The Origin Story

Three years in the making. Grown with intention, patience, and real-life lessons.

The seed for Soil to Self was first planted at the inaugural Black Girl Florist Conference, where I witnessed a presentation by Talia Boone, founder of Postal Petals, who shared her work using flowers as a tool for mental health. Her words moved something in me—and what started as a conversation between two Black women passionate about flowers and healing eventually bloomed into a deeper idea.

Talia asked me a question that would stay with me:
"Have you ever thought about creating a curriculum that blends your work as a psychologist with flowers?"

I hadn’t—but from that moment forward, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I began the journey of creating what would eventually become Soil to Self, but life was full—full of beauty, ambition, burnout, and becoming. I was starting my professional career as a full-time faculty member, sport psychologist, and business owner. I had just opened the brick-and-mortar location for my flower shop. Trying to write a book in the midst of all that felt… impossible. So I stopped. Then I started again. Then stopped again. It ebbed and flowed. Just like healing does.

Eventually, I invited Charles Clark, a friend from high school and trusted thought partner, to help bring structure to my vision. His perspective helped turn my raw ideas into tangible activities and reflections. It wasn’t easy—it took many iterations, long conversations, and letting go of ideas that no longer served. But we got something on paper.

Still, it wasn’t complete. It didn’t feel alive yet.

That’s when I reached out to Shelby Perez, a brilliant illustrator and creative spirit, to help with the visual storytelling. Shelby brought Soil to Self to life. Every image, every line, every color—she helped translate the heart of this project into something people could see and feel.

What Soil to Self Has Become

Over the years, as I grew in my own healing journey and deepened my role as a psychologist, I became more clear: Soil to Self is not just about flowers.
It’s about what it means to be human.
It’s about grief and joy. Resistance and surrender.
Identity, reflection, resilience, and radical softness.

I studied the science of soil. I fell deeper in love with flowers. I learned more about the body, the nervous system, the mind, and the spirit. And I saw clearly how all of these pieces connect—and how they shape the way we relate to ourselves and the world.

Soil to Self is a culmination of it all.
It’s the fruit of a long, imperfect, beautiful process.

This is for You if...

You’re ready to slow down.
You’re looking for a new way to reconnect with yourself.
You want healing that feels soft, honest, and embodied.
You believe that growth is possible—even after seasons of drought.

This is not a quick fix. It’s not productivity in disguise.
It’s intentional, spacious, and deeply rooted in care.

The Journey Continues...

From the original workbook came so much more—The Garden (a virtual community), Flourish (an 8-week cohort experience), and live workshops that bring the work off the page and into real life.

Everything Soil to Self touches is meant to ground, soften, and empower you.

Because your healing matters.
And the most important thing you’ll ever grow... is you.

🌿 With care,
Dr. Breigh Jones-Coplin
Founder, Soil to Self