About micheal
Hi, my name is micheal hooker, ph.d. (they/them), founder of EMBODIED PURPOSE, body-based educator, academic advisor, and embodiment enthusiast.
I am passionate about helping people embody their brilliance—so the impact they bring into the the world can thrive without collapse or compromise. I’ve spent over 20 years as a body-based educator and practitioner and hold a doctorate in Transformative Studies—I know what it takes for transformation to occur. The work I do grows from a deep belief in personal and collective change, and the approach I take with clients can be summed up in one phrase:
You are not a problem.
Through Embodied Purpose, I offer relational body-based education that recognizes your body as a place to listen to and care for rather than a problem to fix. In our work together, you'll gain supportive strategies that help you recognize and build your capacity, avoid burnout, and more fully embody the work you're here to do.
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rowing up in a small southern town I often felt as if my existence, needs, and body were a problem to solve. I moved through life emotionally guarded—with a disorganized attachment-style, hyper-vigilant, and touch-avoidant. Navigating institutions—whether in art, academia, or public life—only deepened this sense of needing to be fixed. After attending massage school, and when I finally felt safe enough, I began tuning into my sensorimotor cues and listening to what my body had to say about the world. I then began to recognize my attachment and defense patterns, make more intentional relational choices, and nourish myself with more clarity and ease. What I once saw as dysfunction in my body, I came to understand as a wise response to oppressive systems acting on and through me. My body was never the problem.
Neither is yours.
A word about my personal and professional ethos.
As a white service provider living in the Global North, I am committed to dismantling the myth of meritocracy entangled in the wellness and mental healthcare industries. This ethos is reflected in my additive approach to body-based education, a lifelong commitment to cultural humility, and sliding scale fees when possible.
“The mind is like the wind and the body like the sand: if you want to know how the wind is blowing , you can look at the sand.”
And, this is Atticus, virtual therapy dog at large.
Contact micheal
Interested in working together and have more questions? Submit this form with your inquiries and I will be in touch shortly.
