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Using story to heal, be heard and help after abusive belief systems
Become the expert of your truth & live a life of wellness
The abuse you suffered was real and unfair. Around the globe, so many quietly suffer trauma at the hands of cults like fundamentalism and Qanon, New Age online groups, and even one-on-one cults like families, parental alienation, and narcissistic relationships.
Your story doesn’t end there. You have power for growth and change when you own your voice and your story. As a cult or trauma survivor, you have already overcome unimaginable betrayals.
I’m Heidi
Victim to Thriver
If you grew up under control or coercion, my story might feel familiar. I grew up homeschooled in fundamentalism. I tried to live up to their impossible standards, but I was still labeled a Jezebel when I was only seven years old. I learned early-on to make that defiant character the strength of my story. I saw my life as an adventure story where the main character (AKA me!) pushes against the odds until she finally escapes and finds healing.
With my help, you too can write your new tomorrow.
More On Heidi
Every good story has conflict leading to the ultimate triumph—freedom.
After escaping my childhood cult on a college scholarship, I graduated at the top of my class with degrees in international relations and literature (B.A.s), teaching (MAT) and creative writing (MA).
Along the way I traveled the world and applied my research, cultural studies and impact scholar insights to journalism, documentary filmmaking and my forthcoming memoir.
I published policy on women’s empowerment, studied at Oxford and had a stint at the United Nations. I even worked as a personal assistant to several famous Hollywood screenwriters.
Story wellness work allows you to safely grieve and the become expert of your life so you can live in a way that reflects your goals and values. Your story too can find purpose and healing —from the inside out.
The NEXT steps workbook helped me understand I can OWN my story.
Leaving the cult helped me experience the world through an unfiltered lens for the first time. Cognitively I understood that I can create, grow, learn, feel happiness, that I can have distinct individuality, that I can love, I can connect. But Heidi’s process helped me truly believe and feel that it is possible for my story not to be influenced or controlled by someone else’s ideals, beliefs, or traditions.
Steven, UK
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Fun Fact: You could say I’ve ‘made it’ because you can buy a version of me at Toys ‘R Us!
I was once the personal assistant to the screenwriter of Toy Story 2 and he wrote me into it as Woody’s new love interest (I beat out Little Bo Peep). The Jesse doll has two braids and attitude—just like my childhood self. She was originally called the Heidi Ho doll but editors decided last minute it sounded a little too ‘adult’ 😆
- M.A. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire; Cultural Studies with Creative Writing focus
- Multiple research grants and presentation on intentional identity development after high-control environments
- Dissertation: full-length memoir manuscript on above research topics
- Creative Writing Intensive: Oxford University International Summer School; Oxford UK, 2017
- MAT (12 credits to go) Masters in Teaching; UVEI institute completing a dissertation focus on curriculum and instructional design following a Maxine Green-inspired focus on social psychology and imagination
- Certified Advanced English and creative writing middle and high school teacher; 2012
- B.A. Occidental College, Los Angeles; Diplomacy and World Affairs; Cum Laude 2004
- Honors thesis (based on my United Nations internship) exploring the link between microfinance and women’s empowerment in developing countries (consulting with founder and Nobel Peace prize winner, M. Yunus)
Ongoing C.E. credits in trauma and resilience therapy techniques:
- Relational Neuroscience: pertaining to c-PTSD recovery, Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy
- Abandonment Trauma Recovery modalities (National Institute for Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (Level 2 – Training Institute For Mental Health)
- Professional Training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) (Level 1 – IFS Institute)
- Certified Completion – A Beginner’s Guide to Narrative Therapy
