From Homeless Creative to Healer & Leader

where it all began

  • I didn’t take the “normal” path—because it was never built for someone like me.

  • Before I was a mentor or a master-level healer, I was a creative kid navigating life without a safety net. A neurodivergent dreamer finding sanctuary in stories. From shelters to spoken word stages, I’ve lived what most people only theorize.

  • This lived experience now fuels my work—and makes it radically real, rooted, and reachable.

My Awakening: Late-Diagnosed, Forever Free

The Radical Reveal

My world shifted when I realized I’m autistic. It wasn’t a limitation—it was a liberation. That discovery became my turning point. It led me to:

  • Celebrate my sensory needs

  • Claim space in every room

  • Build a business that works with my brain

This journey of radical self-acceptance is why I now help others rewrite the stories they were told they had to live.

Healing Is Not Linear—It’s Layered, Lush, and Loud

The Alchemy

As a Certified Trifecta Alchemist, my work blends:

  • Neurosomatics

  • Gender-Inclusive Coaching

  • Accessibility for All Bodies

  • EFT, Parts Theory, and Kundalini Practices

I don’t just support healing. I remix it into a rhythm that resonates with every fiber of your being.

1020+ days sober and counting.

Sobriety, Strength & Sovereignty

My sobriety journey wasn’t just about quitting. It was about reclaiming—my body, my voice, my freedom. That resilience now informs everything I do. Because healing isn’t a theory for me. It’s my lived reality.

Bragging Rights
& Beautiful Chaos

Because neurodivergent brilliance doesn’t always

look “linear” — and that’s exactly the point.

This is where timelines get messy, labels get smashed, and every "WTF is happening?" moment turns into look what I built from that! From published poems to drag shows, awards to advocacy, this isn't just a list — it's a legacy. My lived experience is proof that nonlinear paths lead to the most badass destinations.

2025 Women of Influence Nanaimo Awards Sensory Balance Space

2024 GOLD Winner in Holistic Wellness for Nanaimo Community Votes

2024 Women of Influence Nanaimo Nominee.
Check it out here!!

2024 Master Level Certification Trifecta Alchemist

2023 Became a Certified Trifecta Alchemist. Check it out here!!

Kundalini Awakening During Covid

Creator of Inclusion Illusion Workshop

VIU Dean’s List Every Semester

2024 Sensory Balance Space launched with Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce

2024 Launched Unleash Your Voice Audio Series. Check it out here!!

2022-23 Concept to Completion, cocreated the Pregame 2023 Online Summit

2022 Began Consulting w Coaches, Mentors, Online Service Providers on Inclusion & Accessibility

2022 Co-writing and Cast Facilitation support for Emerge, a youth created theatre show.

2021 Co wrote & Starred in The OV Holigay Special a 19+ Drag Extravaganza with Andi Rodgynous

Creative, Strategic, Soulful

Because these aren’t just words — they’re spells, stories, and survival.

From chapbooks to anthologies, literary journals to local magazines, my writing has carved space for truth-telling, rage-screaming, and heart-healing. Each piece is a portal — into queerness, grief, growth, and radical self-expression. If you’ve ever felt seen in a sentence, you already know: this kind of magic matters.

2020 Eyebrows Published in Disabled Voices Anthology. Check it out here!!

2019 Family Portrait Chapbook Top 10 New Canadian Poets on Amazon. Check it out here!!

2019 Peanuts Published in Portal Magazine. Check it out here!!

2019 Pride Guide | Destination Vancouver Island. Check it out here!!

2018 Published in The Pointed Circle Literary Journal. Check it out here!!

2018
Arts & Humanities Student Body Representative

2017 Arts & Entertainment Editor For The Nav. Check it out here!!

2017 Gisele Merlet Award from Vancouver Island University

2016 Published on Digital magazine Meetinghouse
.xyz. Check it out here!!

Giving Back Without
Burning Out

Because community care isn’t just a checkbox — it’s a core memory.

From Pride parades to prison programs, sensory spaces to sanitation (yes, really), I've volunteer work spans the spectrum of showing up. This isn’t performative allyship — it’s deep, embodied, sweaty-hands, heart-wide-open service. For the misfits, the movers, and the marginalized — I've been there. Literally.

2024 Autism Ambassador with Autism Canada

Secretary Nanaimo Pride Society (interim intervals 2019-2023)

Sanitation Management for the Annual Sumsháthut [Sun] Festival

Nanaimo Pride Society community events (2017-2018)

Correction Facility Enrichment Coordinator (2008-2011)

Let’s build a world where you belong —
in your body, your biz, and your brilliance.

Let’s Co-Create
the Future

Book Me, Hire Me, Collaborate With Me

This isn’t just my story—it’s a movement. If you want to build something
brave, inclusive, and deeply human, I’m your person.

What People Say

"Cheryl is the first coach who didn’t try to fix me—they helped me understand myself."

 "I didn’t know coaching could feel like this. Empowering, safe, and actually useful for me."

"I finally feel like I’m not broken. I’m just wired differently—and that’s okay."

Looking For Consultation Services?

Apply For Private Consultation

  • Fill out this quick survey with tidbits about your business, your needs, your desired outcomes, and start the process today.

  • For Copy Writing and Speaking Inclusive Language Support.

  • For Staff Training and Team Support

  • For Content Repurposing

  • For Personal Inclusion & Accessibility Education and Embodiment

Before my coaching journey with Cheryl, I was lost in a maze of unsorted thoughts and feelings, struggling to focus or find clarity in my life. Dealing with trauma and its repercussions felt like navigating through an endless storm. Cheryl's guidance was a beacon of light in that chaos.

Their approach, though uncompromising and direct, empowered me to confront my issues head-on. They equipped me with practical techniques tailored to my daily struggles, fostering resilience and self-awareness.

I've learned that healing isn't about being "fixed"—it's about growing stronger and more capable of facing life's challenges. Thanks to Cheryl, I now possess the tools to tackle each day with confidence. I am immensely thankful for their support and the transformative journey they guided me through. - Mandi she/her Canada

Cheryl has been amazing in helping me tap into my own energy and really get the most out of our sessions.

What's really cool about them is how they make everything super inclusive and easy to get into. They've gone out of their way to make sure everything we do fits what I can do and where I'm at, creating this super welcoming vibe that makes it easy to just be myself and open up.

They've got this knack for making you feel seen and heard. No matter what we're working on, I never feel judged or out of place. Cheryl's makes sure you're comfortable and uses strategies that are actually doable for me. It's been a game-changer, honestly. Having their support and knowing they're always there to guide me, but in a way that feels more like a partnership, has been huge for my personal growth. I'm really thankful for how they've helped me and made this journey so much more manageable and meaningful. - Erin they/she Canada

FAQS

Do you offer refunds?

No. I do not offer refunds.

Do you offer private coaching or consulting?

Queer Alchemy officially closed September 7, 2025 to make room for Sensory Balance Space Inc. As of September 8, 2025, Cheryl Folland only offers private mentorship, private energetic and spiritual support, and inclusion consultation through invitation only. If you would like to work with Cheryl in one of these areas, please fill out a contact form here https://sensorybalancespace.ca/Contact

🌿 Land Acknowledgement


Cheryl lives, works, and creates on the unceded and traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, on the land known today as Nanaimo, BC.


As a settler, Cheryl honours the enduring presence, strength, and sovereignty of the Snuneymuxw people since time immemorial. Queer Alchemy is committed to ongoing listening, unlearning, and actions that support decolonization, accessibility, and collective liberation. Check out some Reconciliation resources here


🖤 Land acknowledgements are not a box to check—they are an invitation to responsibility and right relationship.