"It is in the stillness of winter that spring begins to awaken."

– Unknown

Dear Ella,

As the days grow longer and the winter months fade behind us, there’s a quiet shift in the air—a calling to step forward, to open the door, to let fresh light and breath move through spaces that have been closed for too long.

Emerging from the shadows is both a season and a state of being. Healing is not a sudden arrival but a slow unfurling, a courageous step toward the light after being hidden away. It is in these moments—when we begin to trust in warmth again, when we dare to take up space—that transformation truly begins.

This month, we embrace renewal, resilience, and reconnection. And what better way to honor this than by coming together? I am so excited to introduce our new weekly Village Women’s Circle, a space where we gather, listen, and heal in community. Because healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens when we feel seen, heard, and held.

Stepping into the light also means stepping into new possibilities. That’s why this month, our campaign focus is on the Education Fund—because knowledge is its own form of liberation. Education opens doors to opportunities many of us were told were never meant for us. When we invest in learning, we invest in freedom, empowerment, and a future where no woman is forced to stay in the shadows.

As we move into the changing season, may we all remember: We are not meant to stay in the dark. We are meant to emerge, to reclaim ourselves, and to rise.

Much Love, 

Ella Hicks, founder of Rebel Thriver, is a trauma and mindfulness coach who empowers women worldwide on their healing journeys. As a domestic violence survivor, she brings deep understanding to the complexities of recovery, guiding women to overcome abuse and embrace brighter futures.

* If you would like to work with Ella individually or in a small group, reach out to her here: ella@ellahicks.com

Join us in the Village!

Our private online community is a dream come true for many women—a safe place to heal, and it's free for all. As survivors, finding a truly safe space where everyone speaks the same language of healing and support is rare.

The Village is an oasis in the often inauthentic world of social media. Women from all over the globe come together in The Village to learn, heal, find support, and build a vibrant, empowering community.

Growth: Emerging from the Shadows

By Jacqui Fox

Growth is often romanticized as a journey of progress, success, and transformation. What is less discussed is how growth frequently begins in the shadows—hidden, nurtured in struggle, and forged through adversity. Whether personal, communal, or societal, true growth is often quiet and unseen before it steps into the light.

The Silent Foundations of Growth

Every seed begins its journey beneath the soil before breaking through the surface. In the same way, our personal growth often takes root in solitude and hardship. Challenges, failures, and self-doubt may feel like setbacks, but they are also the conditions that push us to dig deeper, to rise.

Think of the people you admire for their strength. More often than not, they are the ones who have endured hardship and emerged from it transformed. The true challenge is recognizing that moments of struggle are not signs of failure but of potential.

The Fear of Leaving the Shadows

Emerging from darkness is not always easy. Growth demands change, and change is uncomfortable. The unknown can feel paralyzing—Will I succeed? Will I fail? Will I be accepted or rejected? These fears keep many stagnant, afraid to embrace transformation. Yet history reminds us that progress is born from those who push forward despite uncertainty.

Stepping Into the Light

Growth does not mean abandoning the shadows completely—it means carrying their lessons with us. The struggles that once held us back become the wisdom that propels us forward.

As individuals, this means recognizing our own resilience and giving ourselves credit for how far we’ve come. As a community, it means fostering spaces—like Rebel Thriver—where growth is celebrated, where personal transformation is not just encouraged but applauded.

Growth is not just about moving forward; it is about transformation. It is about recognizing that the shadows we once feared were not our enemies, but the very foundation of our strength. The challenge is not just to grow, but to emerge, to step boldly into the light, and to help others do the same.

→ Read the full article: "This Is Post-Traumatic Growth" on our blog.

Wildflowers are Blooming in April

When women come together, rooted in love and guided by the wisdom of our ancestors, we become a force that cannot be silenced or subdued. This is the power of the divine feminine, the ancient spirit that flows through us, connecting us to the earth, to each other, and to all of the generations of women who walked this path before us.

I invite you to join me on a profound journey of rediscovery and reclamation—Wildflowers.

In a world that so often tries to tame us, to shrink us, to make us forget the strength we carry in our bones, Wildflowers is a homecoming—a return to what was silenced, buried, or forgotten. It is a gentle rebellion, a space where we gather as women to heal, to remember, and to rise together.

For four sacred weeks, we will walk side by side in a private circle of sisterhood, reclaiming the wisdom that has always been ours:

🌿 Tapping into the ancient knowledge of our foremothers

🌿 Identifying generational patterns of trauma and breaking cycles

🌿 Reconnecting with our inner child and the truths we once knew

🌿 Reclaiming the wild, untamed parts of ourselves— the parts we were told to hide

Through writing, meditation, crafting with flowers, and deep conversation, we will shed the weight of expectation and step fully into who we were always meant to be.

Healing does not happen in isolation. We need each other. We need spaces where we are truly seen, heard, and held. Wildflowers is that space.

