The Ditch the Black Dog Virtual Retreat opens June 29th 2026 on the night of the Strawberry Full Moon.
Click here to find out more and join the waitlist!
Are You Ready to itch the lack og of epression
& Explore How You Can Create the Kind of Happy Life You Actually Want to Wake Up For?If the black dog of depression has you going to sleep at night secretly wondering if there’s any point waking up, you need more than talk therapy and medication to help you feel better.
You need a safe sanctuary
A healing place that gently pulls you out of the darkness and helps you remember what happiness feels like.
Come inside and feel the magick begin..
♥
Welcome to Ditch the Black Dog
I’m guessing that you ended up here because you’re in pain and you’re desperate to find out if I can help you.
Maybe…..
…you feel trapped in a stressful situation with no idea how to get out?
…no matter what you do, you never feel good enough, either for yourself or for other people?
…you’ve survived a traumatic event in the past but you can’t move on from it?
…there’s something or someone you desperately want, and you’re convinced you can’t be happy unless you get what you desire?
…you’re lonely and you feel like you don’t fit in, or no one likes you?
…you’re watching the world go to hell in a handbasket and feel helpless to stop it?
…you’re sick of inequality and injustice and the rage and frustration overwhelms you?
…you wonder if there’s any point to anything you do anymore?
You’re depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, burned out, tired of feeling alone and disconnected.
It feels like the pain will never end.
But somewhere deep down, beneath all the muck, you can remember a time when you felt alive.
A time before you fell into the trap of living a life you don’t even like, let alone love.
When you had big wild crazy dreams, laughed wholeheartedly, created amazing things, sang and danced with no inhibitions, when you trusted your intuition, when you found joy in small, yet golden, moments, when you believed in the magick you sensed all around you.
Before this capitalist and patriarchal society conditioned you to believe you’re too small and helpless to change anything.
And before life happened to you and persuaded you that your magick isn’t real.
What if, with a little guidance, you could rediscover the magick all around you?
What if you could reignite the sparks of joy and passion that do still exist inside of you, even if you can’t feel them right now?
Not through toxic positivity, or pretending everything’s fine.
Not by suppressing your pain, or spiritually bypassing the very real horrors of the world.
But by no longer focusing only on the darkness you feel, but by seeking out glimmers of happiness wherever you can find them.
Hi, I’m Maria, the founder of Ditch the Black Dog.
The most important thing you need to know about me is that I’m not your typical mental wellness mentor.
I’m not here to diagnose depression or prescribe medication for it.
Only a licensed medical professional can do that.
What I do is create safe, inclusive spaces for wounded Souls to heal and thrive when traditional therapy and medication aren’t working well enough, or don’t work at all. I’m here to support and guide you on your journey towards finding happiness again.
My approach to ditching the black dog of depression is a little different!
I became a certified coach, counselor, and nature therapist specializing in the holistic management of depression because of my own battles with the black dog.
Through my work I discovered the Gaian Path – a journey that took me out of the darkness of depression and ushered me back into a life I love. The path is pretty simple and includes neuroscience based tools and techniques, practical lifestyle changes and harnessing the power of community support. So far, so good, right? But then it gets a little weird! Stay with me, ok?
What makes my work different
is that I’m also an intuitive Soul Healer practicing Gaian Magick – therapeutic rituals and ceremonies rooted in ancient earth wisdom. Think full moon release ceremonies, tarot for self-discovery, and seasonal practices that help you process emotions and reconnect with your Soul, so you can heal and move on to creating the life you desire and deserve.
The magick is real – and it works.
It’s not just about casting spells, living well and finding connection – the Gaian Path is also about taking part in sacred activism to address some of the deeper issues that talk therapy and medication will never touch.
These two elements aren’t just a nice ‘extra’, they’re the secret sauce that helps you process what you can’t put into words and reconnect with something bigger than the depression you feel.
This is how you rediscover yourself and create a life worth waking up for.
Let me show you how following the Gaian Path can help you escape from the mental prison of chronic low mood and depression so you can feel healthy, happy and whole again.
After the hell you’ve been through, isn’t it time you got to create the happy life you desire and deserve?
Here's How I Can Help You to Tame Your Black Dog
Introducing the Ditch the Black Dog Virtual Retreat
When you’re battling depression, finding effective support can feel impossible.
