Our Story
Who Am I?
Welcome! I’m India—the creator of Groovy Goddess Gang and a lifelong mental health advocate, devoted to normalizing real conversations about our emotions.
My journey with mental health isn’t just something I advocate for—it’s deeply personal.
But before I tell you about Groovy Goddess Gang, let me tell you about me.
I grew up in Asheville, NC, a little hippie town filled with love and light, raised by the most incredible woman I’ve ever known—my mama. I grew up in very humble beginnings, but we had an abundance of love. She taught me that your emotions are meant to be expressed, not buried. She instilled in me a passion for justice, kindness, and deep, soul-level connection.
I graduated high school with a full-ride academic scholarship, allowing me to earn my degrees in psychology and health & wellness education—the fields that have always fascinated me most.
I spent years studying how the brain works, how emotions shape us, and what it takes to heal.
But life has a way of testing everything you think you know. And in my early 20s, I was faced with a pain so deep, it changed me forever.
Why We NEED to Talk About
Mental Health
His name was Andy. He was the most special soul, and we were in love. He was quality over quantity—authentic, deep, and effortlessly his genuine, artistic self. Thoughtful in ways most people aren't.
For a long time, Andy hid how much he was hurting.
I remember being in college and meeting up with Andy at parties and gatherings. Sometimes I'd find him sitting quietly, staring off into the distance. I'd ask the people around us what was wrong, and almost every time I'd hear some version of:
"That's just how Andy is."
No one seemed to ask why or even know how much pain he was carrying.
Over time, Andy trusted me enough to tell me about his depression and the darkness he had been living with for as long as he could remember. He told me he had never felt safe enough to talk about his emotions, for the majority of his life. When I say “safe”, I mean emotionally safe. He had spent much of his life believing he needed to carry that pain alone, silently thinking he was a “burden”.
I couldn’t understand how someone so loved, could not comprehend how loved he was. I loved him with all of my heart, and still, there was a chemical imbalance in his brain. I watched as his depression slowly took hold, slipping away in real time. I begged him to see how much he mattered. I got him to go to therapy, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But despite my love, despite everything I tried, I lost him. .
He was 21 years old when he took his own life.
Looking back now, I realize Andy absolutely wasn't the only one. There are countless people struggling in silence, carrying burdens they don't know how to talk about, simply because they haven’t had a space where they felt safe enough to be honest.
For years, I carried the weight of grief, anger, and guilt. I questioned everything. I built walls so high, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever tear them down.
I struggled with my own mental health for many years.
But with time, effort, and a relentless fight to heal (which I’m still working on every day), I realized something:
I can either stay angry at the world for not talking about mental health, or I can take a stand to change it.
This is why I created Groovy Goddess Gang.