For two decades, I built a successful career in high-tech sales, business development, and nonprofit fundraising in the New York Metro area, working for prestigious organizations like Adobe Systems, Microsoft, The Salvation Army, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
 
While I appeared 'fine' on the outside, I secretly battled multiple forms of anxiety and depression on the inside—all of which began at just two years of age. Even though I was in therapy starting in high school, my mental health issues went largely undiagnosed and untreated, and one of the main reasons responsible for this was because I had purposely and strategically hidden as much as I could since childhood.

Growing up, my family and society deeply ingrained in me the belief that mental illness was not just a disability, but a label I had to hide if I wanted to succeed. Every time I had to answer questions about mental health on a job application, I assumed checking the box would instantly make me unhirable. Doesn't it? It didn't stop there; I also equated having a mental illness with being damaged goods, even subhuman. This was largely fueled by family gatherings where we'd gossip about relatives facing mental health challenges, look down on them and laugh about their challenging situations. Ironically, I fully participated in these discussions, lacking compassion for their suffering and that of their families, reason being I hid my own illnesses at all cost and had absolutely no compassion for myself and the suffering I was going through.

So, even though I was in therapy for almost 50 years, I strategically withheld information from everyone, including my therapists and psychiatrists. I was afraid that something I might say would lead to a "serious" mental illness diagnosis like Bipolar Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Developmental Trauma Disorder, Mysophobia, Mania, and Hypomania - all of which I've had and still have. Instead, I hid behind general diagnoses of anxiety and depression. This deception made me feel like a total fraud, but it allowed me to be on medications that helped me deal with some of the symptoms I was having. Not only that, but I was blessed to work with some amazing mental health professionals who stood by me during the roughest patches of my life, and I will forever be indebted to them.
 
So, despite achieving significant professional milestones, feeling like a total fraud, hiding the truth behind my mental health, being ashamed of and genuinely despising myself - these things made it impossible for me to create long-term professional success in the corporate world. In 2006, I reached a breaking point and decided to leave New York City, and move to Sarasota, Florida, where I eventually opened Bright Life—a small health and wellness business.
 
For almost 10 years, my goal at Bright Life was to help my clients feel brighter and more joyful about life. I did this by making information about ancient Nature-based, emotional healing traditions like Feng Shui and chakra balancing relevant so they could apply this incredible wisdom to their lives, feel good and flourish. What I didn't know at that time was that I would also finally start to get genuine relief from my own lifelong mental health challenges.
 
I recently relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, where I've spent the past year building Fae, Flower & Stone, a new venture that brings together everything I've ever learned and loved. Through this endeavor, I offer emotional self-care products and experiences rooted in ancient, Nature-based healing traditions like chakra balancing, Feng Shui, and therapies using crystals, fragrance, color, Faeries, and sound—true loves of my life and faithful, healing companions. I could never be remiss and not mention my six-pound Toy Poodle, Sam (short for Samantha)—a forever brilliant, shining, precious gift, and the truest, most dear companion in all the Universe, and probably of all my lifetimes.
 
My mission at Fae, Flower & Stone now is twofold: to help my customers understand why these ancient emotional healing techniques are effective, and to educate them about the underlying science that makes them work. These parallel discoveries have helped me understand why Nature has such a profound ability to heal us emotionally, physically and spiritually.

I'm a true believer in the healing magic of Nature and its limitless power to help improve our mental health—a challenge I see crippling individuals, families, communities, and our society more than ever before. My sincere hope is that we all find a way that's right for each of us to feel great and flourish, because each of us is worthy of it and absolutely, without doubt deserves it.