Reclaim your voice, your choices, and your life—by releasing what was never yours to carry.
I help you break free from the patterns, pressure, and past experiences that keep you stuck—so you can finally move forward with clarity and confidence.
Book Dana to Speak at Your Event
What are you still carrying that isn't yours?
Take the 7-minute Power Shift Diagnostic™ QUIZ to identify exactly what is draining your power—and how 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 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
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
Q1 Audit: Are you becoming HER?
By mid-March, over 80% of people have abandoned their New Year goals.
Not because they are incapable, but because they lack structure.
So often, people are motivated by something they hear or see to set a goal for the near or distant future. But with every day that goes by, motivation dissipates, excuses deter, and complacence settles in for the long haul.
People resign themselves to life as it is because of:
Lack of support from family or friends.
Overwhelm with what they are already balancing.
Fear of failure or self-doubt.
Pressure to conform to societal expectations and stereotypical lifestyles.
Limited access to resources or opportunities.
Burnout from trying to meet too many demands already.
Does any of this sound familiar?
If so, you’re not alone.
The significant majority of women struggle to balance home, work, and caregiving responsibilities, while also enduring hormonal changes and the mental and physical symptoms of burnout.
The good news is that every breath is an opportunity to affect change.
So, let’s make a plan that will get you back on track.
Answer these 4 simple questions with radical honesty:
1) Are you thinking like “her”—you know, the woman you aspire to be?
One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they take active steps towards their goals but do not stop to align their thoughts and spoken words with the person who has already achieved them.
For example, a woman who thinks and speaks, “It’ll never happen,” won’t just suddenly happen upon a billionaire dollar company or seven-figure income.
Wishing, hoping, and praying won’t work, either, unless you truly believe that it IS possible to achieve your goal.
So, audit your spoken and unspoken language to align with the future you envision. Because you need to embody “her” in order to become “her.”
2) Do your actions match your ambition?
This is self-explanatory. I mean, you’re not going to achieve a toned physique if you eat 3 Big Macs a day and have a sedentary lifestyle.
So, make a plan. Take one action step every day. Learn what you need to know. Then do more. Risk more. Grow more. Then, keep going. Even Walt Disney filed bankruptcy multiple times and was fired for being a terrible cartoon artist!
3) Did you track numbers or quantify any aspect of your goal?
We so often attach ourselves to the desired result that we fail to acknowledge the progress towards it.
So, calculate whatever measurable steps you can. Then, acknowledge and reward yourself for certain goal points along the way. Knowing your efforts are enacting results will motivate you to keep going. Plus, you might be closer to your goal than you think!
4) Are you shrinking to maintain peace or avoid judgment?
This is a big one. A moment of truth wherein you have to face the REAL reason you are so easily deterred from your pursuit.
Women are made to feel guilty or selfish for seeking more or wanting better. More times than not, it’s because a woman’s pursuits distract attention from those who benefit from the woman remaining exactly where she is.
So, here’s what I have to say to that. I understand that you have obligations to partners and children and perhaps elderly parents. I also understand how difficult it is to pursue something you desire while others try to hold you back to who you’ve always been, which is why most will choose not to move forward. And that’s okay. IF that’s what you truly want.
Change is uncomfortable for everyone, but everyone will also adjust. Because a happy “you” is a better “you” for everyone you care about and care for. Remember that before you choose complacence over fulfillment.
Now that we’ve addressed what is hindering you and provided some structure to work towards the successful achievement of your goal, the only question left to ask is: What will you do now?
Will you choose to pursue your goal/s? Or will you choose to abandon it?
Because hope only goes so far.
Hope is emotional comfort.
Strategy, however, is adult power; and structure is decisive propulsion.
For those who have chosen to continue their pursuit of “better” or “more,” I invite you to take this diagnostic quiz which will determine which of my 3 self-guided courses is best-suited to get you to where you want to go—and fast!
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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