Disclaimer: This article discusses sensitive topics, including human trafficking and suicide. Please read with care and consider seeking support if needed.  

In the southernmost part of Phoenix in the Ahwatukee Foothills Village is a neighborhood tattoo shop making a profound impact – not just on its clients, but on the wider community. Wookie Style Tattoos stands out for its commitment to advocacy, mental health awareness, and healing.  
 
Founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Terry “Wookie” Hoffman and Barbi Blattenberger, the shop began as a small operation in the corner of a motorcycle repair shop. As their reputation and clientele grew, they quickly outgrew the modest space. Recognizing the potential of their new business, Barbi left her position as a corporate bank manager to support Wookie full-time, dedicating herself to their shared mission.   
 
From the start, Wookie and Barbi aimed to create a tattoo studio that prioritized meaningful relationships and a positive, personalized customer experience. “I wanted something smaller, more intimate, and more customer focused,” Wookie reflects. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job of achieving that.”     
 
Today, Wookie Style Tattoos offers custom artwork in a variety of styles, ranging from traditional and fantasy designs to photo realism and portraiture. The shop is home to three talented artists: Chris, Rachel, and owner Wookie, who has been tattooing since 1991 and specializes in photo realism.   
 
All Wookie Style artists are certified in Bloodborne Pathogen Standards, a voluntary certification in Arizona, to protect from health risks related to bloodborne pathogens. The shop strictly adheres to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Standards for tattoo industry waste management and disposal. They use only sterile, single-use, disposable materials, opting for high-quality, natural vegan inks to minimize adverse reactions. Over the years, Barbi has collaborated with elected officials to advocate for improved standards for tattoo shops in Arizona, pushing for better health, safety, and environmental regulations to ensure the well-being of both clients and artists.  
 
Beyond providing creative, high-quality tattoos, Wookie Style Tattoos has become a hub for supporting important causes. They offer discounts to veterans and first responders and are dedicated to helping those looking to make positive life changes. The artists also specialize in cover-up tattoos for individuals recovering from surgery, injury, self-harm, or seeking to move beyond difficult past experiences.  
 
As the business grew, Barbi connected with Survivors Ink, an organization that supports human trafficking survivors by helping them cover up “property stamps” and other dehumanizing tattoos. Wookie Style Tattoos is now an affiliate of Survivors Ink and partners with the City of Phoenix Victim Services to offer free cover-ups for trafficking survivors.   
 
Their approach is grounded in compassion and respect for those they serve. “We do everything we can to make them as comfortable as possible, ensuring that they feel safe. We don’t take those moments as opportunities for advancement or advertising,” Wookie explains. “We want to ensure their anonymity and their safety.”   
 
In addition to supporting survivors, the team is deeply invested in mental health awareness and destigmatizing mental illness and suicide.   
 
“We’re very big on people’s rights and individuality, and we’re also very big on mental health,” says Wookie. “We’ve had that [mental health] impact us greatly throughout our lives, our children’s lives, and our extended family’s lives. We realized that we had a venue to attack the issues that were important to us. Being able to reach out and work with people who are trying to make changes in their lives has been a huge benefit to us and them,” says Wookie.   
 
Each September, Wookie Style Tattoos dedicates the month to mental health and suicide awareness. Throughout the month, the shop provides free literature on mental health and information on local resources. They also laminate and display photos of customers’ loved ones lost to suicide on a “Remembering Wall,” creating a space for survivors to see their loved ones honored by the community.   
 
“Unfortunately, it [the Remembering Wall] keeps growing,” Wookie explains solemnly, “but it is a space for all the survivors to know that in our minds, everybody matters. They’ll come by and see their cousin, sister, or child... It also touches people that don’t necessarily have somebody up on the wall. They’re seeing the sheer numbers of people lost, the family members of our customers. It makes the issue more real.”   
 
Since 2018, the Wookie Style team has also hosted an annual Suicide Awareness Fundraiser each September, raising over $24,000 for mental health charities. This impactful event brings together community members, local businesses, mental health organizations, and licensed counselors to dispel myths and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide.    
 
This event serves as a day of hope and healing for those affected by suicide, whether through personal experiences or the loss of loved ones. Community members gather to share stories, offer mutual support, and get meaningful tattoos, like the semi-colon symbol representing the choice to keep going. During the event, the Wookie Style artists and others from across the state donate their time and skills to support the cause.   
 
“We’ve had people come from all over the state and even out of state just to visit us for this event. The number of people we touch and the stories we hear during the event is pretty amazing, and even overwhelming at times,” says Wookie. “We go home from our event exhausted, working 12 hours with hundreds of people coming through the door, but then we can’t go to sleep until four in the morning because we’re talking about how amazing it was hearing from these people and how important the event has been for them.”     
 
In the future, Wookie and Barbi hope to expand their efforts beyond September, raising awareness and providing resources year-round for issues close to their hearts, such as supporting veterans, first responders, and individuals in recovery from addiction. They envision dedicating other months to these specific causes, offering discounted services, and engaging in similar fundraising efforts.   
 
“We try to make sure that the community knows we’re a space that will help if we’re able... So much of the community has begun making our business synonymous with key things that are important to them like mental health and suicide awareness, and they are passing it on to other people. If we can stay relevant through the course of the entire year instead of just one month out of the year, imagine how many more people can be touched,” says Wookie.  
 
To support Wookie Style Tattoos’ mission, Wookie encourages people to follow their social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. By simply liking and sharing Wookie Style Tattoos' message, supporters can help break down stigma and encourage others to seek support.