Turn Despairalysis Into Grounded Gratitude, Creative Energy, & Inspired Local Action

Graphic with white and orange text on black background Systems are crumbling. Crises are colliding. We can linger in doom, or we can choose to BLOOM in ways that uplift, inspire, and unite us. Doom...or BLOOM. YOU get to choose.

Spring 2026 features:

Maya Frost, founder of Collapse Forward, wearing a white turtleneck sweater, standing in front of blooming spring tree.

I may be an accidental grief worker, but it is my calling. From a young age, I experienced grief that rearranged me. I felt the weight of personal and existential collapse as a constant presence.

It taught me what systems could not:

🔸grief offers gifts

🔸outrage is fuel

🔸creativity is sparked by curiosity and rewilded imagination   

I have served as a collapse companion for hundreds of individuals in 20+ countries for over six years now. 

I know that we have incredible capacity to turn even the most crushing circumstances into  wildly creative, intentional, and fulfilling ways forward....and surprisingly quickly.

   Collapse Companioning™ 

Like marigolds (companion plants that strengthen what grows beside them), it offers presence, protection, and partnership.

Inspired by the principles of regeneration, Collapse Companioning™ is a creative capacity-crafting practice that invites us to listen deeply, lighten heaviness, liberate flow, leverage energy, and localize healing.

Photo of a beautiful blooming orange marigold, with foliage, muted green background.
Graphci that reads: Why I created this

I have always questioned the traditional model of weekly or biweekly therapy or coaching sessions, and even more so as anxiety levels and despair continue to escalate. Is there a better way?

Back in 2003, I created a playful 30-day online mindfulness course focused on curiosity and wonder. It captured the imagination of thousands of people in over 100 countries, and was featured in 150 media outlets worldwide.

In 2025, exciting research by Dr. Jud Brewer at Brown University proved that anxiety is actually a HABIT, not a condition. In his study, people were able to reduce their anxiety levels by up to 70% in just 30 days.  

The key? Focusing on CURIOSITY...which is exactly what my proven process does through rewilding imagination.

If you're ready to update your idea of what is POSSIBLE, this is for YOU.

Graphic that reads: How it works

Together, we turn the truth of our reality into extraordinary expressions of human connection.

In the face of our predicament, we choose to:

DISRUPT DESPAIRALYSIS

Transform debilitating grief, fear, & anger. We name what’s actually happening — without denial or doom spirals — and embrace the steadiness of courageous awareness. 

CURIOSIFY DAILY LIFE

Rewild imagination.
We tap into longing, change our habits to reinvigorate our ideas and options , and explore new ways to live fully now with  presence, care, and joy. 

ENTANGLE INTENTIONALLY

Weaving a web of joyful kinship. We start with small but meaningful actions, inspired connecting, and crafted adaptations that help us stay wide awake together.

This is not therapy, coaching, or consulting.  It’s a co-creative process that helps you fall in love with what is POSSIBLE.

Daily prompts and provocations. Deep work on longing. Momentum that builds naturally.

And active steps forward as you create, develop, and launch a small but impactful project.

Move from endless processing of what we are facing to actively crafting what is emerging.

DOOM TO BLOOM™  - A 30-Day 1:1 Collapse Companioning™ Experience 

Square graphic with black triangle on upper left half, bright marigold image on lower right half, with the words Doom to BLOOM

My signature series offering *daily* support, encouragement, and co-creation for 30 days.

It naturally builds consistency and momentum from Day One, with compounding insights that lead to inspiration, revitalization, and the development of a meaningful project. 

graphic that reads: Client stories
Round photo of a Latina, middle-aged women with brown hair, smiling, wearing beige blazer, white blouse

¨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 embraced my grief, anger, and anxiety, and made me laugh again. She guided me through a creative re-imagining process that filled me with energy and ideas. I literally felt like I came alive! This led to being offered an amazing new role. I honestly believe that this experience with Maya saved my life.¨

Maria - former events producer, now director of a community-building organization

photo of a white 35 year old woman Erica with short curly brown hair, brown glasses, red shirt

"As a single mother, I was angry about what I was witnessing and worried about how to raise my son in this time of uncertainty.  

Maya helped me see new ways to think about the future for my son. Her process allowed me to recognize that I had agency, and to start taking serious steps toward what I longed for. We moved to a smaller community where we immediately felt a kinship with others.

I have a whole new focus that makes me feel engaged, connected, and supported." 

