Meet Maia Kiley

 

We recently connected with Maia Kiley and have shared our conversation below.

Maia, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

In my mid 20s I very much wanted to discover my purpose. It was a process. I prayed on it for a couple years. In my daily meditation, I would ask: What is my purpose? And I would wait and listen. I courted the question over those years without forcing an answer.

I wanted my purpose to be direct environmental activism. I worked on 2 small organic farms. I applied for ecological and environmental jobs at non-profits. I was upset because even though I’d get interviews, I never got the jobs. It felt like I was forcing that path.

And then it started to become clear. I was attracted to the word “counseling.” I noticed that I was most animated and engaged when I talked to people about their healing journeys and personal transformation. I was in my own process of healing and overcoming intense shame, depression, and anxiety at the time. I was claiming and creating myself through my inner work. I recognized that while I wanted my purpose to be direct environmental action, the gift that I had that others were responding to was my clarity around healing. My intuition and articulation around the process. I slowly came to accept that being a healer was part of my purpose.

But I kept asking and praying to Nature to understand my purpose more. I spent a bit of time at Quail Springs Oasis in the Cuyama Desert studying permaculture and natural building. I really loved the off grid community that lived there and were dedicated to regenerating the desert and living close to the Earth. The people were salt of the Earth. In the evening before dinner we would gather in a circle and share what was on our hearts. The little ones would participate in this as well as the elders. This was home. It seemed that if I had really wanted it and pushed for it I probably could have joined this community and built an earthen home and lived there happily. And a large part of me wanted to do that. I checked in with myself deeply about it because it felt like a cross roads. Do I settle into living happily outside of society with my people. Or … ? It felt like an easy way out. And I generally don’t take the easy way. Because that’s not the path of growth and I am a person who is dedicated to growth and expansion.

Over my final days at Quail Springs I received a clear message from Nature: You are a bridge person. You are meant to be in the liminal space between. Your purpose is to bring these old, earth based ways into modern society. To communicate between the two.

And I have never doubted my purpose since. I know it in my core. It’s not necessarily what I wanted to hear. Because my mind and ego had other ideas about what I should do and what would be comfortable. But it’s absolutely what is true. And since then I’ve been doing a lot of bridging different worlds. Including the unseen and seen realms. And bringing older, earth based knowledge into the conversation in therapy circles. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable being a bridge person because I am often in spaces where people don’t understand me. And sometimes it’s difficult to live in NYC. But being connected to my purpose and knowing why I do what I do keeps me inspired and aligned with the work I do!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a licensed psychotherapist working with individuals, couples, and families. I’m licensed in California, Vermont, and soon New York. I live in Brooklyn New York where I offer community events including a monthly full moon circle, evening retreats, and workshops. My work is based around personal, community, and ecological regeneration and well being.

I am a certified ecotherapist (nature-based healing). And as a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance, I offer climate-aware therapy. I offer corporate webinars and workshops around climate distress and resilience.

I’m most excited to be expanding to offer a retreat in the Hudson Valley soon!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Curiosity – I always followed my curiosity even if I didn’t know where it was leading. For example, in college I saw my first therapist. Caroline was a social worker who curled up on her armchair with a cup of tea while we spoke. She had a stack of books on psychotherapy and mindfulness at the foot of her chair. I would take note of these books, buy them, and read them when I finished my schoolwork. One session Caroline said to me: “you know, you’d be an excellent therapist. You are so passionate and curious about healing.” I had never thought of it as a career path. It was something I soaked up in my free time. So I recommend following your curiosity and trusting it.

Organization – I’ve been very organized about how I study and learn things. I usually work on things that take the most focus in the morning when I am brightest. I use my natural energy rhythms rather than forcing myself to work in the evening etc. This has made my grad school experience and creating my business both efficient and stream lined.

Intuition – I meditate almost every morning for 20 minutes in complete silence. This has been when I listen deeply to myself. I trust what comes up, what I am shown, my gut feelings, and this has informed my journey. It’s important to clear away the noise of the dominant culture, what other people think you should or shouldn’t do, and to listen to yourself and your higher power or Nature.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed I do the opposite of what my mind wants me to do. My mind wants me to do more so that I can check things off and then feel better. But my body doesn’t feel regulated when I’m overwhelmed. So I practice slowing down. If I’m very overwhelmed then I try to do each moment slower. For example, how slowly can I make my tea and drink it. Once my body slows down and calms and I can access inner spaciousness again, then I can think clearly. I will clean my home or space and go to bed early and try to slow the overwhelm down.

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