Hi, I’m Malar.
I am a certified coach, writing guide, writer, and group facilitator who enjoys helping people who are different to reclaim their soul selves.
(Malar is pronounced like the word “color” with an M.)
My passion is around the whole-body-and-soul type of writing. This is where the magic really happens.
I began my career as a writing tutor and creative writing educator, and I’ve now worked with a variety of types of writing, including memoir, fictional novel, personal essay, and blogs. Holding space for people to access their inner wisdom through writing is really rewarding.
What I’ve discovered experientially through my own experiences during my journey is what I’m most excited to share with those I work with.
I got into this work because I wanted to help people drop their masks to be more of themselves in their lives. To me, writing is a vehicle. It allows for self-exploration, self-expression, self-acceptance, and self-love. It forms a language that allows for being seen, heard, known, and understood.
For those who are misunderstood because of their differences, writing provides a way to understand themselves, why they are the way they are, and who they really are. It gives the opportunity to write your story in your own way, in your own words.
I do this work for my inner child, who didn’t see herself in the books she read.
Certified Coach
In 2017, I received my coaching certification from the Academy of Leadership and NLP. There, I learned how to help clients change their inner language to connect with the various parts of themselves, overcome their struggles, and create their dreams.
I received my B.A. in psychology from Arizona State University summa cum laude, where I learned sociological and developmental theories on sensation, perception, memory, cognition, health, and how these impact individuals.
My training as a certified Reiki II practitioner gives me a holistic understanding of people beyond our minds. I use this to help clients pinpoint how their experience of disconnection impacts their bodies, hearts, and energy, and clear emotional blockages.
My coaching is trauma-informed, based on principles I gained in training as a certified trauma support specialist. I use this physiological understanding to educate clients on self-regulation so telling their story empowers, lifts, and heals without re-traumatizing. And so they can create an integrated narrative of resilience and competency.
Writing Instructor
Since 2008, I’ve helped writers connect with their words and find their voice as a writing instructor, mentor, and freelance editor.
I approach writing with balance. I hold the heart of the story while also being strongly detail-oriented. I blend practical knowledge with intuitive skills, supporting clients to uncover the language for the story that is most alive, joyous, and expansive.
Sensing into the energy of the words helps me provide feedback to clients that helps them know how others might receive, understand, and appreciate their stories. I’m good at making connections and finding patterns in what my clients share with me, which helps them see a bigger picture beyond the details they may be stuck in.
I’m flexible and creative in my approach, meeting clients where they are. For example, as a mentor at Society of Young Inklings, where I’ve helped youth in a game-based creative writing methodology since 2017.
Lifelong Writer
I’ve used the written word to express myself and tap into the magic and mystery of creativity since adolescence. I’ve covered a wide range of forms, including novels and picture books in fiction, and articles and personal essays in nonfiction. Now I offer writing to my clients as a powerful healing tool to help create connection.
Professionally, I’m a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) where I regularly attend conferences and workshops to hone my craft.
I’ve also written for GreenTown Los Altos, a grassroots nonprofit organization on sustainability, with articles posted on the organization’s website and published in the local newspaper.
Group Facilitator
I regularly hold classes and workshops in the intersection of journaling, writing, and creativity.
I enjoy guiding participants through journeys to connect deeply to the wisdom and guidance of their inner selves while realizing they’re not alone through the support of a group.
Events include, among others, Writing Class: Story Journeying, Journaling 101, Gratitude Writing, and monthly journaling gatherings with themed prompts.
I’ve also facilitated creative writing classes on craft, teaching on creating characters and story structure, as well as instructional writing courses on technique, focusing on fluency and accuracy.
Why I Do This Work
As far back as I remember, I’ve felt different due to physical conditions I was born with, health challenges I felt alone in, personal passions I knew no one else with, and energetic sensitivity I had no context to understand. I felt invisible and knew no one like me, not even characters in mainstream media.
I know how lonely the path can be. And, how magical it is when at the darkest moment, a helping hand is extended or a beacon of light is shown, changing the biggest skeptic into the most fervent believer.
Through my journey, I know that when I’m living my purpose, finding acceptance within myself, and expressing myself, I find the most satisfying and deep joyful connection to myself, others, and something greater. Acknowledging painful stories is uncomfortable but ultimately much more freeing than avoiding them. I feel most alive when I’m creating.
So, I want to help those who’ve felt lonely and misunderstood due to their differences be seen, heard, appreciated, and celebrated for who they really are. I also wish to support representation for all voices so children of the future don’t experience the isolation and invalidation of knowing no one with stories like them.
More About Me
- People have told me I’m a good listener and appreciate my sense of humor.
- I love animals, which might look like socializing shy cats at The Dancing Cat, adoring adoptable dog profiles, friending neighborhood felines, reading up on animal communication, or dreaming of diving with dolphins in Bimini.
- I find nature a source of inspiration. Encountering waterfalls on hiking trails and exploring the outdoors while having deep conversations is one of my favorite things. I have over 20 houseplants, most originally gifted to me as babies.
- My astrology signs indicate I’m a nurturing diplomat with a pioneering soul. My primary sparketype is maven; learning and going deep lights me up.
- I enjoy the intersection of creativity, spirituality, and physical sensation, expressing this through art and movement. My current favorite exercise is deadlifting.
- Before I even learned how to write, I filled notebooks with scribbles. Writing is part of my identity.
- I reside in the SF Bay Area, California.
See anything on this page that makes you smile, nod, or go “me too!”? I’d love to hear from you. I invite you to contact me.