St. Maarten:--- Some people are born with a sense of purpose that unfolds slowly, almost quietly, until one day it becomes undeniable. For Nahlienne Rafael, that sense began when she was just five years old and knew—without question—that she wanted to help people in pain. Today, she’s doing exactly that, not just through her corporate role, but through a deeply personal spiritual path rooted in healing, transition, and love.
A native of Curaçao, Nahlienne felt a connection to St. Maarten long before she ever stepped foot on the island. “I always felt drawn to be here,” she says. “Even my street name in Curaçao was ‘Philips,’ so I always said I was meant to live in Philipsburg.” In 2013, she made that intention a reality, transferring from Banco di Caribe in Curaçao to manage two local branches in St. Maarten. It was a period of professional growth, but also personal strain.
By 2019, the pressures of work and growing concern for her elderly mother’s well-being back in Curaçao took a toll. Nahlienne suffered a burnout and realized something had to give. “I’m the only daughter,” she explains. “And I couldn’t have peace knowing my mother was alone and not safe.” So, in January 2020, she resigned from the bank and returned to Curaçao—just before the pandemic changed the world.
But even as one chapter closed, another opened. With time and space to reflect, Nahlienne began pursuing what had always been calling her: spiritual healing. Though she’d trained in Universal White Time Healing since 2010—a holistic energy practice rooted in love, light, and intention—she now had the chance to bring it forward more fully. She began offering one-on-one sessions, eventually expanding into grief support, healing workshops, and even end-of-life guidance.
She is now also part of the support team, as the grief support specialist of the Losing Zayn, Gaining an Angel Foundation (LZGAA), which supports mothers who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or early loss. Together with the founders, Suhail de Windt and Miosotis Suares, the foundation offers compassionate services like guided meditations, healing circles, and a forthcoming symposium in Curaçao’s Medical Center.
But it’s perhaps her work around death and dying that feels most revolutionary—and most needed. “I offer a lecture called Embracing Transition,” Nahlienne says, “to help people understand what happens when a loved one is dying. We don’t talk about it enough, and because we don’t know what to expect, we live in fear.”
She explains terms like “the rally”—a brief burst of clarity that sometimes happens just before death—and “the death rattle,” which can sound frightening but is a natural part of the body shutting down. Her mission is to create spaces where people can talk openly about loss, love, and the meaning of a life well-lived.
Her most personal experience came in 2023 when her mother passed away. Though painful, the process affirmed everything she believes. “I was there with her,” she says softly. “And I realized how important it is to have that completion—to say ‘I love you,’ to ask for forgiveness, to be fully present in those final moments. It changes how we grieve.”
That sense of presence and purpose carries over into her current work life too. Today, Nahlienne serves as KYC Coordinator at a global trust company, and also as a confidential counselor for staff in Curaçao and the Netherlands. “People come to me,” she says simply. “Even in the office. They know I hold space for them.”
Her sessions—whether in-person or online—often begin with silence and end in tears, breakthroughs, and warmth. “Healing is not linear,” she explains. “Sometimes people think they’re fine until something triggers them again. But I believe every trigger is an invitation to heal.”
Symbolism plays a central role in her practice. The butterfly, especially, holds deep meaning. “To me, the butterfly reminds us how beautiful transformation is—even when it’s painful,” she says. “The butterfly doesn’t see its own wings, but others do. That’s often how healing works too.”
Despite the deeply spiritual nature of her work, Nahlienne is not out to convince skeptics. “I always ask the universe to send me the ones who are ready,” she says. “Not every soul is there yet. And that’s okay.”
Her website, Atalanta Healing, was named after a butterfly native to the Netherlands, where she found herself “stuck” during the early months of the pandemic. But the name also holds meaning in Papiamento: “Ata” means “oh,” and “Lanta” means “get up.” The message? Rise again.
For those still hesitant or afraid to explore their pain, Nahlienne offers one last piece of wisdom: “Sometimes we’re not afraid of what we’ll find—we’re afraid of how deep it might go. But healing is about remembering who you are. And you don’t have to do it alone.”
