Welcome to the Ditch the Black Dog of Depression Blog
Never miss a post! I publish my blog and podcast episodes inside my free community The Black Dog Café.
Come on over to this safe supportive space. It’s for you if you’re battling depression, or if you love someone who’s depressed and you want to know how to help.
You’ll be able to comment, ask questions and chat as well as getting tips, tools and techniques to try out to help you survive the black dog.
Everything changed when I discovered how merging the modern with the magickal could help me ditch the black dog of depression and create a life worth waking up again for.
In this blog I’ll share with you how following the Gaian Pathâą helped me want to live again.
I want you to know that it IS possible to put depression into remission and it doesn’t have to be exhausting, or expensive.
In fact, many of the ways that I’ll show you in this blog are so easy, they can feel like magick!
To understand more about my work and how it can help you, I’ve selected four of the best blog posts to get you started.
Read these blog posts first
Recommended Reading for Surviving the Black Dog of Depression
Here's My Recommended Reading List to Help You Survive DepressionMaria Gaian, Book LoverWhat are the best books to read when you're depressed?  I've always loved books. My mother taught me to read when I was two years old and honestly, I think books kept me alive...
How Do You Know Where to Start Healing From Depression?
How do you know where to start healing from depression when it affects all areas of your life? I’ll help you to choose your first steps!
Everyone On Social Media Seems to Have Their Shit Together.
Are you depressed cos everyone on social media seems to have their shit together, and you feel like you don’t?
How dare you feel depressed when your life is so great!
“How dare you feel depressed when so many other people have it so much worse than you do!” Have you ever been asked this question?
What is the Gaian Oasis? What are we creating?
We’re building a sacred space here in Spain for people to experience animal assisted therapy and ecotherapy with a magickal twist!
Can Flower Essences Really Relieve Depression and Anxiety?
Do flower essences work? Or is it all a load of snake oil? Here’s my experience of using them.
Hannah’s Story: How Can I Pretend to be Happy?
Hannah wanted to know how she could pretend to be happy. But she finally realised that pretending isn’t the answer!
I Got A Timely Reminder of How it Feels to be Depressed
I was worried I’d forgotten, but this month I got a reminder of how it feels to be depressed. It’s tested my toolkit to the limits!
The Unexpected Way I Became A Therapeutic Tarot Reader
Therapeutic Tarot Reader – my story of how I started to do these amazing readings with the help of my Spirit Guides.
Books That Heal: 10 Powerful Reads for Depression Sufferers
Books that heal – here are ten books that could really help you if you’re struggling to survive depression.
Can Tarot and Oracle Cards Help You Overcome Depression?
Tarot and Oracle cards helped me to ditch the black dog of depression. Could they help you heal, too?
Can Gardening Help You Overcome Depression?
Could gardening help you overcome depression? What do you do if you don’t have access to a garden?
Does your choice of music make depression worse?
Does your choice of music make depression worse? Can it really make a difference? I check out the research.
How to Meet Your Animal Guardian Spirits.
What are Animal Guardian Spirits? Want to meet yours? Let me show you how you can connect to the animal angels watching over you.
What is the Gaian Path? Here’s an Overview
What is the Gaian Path and how can it help you to ditch the black dog of depression and unleash your passion for life?
Introducing the Stages of Depression
Introducing the stages of depression – why we need to do the right things in the right order to feel healthy, happy and whole.
Depression is About More Than Just Your Mind
Depression is about more than your mind. We have to treat depression holistically if we are to feel healthy, happy and whole.
Can Spirituality Help You Ditch the Black Dog of Depression?
Can spirituality and spiritual practices really help you to ditch the black dog of depression? Or is a load of hooey?
Consciously Create Change to Ditch the Black Dog
Don’t let fear stop you living the magickal life you dream of! Be brave & jump out of your comfort zone.
Are Your Cleaning and Hygiene Products Making You Depressed?
Are toxic cleaning products and cosmetics making you depressed? Probably! So what can we do to feel better?
Should You Seek Support for Depression on Social Media?
Seeking support for depression on social media comes with risks. Do you know who you’re talking to? Really?
Why Don’t I Have a Facebook Support Group For Depression?
Social media is bad for your mental health, so why would I encourage you to use it?
My Story – My Battle with the Black Dog of Depression
Maria’s story – My own experiences led me to become a coach, therapist and counselor specialising in depression.
Think I’m Too âWoo Wooâ For You? Read This Post!
Think I’m too ‘woo woo’ for you? Before you walk away, read this post.
Rituals are proven to help people to heal and thrive as if by magick!
Think I’m Too âWoo Wooâ For You? Read This Post!
