Overwhelmed by trauma under the rigid rules of the South, Ana McAbee developed a knack for rebellion. Now a therapist, single mom and director of Eugene’s Environmental Film Festival, McAbee continues to challenge the status quo as a harbinger of healing.

“Operating outside of the system is how I live now,” McAbee said. “I live a free-range life because of all the hard things I’ve processed.”

Not long into her Atlanta childhood, McAbee faced her first monumental setback: divorce. Her parents’ separation split her upbringing into two isolated experiences, inciting a routine of constant adjustment. A traumatic experience with sexual assault and her father’s second divorce only added to an increasingly difficult journey through adolescence.

“It was change after change, and I felt like I couldn’t trust anyone,” McAbee said. “I was doing drugs, cutting…anything I could do to f— sh– up.”

Though McAbee initially wanted to become a nurse, a short stint at nursing school proved her ambitions lied elsewhere. After a couple of years waiting tables and working in retail management, a change of scenery was imminent. At 21, fresh off a DUI, McAbee reached a turning point.

“On a whim, I felt like I needed to move to Eugene — the most beautiful, wonderful hippie utopia,” McAbee said. “It was a whisper from the universe.”

As a brand new Oregonian, McAbee resumed her education, earning a master’s in social work at Pacific University. Using her childhood adversity as a learning tool, McAbee launched Connected Matters — a hike therapy business providing counseling services to the Eugene community.

An avid outdoorswoman and climate activist, McAbee extends her healing contributions to the environment. She co-founded the Eugene Environmental Film Festival in 2017, aiming to create a space to address the critical issues facing our planet. “I want to leave the world better than I found it,” McAbee said.

Outside of work, McAbee enjoys music, occasionally playing around town in her band Rawdog Jones. Her greatest passion, however, is raising her two daughters. “I love being a single mom,” McAbee said. “It sucks sometimes, but I love my girls.”

When painter Lester Mauer met McAbee at Sam Bond’s Garage, he was comforted by her unapologetic demeanor. Within the first hour of hanging out, McAbee volunteered to be the subject of one of Mauer’s nude paintings. After numerous collaborations, he considers her his muse. “She’s one of those characters that is always twinkling, always on fire,” Mauer said. “I can’t hold anyone in a higher regard.”

Social worker Robin Tiedeman, who helped McAbee break into the field, plays a mother-like role in her life — professionally and personally. Tiedeman was instantly appreciative of her energetic, client-centered attitude. “She is one of those people who has made a difference and will continue to make a difference in this world,” Tiedeman said. “It’s an honor to be a part of that.”