Erica - nurse practitioner, founder of a healthcare co-operative for single mothers

round portrait of a white 50 year old woman with shoulder-length white hair, blue sweater, green background

¨I cannot overstate what Maya and her work have done for me. My dad died suddenly, my marriage ended, and was reeling as I immersed in learning about collapse. With Maya's wise companionship, I completely redesigned my life in a very short time.

I sold my big-city apartment, gave my media company to my employees, and moved to an old cottage on a couple of acres in a small town. I have repaired my relationship with my son (we restored the cottage together), and have built strong bonds with so many in this place I truly care about. 

I spend my days working alongside others dedicated to regenerating the ecosystem of degraded land along the river. I have never felt such a sense of peace and belonging. Maya helped me envision and realize every step of this new life. 

Michael - former media consultant, now non-profit founder/executive director

Cropped circle photo of a lovely woman with brown skin, nice smile, her hair in a bun on her head, wearing a purple T-shirt in an art studio.

"Everything seemed pointless. I had so much grief and anger. I could not even bring myself to walk into the studio. 

Maya turned everything around. Her prompts and provocations brought that hum back into my brain. I started dreaming in color again. And in just a couple of weeks, I was back at the easel, obsessed even, with ideas and flow I have rarely experienced. The world feels heavy, but I feel deeply inspired and love teaching again!¨

Dee - painter and art instructor 

Photo of a white man in his 50s, graying hair, styled neatly, blue collar shirt.

¨Due to this administration, I was pushed out of a climate-related role that had defined me for decades. I was devastated and angry. After months of licking my wounds, I was ready to start something new.

Maya helped me see that I had interesting options. Thanks to her insightful prompts and words of encouragement, I have created an organization that feels deeply meaningful and focused on exactly what we need right now.¨

Richard - former sustainability lead, now director of a regeneration non-profit

Photo of a black woman, smiling, wearing sunglasses and a tank top, wavy dark hair parted on the side.

¨I was targeted and harrassed by an angry citizen. Even a restraining order did not keep my family safe. 

Maya helped me pour my fear, anger, and resentment into action. Her process was a perfect fit for my logical brain but also brought out my creative side. I loved the rewilding of my imagination! She offered useful tips and much-needed laughter as I moved with my children from the U.S. to France. I feel safe, calm, and happy here, with a community and work I adore. My children are thriving! I am so thankful for this new life.¨

Lisa - former county administrator, now owner of a natural foods store

Photo of a lovely smiling white woman, late 40s, with brown hair parted on the side and bangs. Wearing brown-framed glasses and a black color shirt with white and red polka dots.

"I was in a creative slump. For the first time in my life, the words didn't flow. I was losing my faith in our future. And I was pretty pissed about it.

Maya really dialed me into my longing. It sparked serious joy, oomph, and a brilliant re-imagining of my tired business. I absolutely love my work again!

AND she was my co-conspirator in updating my vision of what I loved about my childhood. Now, I have a crooked-but-workable greenhouse and actual dirt under my nails. I trade my veggies for video editing, and started singing with three neighbors who have become dear friends.

Maybe we can't change the direction of the world, but our cul-de-sac? HELL yes."

Susie - copywriting consultant for non-profit organizations, local coordinator

🌿WHAT WE NEED NOW:

🔶community (family, friends, neighbors and others we care about) 

🔶mutual aid (to share skills and support within our community)

🔶learning (to help us imagine new ways of doing things)

🔶art (as a way of expressing our creativity and sharing with others)

🔶humor (laughter is healing, and builds trust and solidarity) 

🔶joy (it keeps despair from thinking it's in charge)  

🔶LOVE (it fuels all of the above)

Photo of Maya Frost, in gray v-neck sweater on green grass against fall foliage. a blooming star magnolia in spring.
Graphic with the words: Let's walk together.

You don’t need to create a master plan.
Start with a first step.

If you feel the tug of this work, trust it.

(Around here, reconnecting to what feels right is one of our favorite hobbies.)

Photo, rear view of two women walking in the woods and talking. One has dark hair, wears an orange rain jacket, and is gesturing toward another woman, who has white wavy hair, wearing a rain green jacket.

Collapse cracks us open. But it also reveals hidden gifts.

Let´s find the ones that are waiting for you.

 

Here's one:

Sign up for my Collapse Companion newsletter!

It's designed for those who are looking for real stories and practical tips that can be applied in a range of settings, from organizations to neighborhood groups.