Helping collapse-aware people seed and nurture a better future.
Welcome!
I´m Maya.
Post-despair optimist.
Creative adaptation strategist.
Realist with a twist.
As the founder of Collapse Forward and the Doom to Bloom™ process, I help those who are collapse aware use their creativity to disrupt their despairalysis, dig deep into their longing, and delve into future-crafting with eyes, heart, and mind wide open.
This unique process 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 action.
¨I was literally talking to Maya from my bed, unable to get up to deal with the world. My new habits became the scaffolding that allowed me to rise.
I can´t say that joy is my constant companion, but it visits me regularly now. :-)¨
Rory - communications director for a climate non-profit in the U.S.
¨I lost the job I had loved for twenty years. I spent months at home, watching terrible news. I hit rock bottom, fearing for myself and the world.
Maya guided me through a creative process that led to getting an amazing new role! I honestly believe that this experience with Maya saved my life.¨
Maria - director of a community organization 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, authoritarianism, global unrest, and uncertainty.
You may be carrying:
🔷anger toward those who are causing so much harm
🔷guilt about your own choices
🔷grief for all that may be lost
🔷fear about the future
But instead of processing these emotions, you might feel numb and disconnected (the freeze), or choose to distract yourself to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
That´s understandable.
After all, we humans were not designed to deal with this continuous flood of both daily triggers and distant threats.
🔷 Your grief is a clear sign of your love for living things. (We build on this foundation.)
🔷 You can gently strengthen your sense of stability during chaos.
🔷 You can experience both a deepening and a breakthrough that fills you with curiosity and (yes) joy.
If you´re longing to move through the messiness of 2025 in a way that feels
manageable, meaningful, and mood-lifting,
coming to terms with collapse is the first step.
Let´s be clear: collapse is already happening.
It´s a slow and continuous crumbling of systems.
Once we truly recognize this reality, we can begin exploring ways to protect each other and regenerate our living systems.
The Doom to Bloom™ process disrupts the swirl of anger, guilt, grief, and fear.
Decode. Deescalate. Defy.
Together, we untangle the triggers and responses that may be preventing you from opening to what is emerging without getting lost in despair.
Change starts from Day One, with insights that are continuous and compounding.
Being heard and encouraged daily for two weeks kindles clarity and inspiration.
And you´ll have ongoing support for three months, helping you establish a deep well of resilience as you create your own heart-centered, healing, and hands-on approach to living with uncertainty.
¨I questioned everything I was doing, how I was living, and certainly how I pictured the future.
Maya´s process helped me make creative choices about my daily routine and major moves, too. Already, life feels so much richer."
Michael - former media consultant in the U.S
¨I have been in therapy off and on over the years to deal with different life events. But working with Maya opened up something in me that therapy did not. Instead of focusing on my past, I am actively working toward a future that fills me with new energy and hope.¨
Kate - editor and publisher 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.
I'm not a typical coach.
And I'm certainly not a therapist.
My background is in alternative education, creative breakthrough coaching, trauma-informed facilitation, and deep activism.
That means I can teach you how to:
🔷navigate the emotions and physical responses that arise
🔷get through barriers to reflection and adaptation
🔷tap into your creativity to inspire meaningful action
This process of enlivening can be applied whenever you´re experiencing resistance that limits your ability to live in balance.
Turn the ongoing OMG of this moment into practices that relieve and revitalize you.
¨I was carrying so much guilt about my business. Maya showed me how to facilitate a thoughtful conversation about the metacrisis with our team. It was upsetting for some, but we all experienced a wave of relief. It was out in the open.
As crazy as our Big Winddown may sound to others, it feels like the only sane way forward. I am grateful for Maya´s help with this conscious ending."
Teresa - owner of a gift business in the U.S.
¨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. Maya helped us find common ground, leading to a deeper commitment to each other - with no couples therapy required! The two of us are truly in sync now, and facing 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.
"Thanks to Maya´s guidance, all students are now engaged in multimedia ways to express their feelings about their changing world. It has brought a deep level of honesty and open discussion to our school community."
Rhonda - science educator at a private school in the U.S.
¨I work with those struggling with a range of acute personal crises. The tools I normally use are not very effective in addressing our collective chronic anxiety. Maya gave me a structure that helps my clients and also guides my personal responses.¨
Sara - crisis intervention psychologist 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 this work.
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.