Portrait of a woman with curly red hair wearing a blue dress, holding the edge of her dress with one hand, against a dark green background.

our method

Converging Photography and Neuroscience to Rewire the Brain

Our Work as a Nonprofit

Through FIORIA Institute, we are conducting formal research—gathering both qualitative and quantitative data through structured case studies—to validate the FIORIA Photography Method as a neuroscience-informed, alternative medical treatment.

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While FIORIA studio is the creator of the FIORIA Photography Method, providing powerful Rising Phoenix client experiences, the nonprofit is focused on research to establish how this method works through rigorous data collection. Our ultimate goal is to establish this new field as a credible, accessible form of alternative medical healing for as many lives as possible.

Research case study participants are not drawn from our existing audience.

Each case study participant will go through a comprehensive research process, including:

  • Pre- and post-experience assessments measuring emotional regulation, self-perception, and resilience

  • Before-and-after functional brain scans (when appropriate) to identify neurological changes

  • Structured interviews and written reflections analyzed for themes and patterns of healing

  • Follow-up surveys conducted over time to track sustained impact

Instead, we are partnering with outside nonprofits, medical institutions, therapy practices, schools, and community leaders to identify and recruit individuals for these studies.

Ensuring Research Integrity

To ensure our research remains unbiased and scientifically credible, we follow a rigorous process for participant recruitment, selection, and consent. Each step is designed to uphold the integrity of our studies while honoring the individuals at the heart of this work.

  • Partnership with Trusted Experts

    Participants are recruited exclusively through nonprofit, therapeutic, and medical organizations—not from FIORIA’s client base.

  • Neutral, Transparent Selection

    All applications are reviewed by an independent advisory panel through an open referral process.

  • Informed Participation

    Every participant completes informed consent, with the option to share their story through video and interviews.

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Help Us Expand the Impact

Are you interested
in partnering?

Do you know a nonprofit, therapist, or healthcare provider who would make a great partner for future case study participants?
We’d love to connect. Let’s explore how we can collaborate to help more people rise.

Refer a Potential Participant

An independent advisory panel thoughtfully reviews all participant referrals through an open review process. If you're a nonprofit, therapeutic, or medical professional and know someone who may benefit from the FIORIA Photography Method, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can create opportunities for more individuals to experience meaningful transformation.

Studying the impact

The FIORIA Photography Method

While founders, Me Ra Koh and Brian Tausend, have impacted thousands over the last 20+ years, the FIORIA Institute is committed to proving how and why the FIORIA Photography Method works—through neuroscience, case studies, and measurable data.

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Where Neuroscience and Photography Converge to Help You Step Into Your Greatness

The FIORIA Photography Method is pioneering a new field of photography—one that blends the latest in neuroscience with a revolutionary form of photography to support emotional regulation, brain rewiring, and deep personal transformation.

Developed through over two decades of photographic mastery and now under research through the FIORIA Institute as an alternative medical treatment, the FIORIA Photography Method is designed to unlock something far beyond what we see on the surface.

A woman with short, wavy blond hair and a colorful dragon tattoo on her arm smells a white flower.

One client described it as,
“ten years of therapy in one day.”

A woman in a black dress holding up a colorful, flowing skirt against a dark green background.

While it’s not therapy, its impact is deeply therapeutic. And while it includes a camera, it’s far more than a photo shoot.

Each full-day experience is custom-built around a multi-sensory process. Whether the body craves movement or stillness—especially for those navigating trauma, chronic illness, or neurodiversity—the session integrates music, emotion, visualization, and storytelling in a way that’s neurologically grounded and profoundly human.

A woman with dark hair in a top knot, wearing a camouflage jacket and blue jeans, stands smiling holding a glass of champagne in front of a large portrait of herself. The portrait features the same woman sitting on a black bench, wearing a black dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, white sneakers, and smiling at the camera. To the right of the large portrait are four smaller photos of the same woman in different poses and outfits, all with the same background.

The goal is not performance, but presence. The result? Breakthroughs that reach both brain and heart.

This proprietary process is intentionally structured, yet profoundly personal. It begins with guided conversations and culminates in an immersive experience that reveals far more than what the mirror ever could. Participants often leave with a renewed sense of clarity, courage, and connection to who they truly are—and who they are becoming.

The experience concludes with the creation of powerful, custom wall art—designed not just to celebrate the journey, but to continue the brain’s rewiring process long after the session ends. These visual anchors serve as daily reinforcements of truth, beauty, and healing—often sparking new breakthroughs months after installation. And because healing isn’t a one-time event, each Rising Phoenix participant is gently supported throughout their first year—integrating this work in layered, meaningful ways.

Do you feel called to experience the Rising Phoenix Experience for yourself?

Our studio offers a limited number of private sessions each year, thoughtfully designed for individuals and families seeking a deeply personal and transformative experience. To learn more, visit our dedicated client site.