

Manawa! Welcome!
My name is Kalichi and I am the founder of Raíz Creative Wellness. Raíz is the Spanish word for "root" and represents the connection to our cultural, physical and spiritual root system. I am an artist and art healer. As a healing arts practitioner, I provide sessions that combine creativity and nature into a symbiotic relationship that promotes self-reflection, expression, mindfulness, and flow. Creative expression is engaged through the lens of Indigenous community healing and honoring the entire person – mind, body, spirit, and their connection to land and community.
From a young age, I have always been a creative soul with a connection to nature that is uniquely tied to my birth name, which is Indigenous for “fountain of the high mountain.” I was born in Borikén (Puerto Rico), where the beginnings of my childhood were surrounded by mountains and having a deep affinity for the ocean. These aspects, along with my Indigenous roots are reflected in my artwork and creative sessions.
Creative outlets are what helped me cope with my father’s passing from Pancreatic cancer, my grandmother’s dementia diagnosis, being a caregiver, and facing my own health matters. I had an inner will and drive to alchemize my pain into creative expression. Something as simple as sketching, coloring, writing my thoughts in poetry, and taking photos of nature brought me joy and peace. Each experience was a catalyst to growing as an artist and being deeply inspired to help others heal through the creativity. This motivated me to pursue graduate studies where I earned an M.S. and M.A. degree in Psychology and Arts in Medicine (also known as Arts for Health/Wellness).
My studies created opportunities in healthcare that allowed me to work and provide creative outlets for cancer patients, the elderly, patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and movement disorders. During the pandemic, I refined my craft in pyrography, opened an online shop, and participated in virtual arts for health sessions with a cancer center. This inspired me to organize my own creative wellness sessions within my community. Sessions were provided to the general public, as well as specialized sessions for BIPOC communities. Moreover, I hosted creative wellness sessions for a local business and university organization.
This wellness venture is an honor to my past, present, and future. The seeds that were given to me are reflected in my logo and our ties to nature. The crescent moon with a plant and roots growing beneath is a homage to my matriarchs. Without the need for an almanac or having the ability to read, my grandmother was very attuned to plant cycles according to phases of the moon. She knew when to plant and when to harvest. Like the moon and plants, we also go through phases. However, we must reach a specific phase of growth in order to harvest the fruits from the seeds we plant for ourselves.
What seeds do you want to cultivate? What do you want to grow and harvest in yourself? How do you want to honor yourself, your ancestors and the land you sit on? Join me for a session where we can explore these questions and themes, find you inner voice and alchemize your thoughts and feelings through creative expression.
Affiliations | Education | Experience
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Higuayagua Taino Tribe of the Caribbean
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University of Florida
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Capella University
M.A. Arts in Medicine
M.S. Psychology
January 2015 - Present
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Healing Arts Practitioner | Owner - Raiz Creative Wellness
January 2020 - Present
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Artist | Owner - Kolibri Embers
January 2022
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Wellness Event/Art for Wellness Session
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Teacher's College - Columbia University
January 2019 - February 2020
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Arts in Medicine - Teaching Artist
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University of Miami Health System (UM Health) - Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center - Miami, FL
October 2016 - October 2018
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Recreational Assistant / Arts for Health
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HCR ManorCare - Miami, FL
January 2016 - August 2016
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Arts in Medicine, Teaching Artist
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UF Health Cancer Hospital - Gainesville, FL
September 2015 - August 2016
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Art Therapy - Artist Resident
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Halifax Health, Psychosocial Services - Daytona Beach, FL