In 1981, Mariah Fenton Gladis was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Three prominent neurologists gave her a 10% chance of surviving more than 2 years.Yet, three months after the diagnosis, Mariah married and proceeded to have 2 children: Luke, 26, and Cole, 24. Mariah continues to be a loving wife, a doting mother, an author, renowned psychotherapist and motivational speaker. Her courage to continually go forward with grace and determination—and without bitterness—demonstrates the amazing survival capacity of the human spirit. Today, as Founder and Director of the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training, Mariah conducts workshops across the globe, addressing a wide range of human challenges: from early life emotional trauma to debilitating grief and loss, from life threatening illnesses to people seeking more meaning and joy in their lives. In Mariah’s words:“People often ask me how I do it, listening to people’s problems all day long. I tell them that I don’t hear problems. I hear people wanting to change, wanting to be better human beings, wanting to create happier families. From every continent and all walks of life I hear people wanting to love and be loved more effectively. I hear people wanting to remove barriers in their lives and provide a healthier environment for their loved ones. This is a privileged position that I have, sharing so many compelling and heartwarming moments of laughter and tears with people working toward healing.”This approach of continually seeing people as working toward healing is a health-based model that has made Mariah’s work so successful over the years. It allows for affirmative access to growth, self-discovery and true healing. Mariah has recently published her first book, "Tales of a Wounded Healer."