"We are the daughters of the women who refused to be broken, the granddaughters of those who kept the flames of hope alive. And now, it is our turn to carry the torch—to be the light for those who come after us."

If you feel the call, join me this April. The divine feminine is awakening—will you answer?

Emerging: A Survivor’s Reflection

by Kyra Strasberg



The imagery of the butterfly has long symbolized transformation. For me, as a survivor fighting my own war for freedom, it is especially fitting. A butterfly must struggle to break free from its cocoon. Its strength comes from within, fueled by the instinct to live, to fly. As it pushes against the silky threads, it secretes a fluid—the elixir of life itself—giving it the power to continue.

Survivors know this struggle. When we leave abuse, we find ourselves in a new world that feels unbelievably frightening. Post-separation abuse, the weight of unworthiness, and the shame that isolates us can feel unbearable. I cocooned myself in fear. I hid, convinced that the world could see straight through me.

But over time, the cocoon that once protected me began to feel suffocating. I felt stuck, bound to my own isolation. I grew tired of myself, tired of feeling weak. I sat with the discomfort until I was ready to fight my way back to life.

The image I hold close is of a fragile butterfly, its damp wings struggling against the stickiness of the past. Every pull away from old wounds strengthens the muscles needed to survive. The battle isn’t just external—it’s internal, too. The muscle of connection—learning to trust again. The muscle of strength—finding the will to move forward. The battle for boundaries—putting ourselves first. The sacred muscle of love—how do we open our hearts again? And finally, self-esteem—learning to step back into the world fearless and free.

For me, yoga was my lifeline—not just the poses, but the deep connection of mind to body, breath to movement. It brought me back to life. Sitting in stillness, feeling my breath, learning to move again. This was my awakening. This was my reclaiming.

Now, as I shed my cocoon, I feel my wings. My own wings. I can spread them and soar. I can rest. I can flutter. I can soak up the sun. It’s my choice. My future. My life.

Please, friends, do what you need to do for you. Do what you need so you can fly freely, untethered, authentic, unapologetically you. Emerging. There’s no better feeling.

The Thriver’s Education Fund:

A Game Changer for Survivors

"Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart’s knowledge."

– Kahlil Gibran

Education is more than learning—it is the key to reclaiming power, understanding, and healing. For survivors of domestic violence and complex trauma, knowledge isn’t just empowerment; it is liberation.

Yet for many, financial barriers make access to life-changing education feel out of reach. That’s why we created the Rebel Thriver Education Fund—to ensure that every woman in our Village has the opportunity to learn, heal, and break the cycles that have shaped her life.

We do not focus on career-building. We focus on self-reclamation. Through education, women gain the tools to:

✏️ Understand generational trauma—how patterns of pain are passed down and how they can end with us

✏️ Heal the inner child—nurturing the parts of themselves that were wounded and silenced

✏️ Recognize the impact of abuse and complex trauma—so they never return to it again

✏️ Rebuild self-worth and personal foundations—learning who they truly are beneath the pain after abuse

✏️ Unlearn harmful conditioning—stepping into their power and rewriting their own stories

This is the education that changes lives.

Thanks to your generosity, women in our Village have already accessed transformational programs that have helped them understand their past, heal, and move forward with clarity and strength. But we must continue raising funds to keep this initiative alive—because every woman deserves the chance to reclaim herself.

When you donate, you’re not just giving money—you’re investing in a woman’s future. You’re helping her heal, unlearn, and rebuild herself from the inside out. And in doing so, you’re changing the future for her children as well.

If you believe in the power of education to transform lives, please consider giving. Every dollar matters. Every contribution opens a door.

Thank you for standing with us, for believing in these women, and for helping to build a future where survivors don’t just make it—they thrive.

They call it a midlife crisis, but that’s not what it is.

It’s a reckoning.

A shedding.

A returning to yourself.

The first half of life? That was survival. That was becoming who you needed to be to stay safe, to be accepted, to belong. You shaped yourself to fit expectations, to carry the weight, to endure. You learned how to move through the world in a way that kept you afloat, even if it meant losing pieces of yourself along the way.

But then something shifts. The masks feel heavier. The roles feel hollow. The life you built no longer feels like it belongs to you.

That’s not a crisis. That’s your soul waking up.

The second half of life is about unbecoming—unraveling everything that no longer aligns with your truth. Peeling away the conditioning, the obligations, the limiting beliefs that were never truly yours. It’s about remembering who you were before the world told you who to be.

This is not an ending. This is not falling apart.

This is rebirth. "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." – Anaïs Nin

May this be the season you choose to bloom.

Till April! Ella ☘️

Please remember that Rebel Thriver is a nonprofit organization. We need your help to continue the life saving work that we do 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We simply cannot offer the support that we do without your donations, which by the way, are tax deductible. Please consider becoming a lifeline to the women of our community, and thank you in advance for your support.

"We're all just walking each other home." - Ram Dass