Maybe you've been prescribed medications that leave you feeling numb, or you're suffering from hideous side effects that make you feel even more miserable!
Or you've waited months for an appointment with a therapist, only to find you don't feel comfortable with them or their methods.
Maybe you get an hour of therapy a week, with no additional support when you need it most?
If you've been lucky enough to access traditional therapy, maybe it hasn't worked the way you hoped. Or your allocated sessions ended just as you were starting to open up, leaving you feeling lost and alone.
Perhaps you clawed your way out of one dark episode of depression, only to find the black dog crept back in and the whole exhausting battle began all over again.
Or have you received treatment in hospital and now find yourself struggling to put the pieces of your life back together by yourself?
Enough already!
It's time to end the cycle of suffering.
I created the Ditch the Black Dog Virtual Retreat as a solution to the problems I encountered when I needed help with depression. Inside, I'll introduce you to the Gaian Path and you can choose how you want to follow it back to health and happiness.
Join the Ditch the Black Dog of Depression Virtual Retreat
I've included all the things I needed when I felt like my life wasn't worth waking up for, including support with societal and cultural causes of depression.
The Ditch the Black Dog Virtual Retreat is always open for you.
There's something helpful, no matter which stage of depression you find yourself in.
You'll find support, practical tools and therapeutic experiences, combined with a generous sprinkle of Gaian Magick, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week - even at 4am when everything feels darkest.
Take a look - it might be exactly what you need to help you put depression into remission for good.
What if you're not ready to join the Ditch the Black Dog Virtual Retreat?
That's ok! You can find out more and get a taste of what the retreat has to offer inside my FREE Black Dog Café community.
You don't have to battle the Black Dog of depression alone!
The Black Dog Café is a FREE, off-Facebook sanctuary for depressed souls who're done pretending they’re fine.
No pressure. No platitudes. Definitely no toxic positivity.
Just connection, compassion, and a generous serving of healing magick to help you feel less alone and feel supported as you get back to feeling more you.
Don't bother getting out of your PJ's - just grab a coffee, tea or yummy hot chocolate and come on over.
You don’t have to battle the Black Dog alone. I'm saving a space for you! ☕
The café is a safe space where we gather to support each other so that the Black Dog no longer bothers us but just sits quietly whilst we focus on creating a life worth waking up again for.
Do you fancy ditching the black dog of depression here with me in Spain?
From the September Equinox to the Summer Solstice in June every year, I offer a variety of sacred circles, live events and retreats.
They take place in the great outdoors.
There’s nothing quite like
🌲 breathing in the healing oxygen in the forest,
⛰️ energy healing sessions in the mountains,
🐎 animal assisted therapy sessions with cats, dogs, birds and horses.
🌅 watching the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea
🌙 or watching the moon rise in sacred circle…
…to help you heal and thrive!
If you’re interested in finding out more about my retreats and live events, and how to book, please click the button!
What do people say about working with aria?
Here are some blog posts that explain a little bit more about my work and how it can help you.
I have comments turned off on my posts. If you’d like to talk about anything you read here, please come over to the Black Dog Café, a safe space for you to ask questions and join the conversation.
Prefer to listen? Subscribe to the Ditch the Black Dog Podcast
About aria aian
Maria Gaian knows first-hand the weight of lifelong depression - and the freedom of putting the 'black dog' into remission!
After overcoming her own struggles, she made it her mission to help wounded Souls feel healthy, happy, and whole.
After over a decade of intensive study and research, Maria discovered that many sufferers don’t fully recover because traditional treatments only focus on managing or even suppressing depression, not healing its root cause.
Depression isn’t a standalone illness - it’s a symptom of deeper issues that need attention.
Determined to change the way we treat depression, Maria created The Gaian Path™, a holistic and deeply personal approach that not only supports individual healing but also addresses the societal and cultural factors that often contribute to mental distress.
What do people say about working with aria?
This is typically the space where most peopIe ask you to sign up for their newsletter.
But I know that when you're depressed the last thing you need is loads of emails you'll never read clogging up your inbox.
Yes, you need tips, tools, and suggestions, but you also need to feel seen and heard by people who understand you.
This is my invitation to you to come join me in the Black Dog Café for a chat. All you have to do is bring yourself and your favourite drink!
The café is a little bit different than the typical online groups you might have seen before, and it's perfectly ok if you only want to lurk at first!
