The Trailblazer Catalyst Speaker
Speaking the Truth|Eradicating Shame|Leaving a Trail
I Did Not Come Here to Whisper
I came to speak the truths too often buried about trauma, dissociation, leadership, and the untold stories we carry in silence.
For generations, shame has shadowed survivors, leaders, and truth-tellers. My purpose is to turn that shame into light, to break apart stigma, and to leave a path that others can walk toward freedom.
This work is not abstract theory. It is where lived experience meets clinical wisdom and soul. Transformation begins in the meeting place of fear and longing, and it always asks us to step beyond comfort into possibility.
My Mission
I partner with organizations, entrepreneurs, and high-achieving professionals who are tired of playing small—those ready to break cycles, heal what has gone unspoken, and lead with courage, integrity, and purpose.
I also mentor therapists, practices, and treatment programs, guiding them into trauma-informed approaches that go beyond rigid protocols especially when dissociation is part of the story so that true and lasting healing can take root.
If you are curating a stage, building a team, or dreaming of impact, I would be honored to walk alongside you as we create change together not only for today, but for generations to come.
My Story
I am a survivor of familial child s*ex trafficking and ritual abuse. I also live with dissociative identity disorder (DID)—a condition long misunderstood and stigmatized. In 2021, I chose to step forward publicly to challenge the myths around DID and to advocate for those living with it.
For more than 20 years, I served in the field of mental health. By 2023, I stepped away from direct patient care because the rigidity of the system—the obsession with pathology and narrow definitions—no longer aligned with my vision of what healing and human potential can be.
Now, I bring my voice to stages, boardrooms, and healing spaces. My story is not a weight I carry it is a bridge. It is proof that the darkest experiences do not write our final chapter. Rock bottoms and shadow work can become portals to transformation if we are willing to look within.
Healing requires courage. It requires discomfort. In a culture addicted to perfection and numbing through work, food, substances, relationships—true change comes only when we face what we fear: shame, destructive behaviors, and accountability. The greatest transformations I have witnessed happen when people own their stories, take responsibility, and commit to living differently until the new way becomes who they are.
As a young girl, I endured torture-based mind control designed to destroy me. I have fallen into despair more times than I can count. And yet, I rise. Again and again, I choose to stand back up.
We win some. We lose some. But out of pain, we can create beauty whether in business, in family, or in the legacy we leave. The choice is always ours.
I am here to offer wisdom, strategy, and guidance. Many of us were only taught how to survive. I can teach you how to thrive-personally and professionally. But first, you must grant yourself permission to take the journey.
For Stages, Teams, and Leaders Ready for Change
Hire me to speak if you want your audience to feel both seen and stirred into action. Work with me as a coach if you’re ready to dismantle old patterns and lead with courage, clarity, and soul.
The invitation is simple: say yes to your own becoming. Together, we can create change that ripples far beyond today—into the teams you build, the stories you carry, and the legacy you leave.
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
-Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
The Trailblazer Catalyst Speaker
I have come forward as both a survivor of familial child s*x trafficking, ritual abuse and a person living with dissociative identity disorder (DID). I know what it means to carry unimaginable stories and I know what it means to rise. My work is rooted in one unshakable belief: anything is possible, and there is always hope.
For more than 23 years, I worked in the field of mental health across diverse roles and settings. In 2016, I became a licensed psychologist and opened my own practice. Over time, my work expanded into consulting, mentoring, and executive coaching. By 2021, I began transitioning out of direct patient care, and in 2023, I fully stepped away. The rigidity of the field—with its outdated practices, focus on pathology, and narrow definitions of health—no longer reflected my vision of psychological wellness, human potential, and wholeness.
Today, I bring both clinical expertise and lived experience to a wider stage as an internationally recognized keynote speaker and executive coach. I partner with entrepreneurs, executives, and organizations who are ready to disrupt old patterns, release the blocks holding back their leadership, and explore how personal experience shapes professional vision.
Through keynote speaking, executive coaching, retreats, and mentorship programs, I help leaders and change-makers step into their truth, dismantle stigma, and transform not only their businesses but their lives. My work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Psychiatric Services (American Psychiatric Association), among other outlets. Together with my co-author Mabel Rose, I am writing The Experiential Toolbox for Dissociative Identity Disorder (New Harbinger, 2026)—the first book of its kind to unite lived experience with clinical insight in the field of dissociation.
I am here to challenge stigma surrounding trauma, trafficking, and mental health by weaving together science, story, and soul. My message is clear: healing is possible, leadership can be redefined, and your story can become your greatest strength.
You can turn your pain into purpose. You can lead with courage and authenticity.
Services
I am living proof that hope is real and my mission is to release more of it into the world. I b ridge the gap between the professional and the personal because I’ve lived both. With the lens of a psychologist and the heart of a survivor, I bring hope, love, and inspiration through executive coaching, global keynote speaking, mentorship programs, and creative expression. Together, we can shine-bravely, unapologetically, and authentically-as ourselves.
The Trailblazer Catalyst Speaker
Media Expert
I speak to inspire, challenge, and ignite transformation. My signature talks include:
“Light Is the Absence of Darkness…Or Is It?”- Exploring truth, resilience, and redefining what it means to rise.
“Purpose or Possibility: That Is the Question”- Unpacking how mindset shapes the future you create.
“The L.O.V.E Formula for Success”- A practical, heart-centered framework for achieving authentic success.
