Today we’d like to introduce you to Alixandria Thomas.
Hi Alixandria, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Like anyone, my journey of becoming began in childhood, and I now find myself returning to that innocent state. I’ve learned that there is a child within each of us—a younger version of ourselves longing to be seen, heard, and understood. Children have not yet been wired with obligation or judgment. They are blank slates of curiosity, where everything feels possible.
My parents struggled with addiction, which resulted in abuse and neglect. Addiction has a way of overtaking a person’s life, and it is still something I work to fully understand. As a social work student, I’ve learned that addiction hijacks the brain’s reward pathways, weakens impulse control, and makes stopping incredibly difficult. This education has expanded both my healing and my capacity for empathy.
It is, somewhat paradoxically, the trauma itself that has broken down and rebuilt the person I am proud to be today. Through a deep journey of self-love and self-worth, I’ve come to recognize the person in the mirror as perfect just as she is—exactly the way she was created to be. I simply had to quiet the thoughts telling me otherwise so I could truly see her. My spiritual and self-adoration journey ignited the moment I realized the only person who didn’t see my worth was me.
I learned that PTSD weaves intricate webs of negative beliefs in the brain. EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helped me identify the childhood-rooted beliefs that were running my life subconsciously. Through guided eye movements, therapists help identify negative beliefs like “I am unsafe,” “I am unworthy,” or “I am unloved,” and reconnect them to the traumatic memories where they began. This shadow work is not easy or pleasant, but it is essential to healing.
I am now attending college for the second time, this time with the intention of becoming a therapist. I became a mom at 19 and left my first attempt at college behind. Becoming a mother truly saved my life. I still remember the overwhelming joy of holding my daughter for the first time. I wept with compassion, knowing my life would never be the same. She is truly my angel.
When my second child was born, I became a stay-at-home mom. Stepping out of the constant race and rush of our culture left me alone with myself—without distraction—and face-to-face with my shadows. I had my dream family, dream home, and dream husband, so why did I still feel unfulfilled?
Carl Jung described the shadow as the unconscious dark side containing both negative and positive traits we often project onto others. After processing and rewiring my traumatic experiences, I found myself able to forgive, to receive the medicine that pain offers, and to notice the joy present in every moment. Returning to the innocence of my inner child allows me to see beauty in the simple.
As a child, I often escaped overwhelming grief by journeying into my imagination—what I now realize was a form of meditation. I would envision myself dancing ballet on the beach, performing musicals before large audiences, and flying with the wind against my body. This imagination was my refuge, and it remains one of my greatest gifts.
In addition to EMDR, somatic movement has transformed my life in countless ways. Bessel van der Kolk, in his book The Body Keeps the Score, shows that trauma lives in the body. That knowledge helped me understand how deeply trauma was impacting my quality of life. Movement became my medicine—my natural prescription for antidepressant and anti-anxiety relief. I enjoy running, but dance is my true love. Dancing is cardio in disguise. A joyful, embodied healing practice. When PTSD feelings emerge, rather than spiraling, I now know this is an indicator that it is time to move my body. I often cry with the amount of happiness and relief that dancing gives me. Knowing that I have the power to move through difficult experiences has transformed every aspect of my living. P!NK said it best,
“I am here. I am here. I’ve already seen the bottom so there’s nothing to fear.” And…
“I’m never gonna not dance again.”
Our ancestors treasured dance as a way to connect with Spirit, the land, and their people. Today, much of that reverence has been lost. Part of my purpose is to bring the freedom of dancing for joy back into our communities. Learning to dance freely has been a journey of releasing judgment and embracing authenticity. I’ve learned that when I allow myself to shine as my true self, others feel safe to do the same.
