Healing Yesterday’s Tears, the debut poetry collection by emotional well-being and mental health advocate Kyli Santiago, won Silver Medal in the ‘Poetry – Inspirational’ category in the 2022 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards Contest, one of the largest and most popular book competitions in the world. This high honour promises increased recognition and support for Santiago’s mission to raise awareness about poetry’s positive effects on depression and mental health issues.
Photo – Kyli Santiago Inc ©
Santiago knows firsthand the healing power of poetry because she has experienced it in her own life. Suffering from depression from childhood into her adult years, she began writing poetry as a form of healing and release. After spending years applying this therapeutic exercise, she claimed victory over the debilitating condition and is now fully healed, able to live a healthy, productive life.
Now, on a mission to raise awareness about the healing benefits of poetry, Santiago has chosen to use her story of survival and triumph to inspire others by independently publishing her award-winning book of poems.
When asked about her mission, Santiago states, “Poetry is medicine for the broken spirit – possessing the power to cure minds, hearts, and souls. The benefits reading, writing, and reciting poetry offers those who’ve endured hardship, painful experiences, emotional trauma, and mental health issues are immeasurable. The positive effects are real. And the world needs to know.”
Confronting heavy topics such as depression, anxiety, suicide, low self-worth, and more, Healing Yesterday’s Tears is carefully designed to take readers on a cathartic journey of mental healing and emotional release. The poet hopes it can be used as a tool to help those facing similar challenges heal from mental illness and empower themselves through discovering self-love.
