When Mariah was diagnosed with ALS, she knew that if she assumed the identity of a dead woman walking, she would in effect be participating in her own downward cycle. She focused on doing what she had to do about ALS – on every level – while still keeping it in the background of her life and reserved the foreground for what matters most: her family, work and the people with whom she works. She keeps her life’s purpose in the lead and identifies as a wife, a mother, a new grandmother, a professional woman. Her talk is about gaining a new understanding of the importance of the relationship with oneself, and the skills it takes to improve and develop that internal connection.

Mariah is a 36-year ALS survivor, advocate, motivational speaker, award-winning psychotherapist and the founder/director of the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training in Malvern, PA. She focuses on inspiring others to create positive relationships for personal and professional excellence. Mariah is also the author of "Tales of a Wounded Healer," an intimate description of her life and work.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx