Gina Capobianco is a mental health care advocate, a writer, and a speaker. She is passionate about increasing awareness about mental health issues. She uses her personal experiences and her writing in order to help people understand the struggles of individuals with mental health disorders. Sharing her poetry allows her to connect with others and open up dialogue about mental health. Writing and teaching have been healing tools for her as she has lived with depression and anxiety for the past thirty years. Gina was named to EZ-Care's list of the 100 Best Speakers on Mental Resilience. Her life and her work aim to demonstrate that even though individuals with mental health disorders are faced with ups and downs, everyone can find the light of healing. A Light Amidst the Darkness: Illuminating Mental Illness and Suffering follows Gina's first three books, Cognizant Introspection, Conscious Connection, and Curative Quest: Mental Health, Hope, and Healing. She lives, writes, and speaks in Southern California. Shannon Feldmann is a teacher with a passion for painting. This is her fourth collaboration with Gina Capobianco. Her artwork illustrates her friend's mental health journey. What Gina does with a pen, Shannon does with a paintbrush. Shannon lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter.