Genevieve Behrend (1881–1960) was a French-born author and teacher of Mental Science, a New Thought discipline created by Thomas Troward (1847–1916). She is best known for being the only personal student of Judge Thomas Troward.
Born in France, Behrend was an independent thinker from a young age. After experiencing a personal loss, she was attracted to the philosophy of New Thought and Mental Science. Upon reading “The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science” by Troward, she became so profoundly moved and inspired by his ideas that she decided to study under him. It wasn’t easy for her to convince Troward to take her as a student, as he was pretty reclusive and did not accept students. But her persistence paid off, and she became his only personal student from 1912 to 1914.
Behrend utilized the teachings of Troward to achieve personal success. She spread Troward’s principles through her teaching and books, the most famous of which is “Your Invisible Power,” published in 1921. This book has been widely read and is considered a classic in its field. It deals with harnessing the power of visualization to create the reality one desires.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Behrend lectured extensively in New York and Los Angeles on the law of attraction, the mental science of getting rich, mental control, mental causation, and related topics.
She continued to work as a New Thought author and teacher until she died in 1960. Despite her relatively small body of work, she left a significant impact on the field of New Thought and is recognized as a key figure in the field.