Monsters (mon'sters), noun: self-imposed barriers that inhibit personal growth

Small children alone in bed at night often become filled with fear – fear of the monsters under the bed. And they’re not real – except in their minds. As adults we still have monsters in our lives that cause us to exhibit destructive patterns like guilt, perfectionism, worry, out-of-control emotions, and the inability to manage stress. Overall they have a negative impact on our health, our work, and our relationships. They take away our happiness.

Tami West understands the significance and the power of the monsters. She is the mother of 8 in a unique blended family. As a child Tami developed severe anxiety disorder and depression and was eventually hospitalized for panic disorder so severe she was unable to leave her home. She chose to change her life.

Tami began her career with a Bachelor’s degree in biology and spent the next ten years working in hospitals, physician’s offices, and research labs. In 1999 she obtained her Master’s degree in education. In 2005 Tami left teaching to write her first book Life Without the Monsters to help women dealing with worry, fear, stress, and anxiety. Her second book, Balancing Your Career and Your Life, was published in October 2007, and her audio series, Discovering Happiness in a Stressful World was released in March of 2009.

Currently Tami is pursuing a PhD in Human Development. Because her passion is to help people understand the reasons behind their stress, fears and anxieties, her research is centered around those very issues. She speaks to groups across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.