We recently connected with Celinda De La Fuente and have shared our conversation below.
Celinda , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
The early days of Ashes To Phoenix were not linear or glamorous. They were slow, messy, and very, very human. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to “start a business.” I was trying to survive in my own body. I was dealing with chronic illness, pain, and a nervous system that was constantly in fight-or-flight. What I found along the way were practices that actually helped me regulate, feel safe again, and reconnect to myself.
At first, I was learning purely for my own healing. Qigong, Energy Healing, Meditation, Nervous System Regulation — these were tools that helped me move from taking nearly 20-30 pills a day to just one prescribed medication. Eventually, people started asking me what I was doing. That’s when Ashes To Phoenix began to take shape, not as a business plan, but as something I felt driven to share.
The main steps were simple but not easy: learning, practicing, getting certified, and then showing up consistently even when imposter syndrome was loud…and it was very loud at times. I started small — offering sessions, community practices, donation-based classes — and letting the work evolve naturally. I didn’t rush into an office. I focused on building trust, integrity, and community first.
One of the biggest challenges was unlearning what I thought success was supposed to look like. I was told repeatedly that I wouldn’t make money on the West Side of San Antonio, that it wasn’t a “good business move.” But this work was never about maximizing profit. It was about adding value and being of service to the community that shaped me. Opening the office at 1712 Buena Vista Street, Suite 1 feels like a full-circle moment — not just a location, but a return to my roots.
Another challenge was internal: letting go of fear. Fear of being judged. Fear of not fitting into a box. Fear of not being “enough.” What I know now is that waiting until you feel ready usually means waiting forever. Sometimes, taking that leap of faith into the unknown is the best thing you can do.
If there is anything I would do differently, it I would be trusting myself sooner. I would remind myself that sustainability matters — rest matters — and that building something aligned takes time. There is no rush.
My advice to anyone considering starting their own practice is this: start with what you know and what has genuinely helped you. You don’t need to have all the answers. You need integrity, curiosity, and the willingness to keep learning. Build something that feels true to your values, not someone else’s definition of success. And remember — healing work is reciprocal. You’re not here to save anyone. You’re here to walk alongside them.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Celinda De La Fuente, the founder of Ashes To Phoenix. I came into this work through lived experience — chronic illness, pain, burnout, and a nervous system that never felt safe. For a long time, I did everything I was told to do medically, yet I still felt disconnected from myself. I knew something was missing.
What helped me wasn’t one single modality, but a combination of practices that supported nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and reconnection to the body, mind, and spirit. Qigong, Energy Healing, Mindfulness, Breathwork, Meditation, and later Subconscious and Mindset work helped me move from survival mode to actually living. As I healed, people began asking what I was doing, and Ashes To Phoenix grew organically from sharing what worked.
Today, I offer one-on-one Energy Healing sessions, Mindset and Energy Coaching, and Community-Based practices such as Qigong. My work blends spiritual traditions with practical, accessible tools backed by neuroscience, especially Nervous System Regulation. While there is a spiritual aspect to what I do, my focus is always on helping people feel safe in their bodies again. When the body feels safe, real change becomes possible.
Alongside my lived experience, I’m currently pursuing a graduate degree at National University in Consciousness, Psychology, and Transformation, with a specialization in Consciousness and Healing. I also teach Energy Healing Practitioner Certification Courses that are accredited by the Complementary Therapist Accredited Association. In addition to Energy Healing, I now offer Mindset and Energy Coaching, which focuses on Subconscious Reprogramming, rewriting limiting beliefs, NLP, EFT, and Nervous System Regulation. My intention is to make these tools practical, accessible, and applicable to everyday life, regardless of someone’s spiritual or religious background.
People often come to me feeling overwhelmed, stuck in repeating patterns, burned out, or disconnected from themselves. I don’t fix or heal people — I offer space, tools, and guidance so they can reconnect with their own capacity to heal. Healing is not about becoming something new; it’s about remembering wholeness.
What sets my work apart is that it’s community-centered and rooted in service. I prioritize donation-based and sliding-scale offerings whenever possible, and opening my office on the West Side of San Antonio at 1712 Buena Vista Street, reflects my commitment to accessibility and community healing. What I’m most proud of is building something aligned with my values rather than chasing someone else’s definition of success.
At the heart of Ashes To Phoenix is a simple truth: we carry our ancestors in our bones, their memories in our bodies, and their resilience in our nervous systems. We don’t just carry stardust — we are stardust. Healing is remembering that, together.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Beyond training and knowledge, what matters most in this field is the ability to hold multiple perspectives at once while remaining rooted in compassion. This work requires a non-judgmental presence — for others and for ourselves. When we suspend judgment and lead with empathy, we create the conditions where real healing can happen.
Living with integrity is essential. That means speaking your truth, living by your values, and being honest with yourself when you’re out of alignment. Not everything we do will be perfect, and that’s okay. This work is a continual learning process. As practitioners, we are also growing, healing, and evolving. If we’re not embodying the values and practices we offer others, then we’re not truly living in integrity.
Compassion, kindness, and non-violent communication are not optional in this field — they are the work. Without them, any “success” we experience is fragile and often disconnected from truth. When success isn’t rooted in integrity, it doesn’t last.
I also believe it’s important to remember that we, as practitioners, are not the ones doing the healing. Every human being already has the innate capacity to heal. What we offer is space — a safe, grounded environment where emotions, stored energy, and patterns can surface, be felt, and move as they need to. When people feel safe enough to be with themselves, remembering wholeness becomes possible. That, to me, is what real success looks like.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
In short, No — but not because I would change the path. This work chose me. Every step of my healing led me here, and I followed where it took me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ashestophoenix.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashes_to_phoenix_satx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092862290081
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AshesToPhoenix-Celinda
- Other: https://linktr.ee/ashestophoenixsatx?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=7936b22b-7fe4-46c0-97a2-aa5e97ae4672
Image Credits
Photos by Vic Estrada and Gabriella Tijerina