ABOUT
Josie Cabrera is a motivational speaker, mental health advocate, and author of Shadows of the Earth , passionate about teaching high school and college students how to change their perspective, understand their purpose, and claim their power through her message, “Life Beyond Your Shadows: Illuminating the Path to Self-Worth in a Suicide Epidemic.”
From elementary school through college, Josie battled with crippling anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidality. In 2021, she was ready to end her life. Her story of survival and strength in the face of death has inspired thousands of students to join the fight against suicide. Now free from the burdens of mental illness, it is Josie’s mission to help high school and college students overcome their shadows and unlock true, long-lasting happiness and self-love.
Josie graduated summa cum laude from California State University, San Bernardino with a B.A in Psychology. She published her first book, Shadows of the Earth, shortly after to bring light to the painful fight of survival against suicide and help others understand the darkness of mental illness. She later released its sequel, Seasons of the Earth, to bring forth a more hopeful story focusing on transformation and healing. Volunteering as a trained crisis counselor with Crisis Text Line and working as a Career Counselor to help at-promise youth achieve their post-secondary goals, Josie travels from state to state combining research and actionable strategies in her message to transform the wellbeing of students and protect teens from the national mental health crisis.
Beyond her work, Josie leads a full life dedicated to enjoying each moment, whether that's backpacking under the California sun, creating fun arrangements on the violin, or spending a Monday evening swimming in the ocean. She has found a deep source of freedom and joy in nature, and chooses to experience that through hiking, paddleboarding, rock climbing, swimming, survival + wildnerness knowledge, and solo travel. She is passionate about minimalism, cake decorating, live music, empanadas, American Sign Language, books by Thich Nhat Hanh, roadtrips, mindfulness, cinnamon rolls, local produce, and handwritten letters.
Camping in Joshua Tree