karen elena james
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My Personal Story
Years ago, anxiety ruled my life. I was afraid of saying & doing the wrong thing. I didn’t know that I was highly sensitive or that as a child, I had absorbed unhealthy fears & beliefs from overpowering family members who didn't understand me. To protect myself, I became detached & withdrawn.​
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In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. For the next 15 years, I took a variety of medications which temporarily reduced my symptoms but did not heal my disease.
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Then, a chance comment by a friend led me to question why my life was so different from the one I thought I would have. As it turned out, the barriers I had created to shield myself were also keeping in feelings that should have been processed & expressed. I believe they played a large part in causing my chronic disease.
I decided to investigate. I studied metaphysics, spirituality, psychology & family dynamics.
​​My search for answers led to years of developing my inner self, which included learning about high sensitivity & introversion. These "conditions" were unheard of or not well understood (introverts were considered neurotic) when I began my quest. I read, meditated in different ways & tried numerous healing practices. I sought help & guidance from both conventional & alternative healers. And I made the difficult decision to end unhealthy relationships, even though there were times when I felt utterly alone.
My efforts produced results. By integrating lessons from a variety of modalities, even when they seemed incompatible, I was able to create a solid foundation for the life I wanted to have rather than the fearful one of my earlier years.
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That foundation allowed me to build a healthier lifestyle. Through it all, I was persistent, open-minded & always believed a better life was possible even though I had no idea how it would look.
​As for my autoimmune disease, it went into remission a long time ago.
About me
My Professional Background
As I was educating & healing myself personally, my professional life began to alter as well.
From Corporate Transactions to Abused Kids
​After a downsizing from my paralegal position in a business/litigation law firm, I joined a project at Juvenile Court helping abused & neglected kids move from foster care into permanent homes. It's become a cliche, but this position was undeniably life changing for me. I wasn't aware of the abuses these kids suffered until I began reading their family histories.
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When my participation in that project ended, I maintained my involvement in health and welfare with a position at a private social service agency & later, by managing medical child support compliance at a national corporation.
Passing On What I Learned
Having posted inspirational & healing information online for a number of years, one of the posts I created received more attention than the others. It was about repressed (trapped) emotions. I firmly believe that our physical, mental and emotional health are interconnected. In my case, being highly sensitive & filled with emotions that I could not express in my dysfunctional family had made me seriously ill. So when I reached a certain level of inner calm on my healing journey & discovered how my overall health had improved, I was inspired to create this website & share what I knew.
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I have a Bachelor of Science degree from a state university in New England. I've always been fascinated by the mysteries of human behavior & I look forward to discussing them with you.
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