The Purple Phoenix Collective

My journey into this work began through my own healing. Several years ago, I experienced a series of deeply traumatic events, including losing my home in a fire and the devastating loss of my sister to an overdose. During that time, creativity became a lifeline. One morning after a long night of grief, I sat down to paint with a close friend who is an abstract artist. In the painting, we saw the image of a girl surrounded by purple waves. My friend looked at it and said, “You’re Wavy Purple.” That moment became a powerful symbol of transformation and resilience for me, and it eventually inspired the creation of the Purple Phoenix Collective.The Purple Phoenix Collective is a creative community I founded to explore healing through symbolism, storytelling, creativity, ritual, and connection with nature. Through workshops and support circles, I help people explore their inner worlds using metaphor, art, writing, visualization, and somatic practices. I believe creativity opens doors to parts of ourselves that ordinary language sometimes cannot reach.Teaching is something I deeply love because it allows me to witness people reconnect with their own strength, imagination, and wisdom. When people feel safe and supported, creativity becomes a powerful tool for healing and self-discovery. I strive to create spaces where participants feel free to explore their stories, experiment with creative expression, and discover new ways of understanding themselves.Professionally, I have over six years of teaching experience working with students from around the world. I studied at the University of Michigan and have taught more than two thousand lessons, both online and in person. My teaching style is warm, creative, and deeply human-centered. I draw from mindfulness practices, storytelling traditions, somatic awareness, and symbolic thinking to help people explore meaningful personal growth.Something that many people find unique about my workshops is the use of metaphor and archetypal symbolism. For example, in one workshop participants created poems about their “personal tree” and the forest of wisdom within themselves. In another, we explored inner child healing by imagining a playground for the younger self and designing symbolic protectors or superheroes for that child. These creative exercises often lead to powerful insights and emotional breakthroughs.I am currently pursuing certification in trauma-informed coaching so that I can continue to deepen my ability to guide people safely and ethically through healing processes. My work is also influenced by my interests in psychology, spirituality, philosophy, art, and nature.At the heart of everything I teach is a simple belief: healing and transformation are possible when creativity, compassion, and community come together. I love helping people rediscover their inner phoenix—the part of them that can rise, transform, and create something beautiful from even the most difficult experiences.