HEY THERE!

I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE

I'm Karen - I'm a mama to two teens and a dog; and I live with my family in Washington, DC (but spend a ton of time in Costa Rica…more on that in a bit).

I have my Masters in Social Work, I’m a former psychotherapist (I practiced for over 23 years, which makes me way older than I feel).

I'm a coach of various iterations, mentor to many fabulous woman, a certified Energy Editing™ Professional, and “certified” Passionista…

Passionista? What’s that?

Passion is my fuel. It’s what drives me as a mom, as a woman, as a friend, and in my work with clients. It’s what I bring to every class I teach, client I coach, workshop or retreat I lead.

And it's what I help you discover within you...

Your passions…the things that makes you YOU, the experiences and dreams and burning desires…whether you are conscious of what they are or not.…are your fuel.

When you learn to follow your desire and your passions…your life gets “turned on,” your relationships improve, you get happier, and everyone around you benefits.

If you’re on this page, it may be because you’ve found yourself struggling in the passion or desire department lately. You may be feeling blah, maybe anxious, maybe running on empty— in your relationships, in your career, in your life…

You WANT things to change, but you just aren’t sure how to get there (you’ve already tried therapy, diets, self-help books…yes?)

I know, from years of working with hundreds (maybe thousands) of women AND from my own personal journey, that it does not have to be this way. What you want is possible - if you have the right tools, support and navigation system.

Karen

Here's a bit of my backstory...

About 10+ years ago, I had it all - at least, it looked that way on the outside, and even to me…

I had what I now call a “white picket fence” life…The nice house in the nice neighborhood with the nice husband and the 2 kids and 2 dogs and 2 car garage (ok, we actually didn’t have a garage…we live in DC, not a lot of garages!)

You get the picture: I had all the things I 'thought' I was supposed to want.

And yet: I was struggling with exhaustion, resentment, insomnia, money drama, marital disconnection, stress, and a lingering feeling of “why aren’t I happier?”

Sure, I knew I was supposed to be grateful (and I was…really!). Yet…something was missing.

I could feel I wanted to do more, be more, express more of myself, feel sexier, ask for more in my marriage, show up more in my career…but I was scared, conflicted, and frankly, confused about how to do it.

I had spent some years in therapy, had more journals than I could possibly count, and I could recite, verbatim, what I SHOULD do (drink more water, raise my rates with clients, budget my money, schedule date nights with my husband, blah blah blah).

Nothing seemed to really "wake up" my joy and vitality, my passion and my purpose.

Karen Schachter

What was wrong with me??

Heres the thing.

Even though I had learned to listen to my body (healing from an eating disorder many years prior), and even to say no to things that didn’t serve me (to a degree) there was still this POWERFUL pressure I felt, mostly unconsciously, to:

 

  • ...be GOOD!
  • ...be NICE!
  • ...not MESS up!
  • ...not FAIL!
  • ...have everyone LIKE me!
  • ...make sure everyone was HAPPY!
  • ...not be SELFISH!
  • ...not WANT too much!
  • ...not BE too much!
  • ...not say the WRONG thing!

Then, one day, I consulted a Vedic Astrologer. (I know, what’s a nice psychotherapist doing with an astrologer? Well, I was in search of some magic, since all my “thinking” and analyzing hadn't got me very far).

"What should I do about my marriage? About work? With my life?
I am STUCK" I said to him.

He looked at me and essentially said:

"Karen, you are NOT a white picket fence girl. You LOOK like a white picket fence girl, and people assume you are a white picket fence girl – but that is not who you really are.

You are meant to walk on the edge, follow your own path. And the more you continue to pretend to be someone you’re not, to follow the rules that you think you’re SUPPOSED to follow, and hold yourself back in order to fit in and be liked, the more you will suffer."

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, because I knew he was right! I was spending so much energy trying to manage how everyone else felt about me, not risking mistakes or failure or criticism or disappointment, and not enough energy on what I wanted, who I wanted to be and say and express and explore.

Karen Schachter

That day was the beginning of a new journey for me – a journey to find the freedom to be myself, to discover my desires, to dismantle my fears.

While I have still chosen to live (for now!) in a white picket fence neighborhood, there are a multitude of shifts that I have made internally that have impacted many aspects of my life: truth-telling in my marriage; greater ease and flow with money; feeling sexier and more vital in my body; and way more self-expressed and happy and successful in my business!

Plus, we just bought a dream-house right on the Caribbean Ocean in Costa Rica, where I just hosted my first (of many) retreats.

Dream. Come. True.

Karen Schachter

Why should this matter to you?

I had to learn many of the things I now teach my clients. And I know, without hesitation, that you can learn this too.

You can have your version of the life you want. I will teach you how to know and honor your desires, work WITH your fears so they stop leading the way, and how to ultimately have more purpose and meaning in your life; vitality and aliveness in your body; and connection and authenticity in your relationships.

More abundance all-around.

Through my online group programs, transformational workshops or in-person programs, or 1:1 coaching, I am committed to helping you step into the woman you want to be and create the life you want to live.

If you’ve read this far, then I hope you’ll reach out to me.

Karen

Some other things you might want to know.

karendog

01

I CURSE KIND OF A LOT

Once I let go of my "good girl" persona, I found that the word "fuck" just came out of my mouth sometimes. I don't mean to offend, but it truly helps me feel free-er in my self expression.

02

I'M A HEALTH COACH

I have a certification in health coaching. I eat kale, drink wine, eat ice cream sometimes, love brussels sprouts, and live for coffee (preferably with heavy cream). This is my version of balance.

03

MY ITALIAN DREAM

I always dreamed of living in Italy. Instead, on what seems like a whim, I bought a house on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. I have proven to myself (again) that feelings - rather than preferences - drive our desires and ultimately our happiness.

04

I READ TAROT CARDS

I wasn't trained, but somehow, after I bought my first deck, people kept asking me for readings. One night at a restaurant with friends, I had a line of strangers waiting to have their cards read by me. This still makes me laugh.

05

MY SOUL MATE

One of my soul mates was my dog, Bacchus, who I believe understood me in a way that no one else has. He died at age 17, a few years ago. Shortly after he died, we found his old dog tags (that had been lost years earlier) in the woods (his favorite place to walk!) He continues to show up in mysterious ways in my life.

06

IN ANOTHER LIFE

In an Alternative Universe, I am a food and travel writer! 🙂 Ever since my first trip to France at 13 years old, with my super-cool Aunt, I've been obsessed with all things food + travel. Getting on an airplane to a new place and exploring the culture, the food and the local farmer's markets is my idea of heaven.