Printable Biography of Therese J. Borchard

Therese Borchard may be one of the frankest, funniest people on the planet. Author of the hit daily blog “Beyond Blue” on Beliefnet.com, which is featured regularly on The Huffington Post and was voted by PsychCentral.com as one of the top 10 depression blogs, she moderates the popular depression support group, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet’s social networking site.

Inspired by her blog Borchard’s memoir, Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes, describes her experience of living with manic depression as well as provides cutting-edge research and information on dealing with mood disorders. Comprised of four sections and twenty-one chapters, Beyond Blue covers a wide range of topics from codependency to addiction, poor body image to postpartum depression, from alternative medicine to psychopharmacology, managing anxiety to applying lessons from therapy. Because of her laser wit and Erma Bombeck like sense of humor, every chapter is entertaining as well as serious.

Whenever Borchard was weathering a personal storm, and help was nowhere to be found, her one guiding light was the question, "What would a therapist say?" The resulting book, The Pocket Therapist, is a sort of therapy scrapbook for rough days -- a quick reference for anyone who needs a dose of encouragement, support and tried and true ways to cope. The Pocket Therapist, is a compact and accessible guide filled with techniques and advice to help combat everything from addictive behavior to negative thinking. The book provides 125 entries that are psychological silver bullets, pointers that are just what the doctor ordered to help you get through an anxious moment, a fearful situation or a bad day.

At the podium, Borchard brings audiences along the roller coaster of her daily battle with depression. By exposing her vulnerability, she endears herself immediately to listeners and then reduces even the most depressed to laughter as she provides a companion on the journey to recovery. With great wit and empathy, Borchard provides not only tips for handling depression but also leaves audiences with the knowledge that they are not alone.

Her work has recently been cited in The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and has been featured in salon.com, Psychology Today, Real Simple, Redbook, Parenting, More, Ladies Home Journal and The Washington Post.

Her nationally syndicated column, “Our Turn,” is distributed biweekly by Catholic News Service. She appears monthly on Sirius Satellite Radio, is featured regularly on radio programs throughout the country, and has been a repeated guest on national television programs, such as FOX and Friends and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.

She is the author of I Love Being a Mom (a Target selection) and co-author of A Celebration of a Married Life and the national best-seller I Like Being Catholic. Borchard also served as editor of The Imperfect Mom: Candid Confessions of Mothers Living in the Real World.

Borchard lives with her husband, Eric, and their two “spirited” children in Annapolis, Maryland.