Joanna Hardis

Meet Joanna Hardis at Grigio Wine & Cocktail Bar for a talk and book signing of “Just Do Nothing”, her insightful guide on overcoming self-sabotage and embracing personal growth. Grigio Wine & Cocktail Bar: 211 S Market St, Wooster, OH 44691

Joanna Hardis, LISW-S, is a cognitive behavioral therapist based in Cleveland, Ohio. Through her private practice as well as virtual workshops on distress tolerance, she shows people how to respond to being uncomfortable by giving them the knowledge and tools they need to move forward. Her first book, Just Do Nothing: A Paradoxical Guide to Getting Out of Your Way, gives readers a game plan on how to stop being your worst enemy. Hardis calls it the intersection of her personal experience and her professional expertise.

Inspiration for the book came from a very personal place for Hardis, a relationship that did not end well. The overwhelming hurt, anger, and anxiety, all the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that come with expectation and rejection surrounded her. “As an anxiety and OCD therapist, I am an expert at helping people walk through discomfort. My own experience created a fire in me and fueled the writing process,” Hardis said.

Creating the structure for her first book was easy for Hardis but finding the balance between relatability and the science behind the information was challenging. Her experience with so many self-help books was, useful information but boring and too technical leaving the reader to ask what to do next. “I wanted to write a book that was fun to read and gave step-by-step guidance for exactly what to do when your thoughts are racing, your stomach is swirling, heart pounding, hands sweating and you want to quit,” Hardis said.

Hardis received her B.S. at Cornell University and her M.S.S.A. at Case Western Reserve University. She earned her certification from the Cleveland Center for Cognitive Therapy in 2000, SPACE (Supportive Counseling for Anxious Childhood Emotions) Certification in 2016, and she’s one of a handful of clinicians with the highest training in Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD in Northeast Ohio. She has been quoted in The Today Show, Self, and Well and Good magazines. She regularly blogs on multiple subjects from anxiety to parenting.

In her humorous, insightful guide, you will discover data-driven, science-backed tools to help you learn to let feelings be instead of letting them go. “As counterintuitive as it may sound, when you learn how to just do nothing with the chaotic thoughts and feelings swimming in your head, your life will change for the better,” Hardis said.

The Buckeye Book Fair is Hardis’ first ever book fair, which makes sense! Just Do Nothing: A Paradoxical Guide to Getting Out of Your Way is her first book. “I have no idea what to expect since this is my first book fair, so everything excites me and makes me nervous,” Hardis said with a smile.