My story.

My father died when I was 15, my mother when I was 27. Then at age 30, I became a widow. 

Standing again before the disorienting chasm of loss, I felt the question: Who Am I Now?

The road before me suddenly seemed fractured, darkened, confusing. Many well-intentioned folks told me to play it safe, return to comforting routines, stick close to what and who I knew. But something in me yearned to step toward the question. Stretch. Seek. So I left my job, applied to seminary, and moved in with family, envisioning I would make my way to California to find a new community. Two years later, I found myself joyfully entering a second marriage and living in a small town in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Life is a mystery.

Often, just when we think we know the plan and have mapped out the path, life gives us a “shock point” — some big change, typically unwanted, often painful — that may shake what sense of self and comfort we have known. Through the twists and turns of my life, I’ve learned about seeing and accepting shock points as openings — for learning and growth,for saying yes to life. Not easy work, but I’ve learned it’s a powerful pathway to living more fully. It’s also not one-time work. For most of us, it’s an experience that repeats, in different ways and through different circumstances, over the course of our lives. 

Karen's white fluffy dog sits in her lap

Then and Now

My second husband and I now make our home in Minnesota. We enjoy spending time with family, hiking and camping with our friendly GoldenDoodle, playing games and laughing around the dinner table, especially when our two young adult children return for visits. We love talking deep into the night, often returning to how the Enneagram has led each of us to greater self-awareness, and a deeper sense of compassion for ourselves and others.

I am so deeply honored to work as a coach, mentor, and teacher with people walking through the mysteries of their own lives, yearning to find and live as their fullest selves. Maybe they’ve encountered a shock point and are asking: Who Am I Now? Maybe they sense the familiar ways of operating just aren’t working for them anymore and are feeling ready to find new ways. Whatever your story, it would be my honor and privilege to accompany you on the beautiful journey of self-awareness, self-compassion, and awakening that is possible for you.

I look forward to meeting you!

Warmly,

Karen

Certifications & Education

  • IEQ9, Integrative Enneagram Accredited Practitioner

  • Professional Mastery Track, CPenneagram Academy

  • Personal Mastery Track, CPenneagram Academy

  • Full Circle Enneagram Training Program Certification

  • Certified Spiritual Director, Center For Spiritual Guidance

  • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, LICSW

  • Masters in Social Work, MSW

  • M.A Theological Studies

  • B.A. Social Work

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