Now at 31, in my second year of a Social Work degree, my family and I have recently relocated from Indianapolis to Muskegon. As if divinely arranged, I was approached to lead children in creative endeavors at PLAY Muskegon. This felt sacred because it was everything I had ever longed for. Creativity through dance, dramatics, and play has always held a deep place in my heart. For a year before this opportunity arose, I envisioned myself making a living singing, dancing, and playing with children. Whenever I focused on that intention, my body lit up with butterflies. That feeling affirmed that working with little ones is my calling. Witnessing their elation is a gift. Children feel safe with me, and together we create magic.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My path to finding light in the darkest nights has included many struggles. All of my parents battled addiction, and I endured trauma and abuse of all kinds. My pain ran deep and resulted in chronic PTSD. It can be difficult to explain this experience to someone who has not lived it. Something as small as a strange look, being misunderstood, or not reaching a work goal could trigger a full fight-or-flight response. From ages 10 to 15, I lived with four different families. I battled eating disorders, depression, suicide attempts, and self-harm. I lost my drive for living.
My parents, for various reasons, were not able to care for me. I now understand they were still growing and evolving, and that their struggles led to suffering for their children. This may be difficult for them to read, but I want them to know I have healed and look back on those times with compassion. I honor those experiences for the strength they gave me and for the beautiful relationships we have today.
My husband came into my life 11 years ago and quickly became a safe place for me to expand, feel, and transform. Our bond created space for me to learn what was happening in my body, mind, and soul. I had so much trauma stored in my body that it took years for me to unravel it. At the time, a PTSD episode could take days to recover from. Now, having done the work of rewiring negative beliefs, I realize I had been living in fight-or-flight mode more often than not.
That chronic stress eventually resulted in a cancer diagnosis at age 23. At a routine doctor’s visit, I learned I had stage III melanoma with a 50% survival rate. After two surgeries, a large incision on my left cheek and neck, and months of immunotherapy, I emerged with a new sense of gratitude for life. I quit my high-stress job and began pursuing happiness instead. I now carry a gifted awareness that life is short—not in a morbid way, but in a deeply present way. Gratitude became my compass. There is always something to be grateful for, even in the hardest moments. Gratitude is the frequency of hope, love, and the Universe wrapped in one.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For work, I play. I specialize in nurturing imagination and helping children access deeper emotional themes through play, movement, and dramatics. I am known for building bonds quickly and modeling how to honor the child within at any age. At PLAY Muskegon, our goal is to foster environments where connection, creativity, and expression flourish through the simple and profound act of play.
Play is essential for cognitive, emotional, and social development—and it is just as vital for adults. What feels playful is different for everyone, but play is anything that lights you up, draws you in, and makes you lose track of time.
I am currently developing somatic dance classes for adults, inspired to share the joy of meaningful movement and the connection it creates with oneself and the community.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
As Kendra Adachi teaches in The Lazy Genius, life becomes clearer when we “name what matters.” Learning to identify what truly matters—moment by moment—has helped me release cultural expectations and embrace grace. I used to decorate my home with other people’s opinions in mind; now I create spaces that matter to me and my family. For some people, a beautifully decorated home is what matters most. It is important to note that what matters most is very individual.
My priority is living a love-filled life. One day, when I look back, I want to know I spent my days present, immersed in the sensory lusciousness available in every moment. I want to love myself through the inevitable mistakes and messiness of being human. I want to savor the beauty around me: my children, my husband, my family, my soul-family, my work, my pets, the sky, the trees, the beach—especially the breathtaking beaches of Michigan.
I believe we are created as unique beings destined to experience the full spectrum of life: the painful and the beautiful. The best way to honor this existence is to feel our feelings fully—from grief to joy to fear—and create something meaningful from them.
When I look back on my journey, I see how every chapter carried a hidden invitation into deeper wholeness. What once felt like breaking was really an opening; what once felt like darkness became the ground for profound light. Today, I live with a reverence for the small, sacred moments-the play, the movement, the imagination, the connection. My work is to help others rediscover the magic they came into this world with, the magic they may have forgotten but never lost. In honoring my own inner child, I’ve found my purpose: to help others return home to theirs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.playmuskegon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allieevolving/
