Sonia Houria Rivas
Nervous System & Inner Power Expert · Speaker
Founder of Women Make Waves
Safety is the strategy.
Power is the result.
I help women and leaders regulate their nervous systems so they can make clear decisions, move through fear, and lead with grounded confidence.
Sustainable leadership isn’t built in the mind.
It’s built in a regulated body and a connected heart.
As featured in and spoken at
You’ve done the self-help books. The journaling. The pushing through. But your nervous system didn’t get the memo.
The Houria Method works at the root, not the surface. Named after my grandmother Houria (meaning “free woman” in Arabic), it bridges modern nervous system science with ancestral somatic wisdom to help high-achieving women stop surviving, start living from their centre, and sustain high performance without burning out..
The 3 Pillars of the Method:
Nervous System Regulation
Clear thinking, sound decision making in challenging times, action taking when the body wants to shut down, responding - not reacting.
That's nervous system regulation.
A regulated nervous system changes everything: your decisions, your relationships, your team's performance - without burnout. It's the foundation of psychological safety and sustainability.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotions are the drivers of all we do. Stop performing them. Start using them as guidance. What emerges is clarity, better communication, deeper connection, and the ability to hold hard conversations that move the needle forward - whether that's with yourself or your leadership team.
Who Is THis FOr
For You
You look like you have it together. But privately, you feel like you’re holding on by a thread.
You’re stuck. Not because you haven’t tried, but because you’ve been building from the wrong foundation. You’ve done the therapy, the journaling, the pushing through. And you still feel anxious. Still feel like something is missing.
You’re not broken. You’re not behind. Your nervous system just never got the safety it needed to let you move forward.
Let’s change that.
For Your Organisation
You know your team is capable of more. But you can see the toll that pressure, change, and uncertainty are taking.
You’ve tried the wellness initiatives that didn’t stick. The resilience training that felt performative. The leadership development that never truly anchored.
Your people don’t need more strategy. They need the capacity to execute the strategy they already have. From a regulated, clear, and connected place, much more is possible.
Let’s bring this to your team.
Speaking
Bring The Houria Method to Your Stage
Sonia delivers keynotes and experiential workshops at leadership summits, corporate wellness events, women’s conferences, and cultural and environmental gatherings. Her talks don’t just inform.
Audiences experience a real-time shift in their nervous system, gain a new framework for why they’ve been stuck or burning out, and leave with practical tools they’ll actually use. The room feels different by the end, and so do the people in it.
Sonia also delivers experiential nervous system regulation sessions, ancestral leadership talks, and women’s transformation keynotes. All talks are available as keynotes, breakout sessions, or half-day workshops.
“Sonia brought authenticity and energy to our Adidas Inspire session. She reminded us that we’re human at work too, and that this humanity can enhance, not hinder, our results.”
Dr. Markus A. Kürten, Senior Director Legal & Compliance, Adidas.
Signature Keynote: Safety is the Strategy – The Human Blueprint for Resilience, Belonging & Real Performance
I felt stuck and didn’t know how to move forward.
I came in overwhelmed and unsure. Now I feel clearer than ever. I finally know what I want and trust myself to go for it.
What's amazing about working with Sonia is that she put to words what I didn't know how to express and showed by example. She is open about her own stories and inner work which makes it so reassuring to see someone else has done it before and truly understands.
Sonia's coaching is like nothing I have experienced before. She offers the safest of spaces and patiently distils her wisdom while getting you to see things from a different standpoint. Always with love and absolute fairness, while helping you believe in yourself. She helped me navigate my emotions, and see where the blocks were while empowering me to take full responsibility for what I want, and giving me all the tools I need to make that happen. In a short amount of time, I managed to get back on track with my dream life, which I am now fully leading with my head high. I went from being afraid of taking steps or even admit to myself what I wanted, to not only wording it but manifesting every single aspect. Sonia is knowledgeable, intuitive, and has many fidderent tools in her arsenal which help you tackle a problem or goal from all sides: body, mind, emotions and soul. I am so blessed to have been able to work with Sonia, she has taught me tools that I will continue to use throughout my life.
I keep getting hijacked by fear, anxiety or self-doubt.
Sonia has guided me and held me with such safety. I felt a deep shift. I feel light, strong, more present and I’m no longer letting fear take over. You gave me awesome tips on how to process and clear old stuff. I know what to do now and Little Me is feeling heard and connected again. I am very grateful.
Sonia doesn't just speak. She shifts the room!
We walked out feeling confident, connected, loved, and accepted for who we are. Thank you, Sonia, for pouring into us all and inspiring us to step up authentically.
Our Community
You’re not doing this alone.
Women Make Waves is about the ripple effect.
It’s about creating spaces where women remember how driven, powerful, and wise they truly are. As we rise and step confidently into who we are, we lead by example — inspiring others to find their voice, take action, and live in alignment with their own definition of freedom.
When we live from our own vision, we transform the lives around us. The ripple grows, touching families, communities, and even the land and waters that sustain us.
By empowering women to dream boldly and act with courage, Women Make Waves fuels a wave of change that supports cultural conservation, ecological healing, and social healing for a more connected future.
Heed the call. Come make waves with us.
