Deborah Louise Trueheart (Whittle) (1951-2024) was a visionary consumer/survivor/ex-patient (c/s/x) leader, holistic counselor, writer, motivational speaker, artist, and foundational Emotional CPR (eartner/eCPR) trainer.
(Photo Credit: Rita Schwab)
Life and Advocacy
Throughout her career, Deb Trueheart dedicated herself to transforming traditional mental health systems, advocating passionately for heart-centered healing, peer support, and wholeness-based perspectives over a disease-centered, pathological medical model. Working closely with national organizations such as the National Empowerment Center (NEC) and the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR), she helped shape modern peer leadership and crisis response frameworks.
As a curriculum developer and educator, she created “Living Into Wholeness: Healing Trauma Through Wholeness-Based Perspectives,” traveling nationally to teach individuals how to connect with their authentic selves, navigate emotional distress, and unpack trauma. Her written works and frameworks—such as her foundational essays on reframing emotional crisis as both danger and opportunity—remain core touchstones within the international peer support and eCPR training communities. In recognition of her immense contributions, she received honors including the Faith and Fellowship Award from the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) and the Howie the Harp Art Award at the Alternatives Conference.
Artistic Expression
Art served as a vital sanctuary and medium for Trueheart to express her inner wisdom, process her lived experiences, and challenge societal stigmas surrounding mental health and the human condition. Her evocative paintings and mixed-media works reflected her commitment to self-discovery and community.
She designed the “Artists in Action” virtual art exhibit for the 2021 Alternatives Conference in collaboration with Altered States of the Arts (organized by its director, Gayle Bluebird). Trueheart passed away in 2022 following a long-term illness, leaving behind a profound legacy of compassion, deep listening, and systemic change within the international survivor and peer-led wellness movements.
Sources: National Empowerment Center, National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, and Altered States of the Arts
Additional Information
Selected Writings:
Trueheart, D. W. (2006). The Danger and Opportunity in Crisis. https://power2u.org/the-danger-and-opportunity-in-crisis/
Trueheart, D. W. (2006). Responding to Emotional Crisis. https://power2u.org/responding-to-emotional-crisis/
Artwork:
Trueheart, D. W. Artwork for Sale at the Alternatives Conference 2021. https://www.alternatives-conference.org/deborahtrueheartartworksale
Video:
RecoveryandHope [NCMHR video]. Deborah Trueheart Introduction to Living Into Wholeness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSfr7BncG6o
RecoveryandHope [NCMHR video]. Gratitude Circle with Deborah Louise Treheart. https://youtu.be/–1TBG4EmjE?si=6nFfwmznaOVAPwOO