AceShowbiz - Britney Spears has thanked her dad Jamie for helping put her troubled past behind her - insisting she's now "a strong woman." The "Toxic" hitmaker hit headlines when she suffered a breakdown at the start of 2008 following her split from Kevin Federline, which led to her dad being granted conservatorship over her affairs.

But Spears has made a successful comeback on her world tour in 2009, and next month, January 2010 a court hearing will re-evaluate whether she can regain control of her estate. The singer is adamant she's a lot happier now and has credited her father with helping her through the rough times.

She says, "My dad has helped a lot. I'm learning to take better care of myself and not get stressed or down about things for nothing. I'm taking my time these days and not letting myself get under any pressure other than to just feel happy about myself and to work on my music."

"I want to show people I am a strong woman. I have a lot of great things ahead of me that I want to accomplish. I feel positive and much happier, things are looking good again."

"I'm learning to relax and not place so much pressure on myself. I've been through a lot and I'm really excited by my album. I'm very proud of it. I really enjoyed the process of putting the album together and it's been kind of therapeutic for me. Music is such a huge part of me."