"Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides,

just like hopes springing high, still I’ll rise."

– Maya Angelou

Dear Ella,

June is here, and with it comes light, warmth, and an invitation to rise. For survivors, rising is not always loud or visible. Sometimes it begins in silence—in a quiet no more, a whispered I deserve better, a single decision to live rather than simply endure. This month, as we honor the theme of Breaking Chains, we recognize the courage it takes to untangle ourselves not only from abuse and violence, but also from the invisible chains: shame, generational trauma, and the belief that we are too damaged to begin again.

When a woman rises, she doesn’t rise alone. She rises for all women.

She becomes the cycle-breaker in her lineage—the one who chooses healing over harm, truth over silence, freedom over fear. And that choice ripples outward in ways we may never fully see. This is the sacred work of transformation.

Still, we rise. Because we were never meant to stay small. We rise for the women who came before us and the daughters who will come after. Every boundary we draw, every truth we speak, every act of healing—these are revolutions. This is what it means to rise in a world that tried to keep us on our knees. Together, we are not just surviving—we are rising together in community.

This June, we are also honoring the Rebel Thriver Education Fund, which helps women in our community access programs and resources that support their healing journey after abuse. Education is the one thing that cannot be taken from us. It’s not just knowledge—it's power. It is the foundation for recovery, renewal, and long-term freedom.

We invite you to give the Gift of Hope by supporting the Education Fund. Your generosity directly empowers women to reclaim their lives and rewrite not only their own futures—but their children’s as well.

Thank you for your generosity in advance.

It truly takes a Village, and I am so grateful that you are a part of ours.

With much love,

Ella

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 join us from all over the globe. We gather together to learn, heal, find support, and build a vibrant, empowering community for all.

A Tiny Little Spark

By Amanda Young

I have a light

I’m finding it

Where it is

What it means

How to nourish it.

It’s there, always been there

Been dimmed by trauma and fear

But I feel it.

Feel the warmth

See it

Igniting

Coming forth

This tiny flicker

A Little glow

Eager to burn

Building an ember

Ever so slow

But that’s okay

I’ll build it

Stick by stick

Feed it

Protect it

Nourish it

Once, the light had nearly gone out

I have a new appreciation for what I almost lost

A new perspective

A different way to see

This light I lost inside of me

Now, to see it

Feel it

Watch it extend

To touch me and others

I’ll never pretend again.

I’ll marvel in its beauty

Soak in its warmth

Drink in its breath

Do all I can to pull it forth

I’ll share mine with you

If yours ever gets lost

Until you find your own strength

Authentic to yourself

By joining my flame with yours

A tiny little spark

Becomes the strength to guide us through the dark



Wildflowers are Blooming in July

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. This is what healing can offer us.

Sisters, 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.

Through weekly women's circles, 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, I would love to have you join me this July.

Breaking Chains: Rising from the Shadows of Trauma

by Jacqui Fox



In every corner of the world, trauma leaves its mark — silent, invisible, and heavy. It seeps into lives through abuse, loss, violence, or betrayal, altering the very fabric of identity. But trauma does not have to be a life sentence. The human spirit, though battered, is capable of rising — again and again. Breaking the chains of trauma is not about forgetting the past; it is about reclaiming power, voice, and the right to heal.

Survivors of trauma often carry invisible shackles — shame, fear, guilt, and self-doubt. These chains are forged not only by the original wound but also by a society that often silences pain rather than witnessing it. Yet, within each survivor lies a quiet, determined voice whispering: “You are more than what happened to you.”

Breaking free begins with acknowledging the pain. It is a raw and courageous act to confront one’s trauma. Healing is not linear — it is a path of relapses and revelations, of silence and screams. But each step forward is a rebellion against what once tried to destroy you. Each act of self-care, therapy, or honesty with oneself is a blow to the chain.

To rise after trauma is to say: “I will not be defined by my scars, but by how I carry them.” It is about rewriting the narrative. From victim to survivor. From silence to voice. From brokenness to becoming whole again — even if “whole” looks different than before.

Communities must learn to hold space for this rising. We must replace judgment with empathy, ignorance with education, and fear with understanding. When we do, we don’t just help individuals heal —

we create a culture that resists cycles of harm.

Trauma may leave its mark, but it does not have to be the end of the story. Breaking the chains is possible. Rising is possible. And when we rise, we do not rise alone — we rise as proof that even the darkest night cannot drown the light forever.

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.

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.



My Story by Kyra Strasberg

Feminine Fortitude Will Always Find A Way

The moment I walked out, I knew it was over. I had hoped for so long that things would change. You see, I loved him—and he said he loved me.

He said he only wanted me to be the best version of myself.

He said he wanted the best for my children.

He said he wanted the best for our marriage.

But when I walked out that Thursday night, I broke the chain. What I didn’t yet understand was post-separation abuse. For me, it looked like him doing everything under the sun to either imprison me again—or at the very least, ensure I’d carry scars from the chain that once held me down.

He didn’t want me to see myself.

He didn’t want me to remember my strong, beautiful, womanly spirit.

He had erased any glimmer of my past...

But once before, I had risen. I had worked my way up through the ranks of a major ballet company to become a leading dancer. He told me that was a disgraceful career. That no one “from these parts” understood a life like that. That it was frivolous. Shameful. I should be embarrassed for not going to college. And yet—he said—despite my “shameful” past, he loved me anyway.

He promised that if I became a good wife, he’d lead me back to God.

He said, "God doesn’t like a quarrelsome woman." And asking questions? That was being quarrelsome.

My story is no different from so many others. Whether you’re the president of the PTA or a CEO, the thread is often the same. Over time, an abuser strips you of yourself. It takes an incredibly strong woman to find the courage to rise and shatter the bonds that have shackled her to a life not her own.

Abusers believe that eventually, we’ll lose ourselves—that we’ll forget the goodness inside us. But we don’t. In fact, the opposite happens. One day, we realize that everything they disliked about us was actually everything good.

Love. Devotion. Light. Kindness. Compassion. We are everything they cannot be. And when we remember the value of our light, the embers of that inner flame begin to burn again.

It takes great courage to walk out into the unknown, but we do it.

We walk out into the world knowing only that we must. It’s terrifying—I won’t lie, but it’s not as terrifying as surrendering our souls. That first step into fresh air is all the fuel we need. It rekindles the passion we once had for life. And with that spark, we begin the courageous work of rebuilding.

Every step away is another marathon completed.

Another medal earned.

The most important thing is to love ourselves. The big reveal? That we must finally learn to put ourselves first. The most (s)heroic thing we can do is become our own best friend. To take care of ourselves the way we’ve always cared for others. And when we do that— we rise. We blossom into everything we were meant to be: Strong. Powerful. Beautiful feminine warriors.

If you’re struggling right now, please remember that you are not alone. Even in your quietest moments, you are part of something greater—a community of women rising, healing, and creating something new from the ashes.

We are bound by more than shared experience—we are connected by resilience, by purpose, and by the knowing that creation and rising are written in our blood. It’s who we are. It’s what we do. And together, we will keep rising.

See you in July!

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 help, which by the way, is 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