Think I’m too ‘woo woo’ for you? Before you walk away, read this post.
Rituals are proven to help people to heal and thrive as if by magick!
Recommended Reading for Surviving the Black Dog of Depression
Here's My Recommended Reading List to Help You Survive DepressionMaria Gaian, Book LoverWhat are the best books to read when you're depressed?  I've always loved books. My mother taught me to read when I was two years old and honestly, I think books kept me alive...
How Do You Know Where to Start Healing From Depression?
How do you know where to start healing from depression when it affects all areas of your life? I’ll help you to choose your first steps!
Everyone On Social Media Seems to Have Their Shit Together.
Are you depressed cos everyone on social media seems to have their shit together, and you feel like you don’t?
How dare you feel depressed when your life is so great!
“How dare you feel depressed when so many other people have it so much worse than you do!” Have you ever been asked this question?
What is the Gaian Oasis? What are we creating?
We’re building a sacred space here in Spain for people to experience animal assisted therapy and ecotherapy with a magickal twist!
Can Flower Essences Really Relieve Depression and Anxiety?
Do flower essences work? Or is it all a load of snake oil? Here’s my experience of using them.
Hannah’s Story: How Can I Pretend to be Happy?
Hannah wanted to know how she could pretend to be happy. But she finally realised that pretending isn’t the answer!
I Got A Timely Reminder of How it Feels to be Depressed
I was worried I’d forgotten, but this month I got a reminder of how it feels to be depressed. It’s tested my toolkit to the limits!
The Unexpected Way I Became A Therapeutic Tarot Reader
Therapeutic Tarot Reader – my story of how I started to do these amazing readings with the help of my Spirit Guides.
Books That Heal: 10 Powerful Reads for Depression Sufferers
Books that heal – here are ten books that could really help you if you’re struggling to survive depression.
Can Tarot and Oracle Cards Help You Overcome Depression?
Tarot and Oracle cards helped me to ditch the black dog of depression. Could they help you heal, too?
Can Gardening Help You Overcome Depression?
Could gardening help you overcome depression? What do you do if you don’t have access to a garden?
Does your choice of music make depression worse?
Does your choice of music make depression worse? Can it really make a difference? I check out the research.
How to Meet Your Animal Guardian Spirits.
What are Animal Guardian Spirits? Want to meet yours? Let me show you how you can connect to the animal angels watching over you.
What is the Gaian Path? Here’s an Overview
What is the Gaian Path and how can it help you to ditch the black dog of depression and unleash your passion for life?
Introducing the Stages of Depression
Introducing the stages of depression – why we need to do the right things in the right order to feel healthy, happy and whole.
Depression is About More Than Just Your Mind
Depression is about more than your mind. We have to treat depression holistically if we are to feel healthy, happy and whole.
Can Spirituality Help You Ditch the Black Dog of Depression?
Can spirituality and spiritual practices really help you to ditch the black dog of depression? Or is a load of hooey?
Consciously Create Change to Ditch the Black Dog
Don’t let fear stop you living the magickal life you dream of! Be brave & jump out of your comfort zone.
Are Your Cleaning and Hygiene Products Making You Depressed?
Are toxic cleaning products and cosmetics making you depressed? Probably! So what can we do to feel better?
Should You Seek Support for Depression on Social Media?
Seeking support for depression on social media comes with risks. Do you know who you’re talking to? Really?
Why Don’t I Have a Facebook Support Group For Depression?
Social media is bad for your mental health, so why would I encourage you to use it?
My Story – My Battle with the Black Dog of Depression
Maria’s story – My own experiences led me to become a coach, therapist and counselor specialising in depression.
Here's How I Can Help You to Tame Your Black Dog
Introducing the Ditch the Black Dog Virtual Retreat
When youâre battling depression, finding effective support can feel impossible.
Maybe you've been waiting months for an appointment with a therapist, and you want to start helping yourself in the meantime.Â
Maybe you get an hour of therapy a week, with no additional support in between and you wish there was something you could do to help you get through to the next session.Â
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 trying to creep back in and you want tools to help you stop it in its tracks.
Or have you received treatment in hospital and although you're not depressed anymore, you're 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 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 practical support with societal and cultural causes of depression.
The Ditch the Black Dog Virtual Retreat is always open for you. It's there for you at the times your therapist isn't.
There's something helpful, no matter what you might be struggling with - sleep, work, money, love or rebuilding your life after the heartbreak of broken dreams.
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 support you on your journey to rediscovering what makes you happy.
This is typically the space where most peopIe ask you to sign up for their newsletter.
But I know that when you're feeling 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.Â
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!
