About Me
My name is Isabel Mata and I am a queer neurodivergent storyteller who is passionate about mindfulness and mental health advocacy. I am dedicated to challenging societal norms, fostering self-discovery, and promoting authenticity as a means to finding meaning and purpose. My work has been published in over 50 publications world-wide on the topics of wellbeing, sex and relationships, and more. I am the host of “Being Yourself Loudly," a Queer podcast de-stigmatizing mental illness and I write an advice column for the Seattle Gay News called “Ask Izzy.”
By the time I turned 22, I had graduated from NYU and landed my dream job in the beauty industry while my words adorned the very magazines that once graced my bedroom walls.
To everyone in my path, it seemed I was confidently navigating the corporate scene while pursuing my writing passion side hustle. Yet, behind the facade of confidence, I battled with deep depression, anxiety, and a constant contemplation of mortality.
It wasn’t until 2020 when I got laid off from my job at L’Oreal did I realize I had no idea who I was without external validation and hustle culture.
So I decided to find out.
Through a significant infusion of mindfulness, medication, and dialectical behavioral therapy, I embarked on a path where I learned not only to accept but, surprisingly, love myself. This transformation led me to discover my passion of providing guidance, support, and love to other neurodivergents so we can all collectively live a more value-aligned life.
Each month, listeners tune in to my wellbeing podcast Being Yourself Loudly to explore themes of authenticity, self-doubt, intimacy, and so much more. My goal is to provide guidance, support, and love to help neurodivergents overcome shame to live more a more-value aligned life.
I’ve had the privilege of sharing my experience of living with depression, adhd, and bpd personal growth methods and manifesting practices in publications like Wondermind, Cosmopolitan, New York Times, Seattle Gay News, and many others.
While I’m proud to share the credentials that give me authority, my greatest accomplishment is that I’ve moved from a constant place of de-regulation to one of self-expression and authenticity. On my personal journey, I discovered the power of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Dialectical Behaviorial Therapy (DBT). I loved these two methodologies and subsequent tools so much that I have taken trainings in both. My goal is to democrtazie these models to help others learn to embrace their neurodivergence with vulnerable and courage.
I hope to one day publish books on the subject to take my teachings even further.