Through injustice and pain, I found purpose in telling the untold

Thank you for visiting my website. I am an author inspired to share my life story—my journey from El Salvador to Australia. As a migrant, refugee, father, grandfather, counsellor, and now writer, I write through the lens of lived experience.

My work reflects the trauma I endured during the 1980s and 90s under El Salvador’s military regime—persecution, torture, and unjust imprisonment for my humanitarian efforts with displaced families. Despite the suffering, I remain a humanist committed to nonviolence, justice, and truth.

Through my books, I aim to shed light on forgotten histories and inspire understanding and compassion for migrants and refugees.

The Manila International Book Fair 2025

Mario Gonzalez

The day after I walked my youngest daughter down the aisle for marriage, a deep feeling manifested inside me, that feeling was to write. I felt compelled to start writing about my journey and the lived experiences I had when I lived in El Salvador, prior I migrating to Australia in 1991. It was this feeling and drive that helped me write my very first book. Also, I wanted to tell the histories of my family for readers to know about what happened to my grandmother, my four cousins, and my niece, and their histories will not be forgotten, and their lives will live in the memoir for generations to come. And the illegal imprisonment of the mother of my children and me suffered by the Salvadoran Government in the 90s.

Inspirational Quote

“Accepting what happened doesn’t mean you don’t experience pain; it means you’re embracing your path to healing.” – Kyle Sanders

Qualifications, Credentials & Clinical Expertise

La Trobe University

Bachelor of Social Work, -2002. Diploma in Business Management, 2009.

AASW Accredited Social Worker

Co-Founder, Author & Writer

Healing through Story Telling.

I have over 22 years of work experience in counselling and as a personal coach in working with and supporting individuals, couple, and families to better cope and manage with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, and separation issues.

I use evidence-based approaches—Narrative Therapy* as technique through storytelling to support your healing journey and the following steps:

What is Narrative Therapy?

Narrative therapy is a form of psychotherapy that centers on the idea that people interpret their lives through stories. These stories shape identity, meaning, and emotional responses. For trauma survivors, these narratives can become dominated by pain, fear, or helplessness. Narrative therapy helps individuals re-author their stories in ways that highlight resilience, agency, and healing.

Organizing Fragmented Memories

Trauma often disrupts memory processing, leaving survivors with disjointed or overwhelming recollections. Storytelling helps organize these fragments into a coherent narrative, making the experience more manageable and less emotionally charged.

Exposure and Desensitization

Techniques like the trauma narrative—a structured retelling of traumatic events—allow survivors to gradually confront painful memories in a safe environment. This repeated exposure can reduce the emotional intensity of those memories over time.

Reclaiming Agency

By telling their stories, survivors move from being passive victims to active narrators. This shift fosters empowerment and helps them redefine their identity beyond the trauma.

Creating Meaning and Connection

Storytelling allows survivors to make sense of their experiences and connect with others. It can be especially powerful in group settings, where shared narratives foster empathy and solidarity.

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)

A specific form of narrative therapy, NET was developed for individuals with complex trauma, such as refugees or survivors of prolonged abuse. It involves constructing a chronological life narrative that integrates traumatic events, helping to contextualize and process them. In addition, I provide support on the following mental health areas of

Wellness Coaching

Guides individuals to achieve personal health and wellness goals through motivation and lifestyle planning.

Mental Health Counseling

Provides professional support to help individuals manage emotional psychological or behavioral issues.

Family Therapy

Focuses on improving communication and resolving conflicts within family relationships.

Psychotherapy

A talk-based treatment that helps individuals understand and manage mental health conditions and emotional challenges.

Cinematic Book Trailer

About the Book

Openness and Visibility A Memoir: An History of Hope, Healing and Embracing A New Life

A migrant man lives in the Australian Capital Territory of Australia in ACT, mix city of bush and city where he lives with his family and work in mental health to helping those in need. He has moment of his past child, teenager and adult traumas, while he’s at work, on his hobbies and during his holidays camping with his family. These memories include his childhood and youth and when he became an adult. He is forced to critical thinking about his society and the justice system of his country, El Salvador, due to impunity when his grandmother is killed. He finds meaning and purpose a powerful force to helped him raise out of darkness and into healing and hope.

Transito, grandmother who was caring, loving and generous all her life, who is taken out of the migrant man’s life, by the military, when she was on her way to visit on her daughter, and she was left to die on the road for no reason other than tried to cross to road and was hit and run. She leaves without saying goodbye to her family and buried in a mass graved.

4 cousins, a group of young men who were part of the migrant man’s generation. They were in their 20 and mid 30s and have so much to live for including one of them who paid a big price with his life, because he celebrated the news of his girlfriend being pregnant of his very first child, and consequently, forgot a curfew and he’s life was taken by the military. All of them will forever live in the memories of the migrant man and in this memoir, their histories will be passed to generations to come.

The Spotlight Network on Openness and Visibility A Memoir by Mayan Goodwill

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You can also purchase the books from these other online bookstore outlets.

Reach Out Today!

After hours and weekend Online Counselling and Coaching appointments are available by submitting your query below.