When Colleen Haggerty lost her leg in an accident during her senior year of high school, she could have retreated from life and let her disability become her defining quality--and no one would have blamed her for it. Instead, she went the opposite way. In the years following her accident, Haggerty explored her physical world with vigor, testing the limits of her body by joining a ski team, playing with a co-ed soccer team, and taking up kayaking and backpacking. She also tested the limits of her heart, pursuing love and passion with restless men. In A Leg to Stand On, Haggerty recounts her life as a disabled woman, from redefining herself as a young woman after tragedy--fierce and able, but haunted by hard choices and suppressed grief--to choosing marriage and motherhood. That choice comes at great cost to the physical freedom Haggerty has fought for, but ultimately she finds redemption, fulfillment, and self-acceptance in the bargain. No one will read this book without being inspired to accept their past and create the future they always wanted.

A Leg to Stand On: An Amputee's Walk into Motherhood

Beyond Belief addresses what happens when women of extreme religions decide to walk away. Editors Susan Tive (a former Orthodox Jew) and Cami Ostman (a de-converted fundamentalist born-again Christian) have compiled a collection of powerful personal stories written by women of varying ages, races, and religious backgrounds who share one commonality: they’ve all experienced and rejected extreme religions.Covering a wide range of religious communities—including Evangelical, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Calvinist, Moonie, and Jehovah’s Witness—and containing contributions from authors like Julia Scheeres (Jesus Land), the stories in Beyond Belief reveal how these women became involved, what their lives were like, and why they came to the decision to eventually abandon their faiths. The authors shed a bright light on the rigid expectations and misogyny so often built into religious orthodoxy, yet they also explain the lure—why so many women are attracted to these lifestyles, what they find that’s beautiful about living a religious life, and why leaving can be not only very difficult but also bittersweet.

Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religions

Shame is a powerful thing. It can weigh on your heart and mind, diminish your sense of self-worth, and impact the way you live in the world. But what happens when you share that secret burden?Amy Ferris, Hollye Dexter, and the writers they brought together are all ready to let go of shame. In Dancing at the Shame Prom, twenty-six extraordinary womenLyena Strelkoff, Teresa Stack, Monica Holloway, Nina Burleigh, Amy Friedman, Meredith Resnick, Victoria Zackheim, and moretake the plunge and say yes” to sharing their stories. These brave writers, journalists, musicians, artists, directors, and activists have offered up their most funny, sad, poignant, miraculous, life-changing, and jaw-dropping secrets for you to gawk at, empathize with, and learn fromin the hopes that they will inspire others to do the same. Letting go feels good!Freeing, provocative, and audacious, Dancing at the Shame Prom is about flaunting the secrets that have made you feel small so that you can stand up straight, let the shame go, and finallydecisivelymove on with your life.

Dancing at the Shame Prom: Sharing the Stories That Kept Us Small

I love you. The meeting ran late. I want a divorce. One little word, one casual lie, one devastating announcementand our lives are turned upside down forever.In He Said What?, twenty-six gifted women writers share profoundly personal moments in which a man in their life said somethinggood or badthat changed them irrevocably. Joyce Maynard reveals the profound humiliation and trauma she suffered when, after dropping out of Yale to move in with J.D. Salinger at just 18, he suddenly ordered her to pack her bags and leave. Author and screenwriter Amy Ferris writes about what her father said to her after she dropped out of high school at 15right before she flew across the country to hitchhike her way from San Francisco to an Oregon commune.With additional contributions from Dr. Margot Duxler, Beverly Donofrio, Sherry Glaser, Abby Frucht, Jane Ganahl, Christine Kehl O’Hagan, Susanne Dunlap, and Caroline Leavitt, this is a beautifully-penned, intimate collection of stories about the powerful impact that the rightor the wrongwords can have on a person’s life.

He Said What?: Women Write About Moments When Everything Changed

Combining storytelling and courageous honesty, The Spirit of a Woman: Stories to Empower and Inspire is an indispensable resource for every woman, providing inspiring stories of female creativity and compassion for those who want to lead lives full of meaning and purpose.Consisting of approximately two dozen nonfiction essaysby authors such as Lauren Artress, Christina Baldwin, Bobbi Gibb, Mama Donna Henes, Jyoti, Dr. Gladys McGarey, Suni Paz, Hagit Ra’anan, Janet Grace Riehl, and Sheri Ritchlinthe book is a celebration of courageous women living spiritual lives in the face of challenging circumstances. Each story is unique and demonstrates the art of storytelling at its best.The women who wrote the stories come from many nations, ages, and personal histories. They have encountered the difficulties that are part of a fully lived life, and instead of fleeing the unknown, they have honored the mystery and faced fear with faith. They see closed doors as openings to new choices and possibilities. They are spiritual optimists and activists, fighting for causes that resonate deep within their souls. Some have used the backgrounds of their cultures and traditions to lead richer, more meaningful lives. Some have moved from one faith to another or even to many other faiths. Others have left tradition behind to encounter spirituality in new and wonderful ways. And every single one of them sees life as a sacred trust.

The Spirit of a Woman: Stories to Empower and Inspire (2011 Silver Nautilus Award winner)

When Colleen was seventeen years old, she was in a car accident and lost her left leg.  Her physical disability didn't keep her down for long.  She spent her twenties exploring the limits of her body through various activities and adventure sports.  It was when she married and became pregnant in her mid-thirties that she truly became disabled.  
Her journey of walking through life on one leg not only impacted her emotional life, but it also informed her work life. She spent over fifteen years as a manager in the non-profit world, working to empower the underdogs to live a life of independence and meaning.  This gave her first-hand experience with program development, motivating employees to be their best, and thinking outside the box.
Colleen is a professional speaker, certified coach and published author.

Forgiveness

Resiliance

Mentoring

Acceptance

Disability

Mothering

Forgiving the Unforgivable TEDxBellingham talk

KIXI radio interivew about A Leg to Stand On, an Amputee's Walk Into Motherhood

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Colleen Haggerty is most happy when she is supporting others to live into their best versions of themselves. Colleen is an author, small group facilitator an...

Colleen Haggerty

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