .Until I Reclaimed My Story
There was a time when I wished to not celebrate Mother’s Day.
That’s terrible. I know. 😔
Unfortunately, Mother’s Day reminds me of . . .
😪The Mother’s Day I found out that my (then) husband had been having an affair with a woman at work . . .and then left me for her the next day.
😪My deceased great-grandma who brought me home from the hospital and loved me in a way I've hadn't been loved since,
😪And my estranged mother who left me with the lifelong wound of rejection that I have never fully resolved.
“I feel so sorry for your mother,” a podcast host said after I relayed my story of child abuse and emotional neglect a few years ago.
I was shocked. Then, my ego went into overdrive . . .
😤How could someone feel sorry for a woman who had freely spoken about not wanting me, and went so far as to refer to me as an "accident" and a "mistake"?
😠How could someone feel empathy for a woman who had every intention of leaving me at the hospital after I was born, unconcerned of what would become of her first and only child?
🤬And how the Hell could someone feel anything for a woman who allowed her men to verbally, physically, and emotionally abuse me until she finally participated in it in her sole attempt on my life?
But then I remembered a part of the story that hadn’t yet been told . . .
And acknowledging that part made me finally feel a little sorry for my mother, too.
You see, my mother had been abused, too—by an abusive alcoholic narcissist of a father.
She had endured atrocities that made mine look like a trip to Disney World.
And although that doesn’t excuse how she chose to go about parenting me, it does explain the fear and trauma that drove her actions, decisions, and behaviors with regard to me.
At 17, she hadn’t even had a chance to process all that she had survived, before enduring the judgment and shame and rejection of being a pregnant teenager during a time when that wasn’t socially acceptable.
So, she couldn’t be expected to know how to cope with all that, never mind raise a child with that unhealed pain on her own heart.💔
Although my mother has chosen to completely remove herself from my life, I don’t hate her anymore.😲
I don’t forgive everything she said, did, and allowed, either; but I’m at peace knowing that the abuse and the shame and everything I experienced really, truly, had nothing to do with any deficiency in me.
Knowing that I am the only one who can determine my worth now empowers me to choose the trajectory of my life going forward.✨
And every single person faces those choice points in every aspect of their lives, as well.
So, what do you choose?
The pain, grief, and misery of the past?
OR the hope and joy of a brighter future regardless of it?
I’ve made my choice.
And I hope it serves as an example to anyone who has ever felt like they were trapped in sufferance, that anything is possible, once one chooses to believe it and be it.
➡️For more on my personal triumph over childhood abuse, read the full story: CHOKING ON SHAME: THE SCAPEGOAT CHILD IN A NARCISSISTIC FAMILY.
Available on Amazon, Audible, and Kindle, and anywhere books are sold online.
➡️ And when you're ready to begin your own healing journey, TAKE THE QUIZ on my website to determine what areas of your life I can support you in and how.
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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