Longing to turn your despair about the world into creative energy and connection?
You´re in the right place.
I´m Maya.
Post-despair optimist.
Creative adaptation strategist.
Realist with a twist.
I help people use their creativity to disrupt despairalysis.
This unique approach has transformed the lives of clients in 18 countries, turning even can't-get-out-of-bed levels of despair into grounded gratitude, rewilded imagination, and enlivened connection.
¨I was literally talking to Maya from my bed.
I could not find the energy to get up and deal with the world.
Sharing what I was feeling and thinking allowed me to see things in a new light.
The nervous system tips soothed me, and my new habits became the scaffolding that allowed me to rise, literally and figuratively.
Maya encouraged me to find my others - and now I have a new collapse-aware buddy!
I can´t say that joy is my constant companion, but it visits me regularly now. :-)¨
Rory - communications director for a business in the U.S
Despairalysis refers to the combined impact of our nervous system´s freeze state (designed to preserve energy) and our emotional response to climate change, global unrest, and uncertainty.
You may be carrying:
🔷anger toward those who are causing so much harm
🔷guilt about your own lifestyle choices
🔷fear about the future
But instead of processing those emotions, you might feel numb and disconnected (the freeze), or choose to distract yourself to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
And that is totally understandable - and completely human.
You see, we humans were not designed to deal with this continuous flood of both daily triggers and distant threats.
Here´s the good news:
🔶 Your feelings of despair and loss are a clear sign of your love for living things. (We start here, building on your longing to protect yourself and all that you love.)
🔶 You can disrupt your despair and gently reconnect to your sense of stability using techniques that soothe your nervous system.
🔶 Within two weeks, you can re-direct your creative energy and develop new thought patterns and habits that enliven you and your relationships.
If you´re longing to move through the messiness of 2025 in a way that feels
manageable, meaningful, and motivating,
coming to terms with collapse is the first step.
Let´s be clear: collapse is already happening.
It´s not one big crash. It´s a slow and continuous crumbling of systems.
And it´s a necessary process to make way for something new.
Once we recognize this reality, and come to terms with our grief, we can focus on imagining and creating what´s next.
There are 3 reasons this approach is uniquely effective in dealing with our thoughts and emotions about collapse:
🔶 It emphasizes disruption rather than rumination to shift thought patterns and habits that keep you in despair.
🔶 It builds immediate momentum and consistency (daily action for two weeks rather than weekly sessions over months.)
🔶 It leverages longing and creativity to redirect and elevate your energy.
Clients also value this approach for its:
▪️clarity (limited jargon and clear steps)
▪️learning (trying and improving useful skills)
▪️humor (laughter as a healing mechanism)
Recognizing collapse can be crushing.
Once you see it, you can´t unsee it.
So, how do you deal with your emotions that come with this new awareness?
You have three options:
✖️ bury them by distracting yourself (unhealthy)
✖️ address them via traditional therapy (not designed for this continuous flow of looming doom)
✴️ gain actual skills you can use to manage your emotions and raise your energy levels and motivation
In one 90-minute Bloom Zoom session - followed by two weeks of daily support via text/voice/video message (your choice) - you can:
🔶transform the way you see and face the future
🔶create habits that balance information with inspiration
🔶use creativity to spark ideas, action, and connection
¨I lost the job I had loved for twenty years. I spent months at home, watching terrible news.
I hit rock bottom, fearing for the world and myself.
Maya worked her magic in loving ways. It felt like plotting with my best friend.
I learned calming techniques from her that I can´t imagine going a single day without now.
And she guided me through a creative process and action that led to an amazing new job!
I honestly believe that this experience with Maya saved my life.¨
Maria - events director for a community organization in the U.S.
TRUTH: Creativity is what we need most when confronted with complexity.
But it's the first thing that disappears when we're in despair.
We simply cannot respond in creative ways to the challenges we are facing unless we recognize and disrupt our despairalysis first.
I'm not a typical coach.
And I'm certainly not a therapist.
My background is in alternative education, creative breakthrough techniques, trauma-informed facilitation, nervous system regulation, and effective activism.
That means I can teach you how to:
🔷get through barriers to creative growth and adaptation
🔷navigate the emotions that arise
🔷turn your ideas into action that inspires you and others
This process of enlivening (which truly feels like coming alive again) can be applied whenever you´re feeling despair that shuts down your imagination and/or freezes your nervous system.
Learning this now is an investment in your well-being for the short term and the long haul.
Turn the ongoing OMG of this moment into intentional practices that relieve and reinvigorate you.
Healing isn´t linear. It´s circular.
We loop back as we remember what we´ve lost.
But this circle of memories and emotions can turn into a swirl that engulfs us.
Right now, we are being bombarded by info, images, and stories that are upsetting.
It can feel like a wild cyclone of sad and scary.
How do we avoid getting lost in the swirl of despair?
The Bloom Zoom experience disrupts that swirl.
The healing part? It is ongoing - and built into your new daily habits.
Change starts from Day One, with insights that are continuous and compounding.
Being heard and encouraged daily for two weeks releases your emotions as well as your flow of ideas, kindling clarity and inspiration.
And you´ll learn and practice simple ways to work with your nervous system rather than against it.
"I didn't expect to be hit so hard.
I questioned everything I was doing, how I was living, and certainly how I pictured the future.
Working with Maya gave me a way to frame my life going forward. It has served as a blueprint for making creative choices about everyday things and major moves, too.
I have made changes in my career and where I live. Already, life feels so much richer."
Michael - former media consultant in the U.S.
¨Maya helped me to face my fears.
My partner and I had different ideas about the future and how to plan for it. We started arguing about everything from grocery bills to career moves.
Using Maya´s storytelling prompts, we found common ground.
That opened up new options that appeal to both of us. This led to a deeper commitment to each other - with no couples therapy required!
The two of us are truly in sync now, and excited to face our future together.¨
Fatima - graphic design company owner in Canada
I am good at grappling with grief.
I have been wracked by grief,
walloped by grief,
and yes, I have wallowed in grief.
Over time, I learned how to walk back into the world more wide-eyed and full of wonder.
And I help others find their way there, too.
How did I learn so much about grief?
VOLUME....and a very early start.
Caring for loved ones, teaching students, guiding clients, or leading a team?
Finding your own footing first is essential if you hope to help others.
"As a high school science teacher, I feel it's my responsibility to help my students understand the future they're facing. But I couldn't find a way to address collapse without causing harm, especially to those who are already feeling anxious about climate change. It had to work within the limits of our school guidelines - and not upset parents.
Maya walked me through some options, and I chose a combination that is working well for my students. Now, I give them space every day to question, express how they feel, and build solidarity through safe action."
Rhonda - science educator at a private school in the U.S.
¨I work with those who are struggling with a range of personal crises.
Though I am a mental health professional, I find that the tools I normally use are not always effective in addressing our collective anxiety.
Maya gave me a structure that helps me with my clients and also guides my personal responses to daily stress.¨
Sara - crisis intervention counselor in the U.S.
"What's with the marigolds?"
When I was a child, my grandmother taught me about the power of marigolds as companion plants in the garden, keeping aphids, tomato worms, and squash bugs away.
She told me, "Marigolds are friends that protect other plants."
What I offer is companioning rather than coaching or counseling, so I use marigolds as a beautiful symbol of my work.
Like a lot of projects, this began when COVID hit.
I spent the pandemic stuck in a studio apartment in Buenos Aires during one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world.
And I knew there were people who were suffering terribly all over the world.
I wanted to help.