I was trained by one of the most respected voices in the speaking industry, Orly Amor, whose mentorship helped refine my message and amplify my impact on global stages. I accept media opportunities that are aligned with my values.
Consultant & Continuing Education Provider
In addition to speaking, I provide consultation to survivors, therapists, and private practice centers, offering guidance rooted in both clinical expertise and lived experience. I design and lead continuing education workshops for organizations such as Leading Edge Seminars, The Zur Institute, and the Arizona Trauma Institute, among others.
My approach is holistic, experiential, and stigma-breaking—helping professionals expand their understanding of trauma and dissociation while equipping survivors and practitioners alike with practical tools for healing and growth.
Dissociative Community Mentorship Program:
Trailblazing the Way
Trailblazing the Way formerly known as Braving the Way was a dissociative community mentorship program that ran successfully for three years. My parts and I deeply valued the opportunity to facilitate and connect with so many courageous DID systems during that time. The program was originally led by Adge17 (a name my fellow dissociatives will instantly recognize).
In the summer of 2024, Adge fused, and our system chose to evolve the program. What began as a live mentorship experience is now being transformed into a self-paced, supportive system/self-help course, designed to bring the same depth and guidance in a way that participants can access from home. This new version will be available for purchase in the Spring of 2026.
About
Dr. Adrian “Adrienne”
Hi, I’m Adrienne-a speaker, executive coach, licensed psychologist, author, and survivor who knows what it means to turn pain into purpose. My life has been shaped by both profound trauma and extraordinary resilience, and I carry that truth into every space I enter. Whether I’m consulting with professionals, mentoring survivors, or speaking on stage, my mission is simple: to bring hope, light, and love into places where they’ve long been forgotten. At my core, I am human—learning, healing, and growing right alongside you.
Beyond the stage and the page, I find joy in the everyday sacred: hiking beneath the trees, walking shorelines in search of clam shells and sea glass, and breathing in the calming scents of lavender and eucalyptus. Music and books are constant companions, and I cherish traveling—especially to the United Kingdom—and gathering with friends who feel like family.
I pour my heart into mentoring women through Women Making Waves, an experience that continually reminds me of the brilliance and strength we each carry. At home, my spirited little Yorkie, Rockette, keeps my system on a steady routine and never fails to bring both laughter and grounding to my days.
Creativity is one of my deepest medicines. Making art—alone or with peers—has been a profound part of my healing. It gives voice to parts of me that words could never fully capture, opening spaces of expression, connection, and survival. Art has saved my life more than once, and it remains a sacred practice I return to again and again.
I’ve also walked many experiential paths of healing—EMDR, equine therapy and coaching, Reiki, meditation, breathwork, somatic therapies, group retreats, intensives, business coaching programs, and soul workshops. Each has shown me that healing is not linear, but layered, relational, and alive. These experiences deepened my belief in the power of investing in ourselves—because when we do, transformation becomes possible.
Much of my work is inspired by my beloved co-author and hero, Mabel Rose. Our bond is sacred-beyond words-and her presence has shaped my journey in ways I will honor for the rest of my life. She remains a guiding light in both my personal healing and the work I share with the world.
Author
Released in November 2022 and later featured in the Los Angeles Times, my poetry collection One Soul, Multiple Expressions: Poems by the Parts explores the many stages of healing and shows how creative expression can help us survive even the most horrific trauma. Amid darkness, it reminds us that healing is possible. My hope has always been to bridge the gap between survivors and practitioners, offering a message of hope, resilience, and connection.
✨ As a gift, you can download one of our poems for free: Different.
Please note: This collection is intended for mature audiences, as it contains mention of trauma and abuse.
An updated edition is in progress for release in late 2026. It will include new poems, updated graphics, the system name on the cover, refreshed dedications, and an open letter to the DID community reflecting both the beauty and the hardship of public disclosure—as well as letters to our former therapists.
Alongside this work, I am a contributing writer for Psychology Today, where I share both my lived story of resilience and my clinical expertise through guest columns and articles.
I am currently co-authoring a forthcoming book with Mabel Rose for New Harbinger Publications, titled The Experiential Toolbox for Dissociative Identity Disorder, scheduled for release in 2026.
Podcast Host & Guest
For three seasons, I hosted the Braving the Way with Dr. Fletch podcast, where we held powerful conversations with experts in the mental health community, colleagues, artists, authors, and friends. Together, we explored life with DID, the fight against stigma, and the many ways we can serve and support the community. All episodes remain available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
While I’m not returning to hosting my own podcast at this time, I deeply enjoy being a guest on shows that align with my values. As a guest, I bring both professional expertise and lived experience—offering audiences stories, insights, and strategies that foster hope, understanding, and empowerment.
If your podcast shares a mission of breaking stigma, amplifying truth, and inspiring transformation, I’d be honored to join the conversation.
You can listen to interviews I’ve done on other shows below! Take a moment to listen in and support these other amazing podcasters!
A Message of Hope
I have walked through darkness more times than I can count. And each time, I’ve discovered that even in the heaviest night, light is never gone—it waits. Hope is not delicate; it is fierce. Strength is not the absence of struggle, but the decision to rise, to keep moving, and to shine brighter than before.
This is the truth I carry into my work: no matter how many times life pulls us into the shadows, we are never beyond the reach of light, of love, or of possibility.
