Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karla Garjaka. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Karla, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

From the time I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a mother.
It wasn’t just a dream; it was something I felt in my bones. I
imagined the joy of raising daughters, laughing and playing with
them, and becoming the kind of mother I had always admired.
When I married the love of my life and we decided to start a family,
everything seemed perfect. I cherished every moment of pregnancy,
despite the challenges of morning sickness and complicated deliveries.
None of it mattered compared to the joy of holding my children for
the first time.
The early years were magical, filled with milestones and moments
of pure bliss. But as time went on, parenting began to take its toll.
Despite my deep love for my daughters, I found myself emotionally
drained. It wasn’t just the sleepless nights or constant demands—it was
a deeper exhaustion, a feeling of being lost, despite having everything
I had always wanted.
Then came the moment that changed everything. My youngest
daughter, Gigi, just a year and a half old, had created her first piece
of art. I remember the day vividly—just the two of us, sitting at the
kitchen table. Gigi, with her chubby little fingers, dipped the brush
into bright paints, smearing colors across the paper with the kind of
innocent joy only a child can muster. “Look, Mommy!” she squealed,
beaming with pride as her masterpiece took shape. Each stroke held
more than just color—it represented our connection, our time togeth-
er, and her budding creativity. I couldn’t have been prouder.
Days later, while preparing dinner in the kitchen, I heard Gigi cry-
ing—that kind of cry. The one that makes your heart pound with fear
before you even know what’s wrong. I rushed to the living room and
froze. There, in the hallway, stood Sophie, my middle daughter, hold-
ing what was left of Gigi’s artwork, torn to pieces. The jagged edges
of the paper in Sophie’s hands felt like a punch to the gut. Gigi’s tears came hard and fast, her little body trembling as she tried to make sense
of why something so special to her was now destroyed.
“Sophie,” I said, my voice unnaturally calm, though I felt anything
but. “What happened?”
I stepped closer, my pulse quickening, each beat drumming in my
ears. Sophie looked up at me, her expression blank, as if she didn’t un-
derstand the weight of what she had done. In her small hands, Gigi’s
precious creation was nothing more than crumpled pieces. I grabbed
Sophie’s arms, the grip tighter than I intended. “Sophie,” I repeated,
my voice now quivering, “why did you tear it up?”
Her answer was so simple, yet it stung like a thousand needles. “I
didn’t think it was nice,” she mumbled, her tone casual, as if she didn’t
comprehend the magnitude of what she had done.
I blinked in disbelief. My chest tightened as a wave of anger surged
through me. How could she? How could my own daughter, who knew
how much her little sister loved that piece, destroy it so thoughtlessly?
My breath quickened, and I could feel my pulse hammering in my
temples. I glanced at Gigi, still sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, her
tiny hands clutching the scraps of her once-proud creation.
My mind raced. I had to make Sophie understand the hurt she’d
caused. “Look at your sister, Sophie,” I said, my voice growing louder,
harsher. “Look at how sad she is! How could you do this to her?”
The words spilled out of me, each one sharper than the last. I want-
ed her to feel the weight of her actions, to recognize the hurt she had
caused. But the more I pushed, the more I saw her retreat—emotion-
ally shutting down right in front of me. Sophie’s wide eyes, brimming
with fear, stared back at me. She didn’t understand the intensity of my
reaction. She stood still, frozen, as if my anger had paralyzed her.
“Sophie, answer me!” I demanded, my hands trembling as I gripped
her arms tighter. Her small body stiffened under my touch, and for the
first time, I saw it clearly—the fear in her eyes. Not just confusion, but
fear. Fear of me.
And then, her small voice, barely a whisper: “Mom, I’m sorry.”
It was over in an instant. The rage that had boiled inside me evap-
orated, leaving only a deep, hollow pit of shame. My grip on her arms
loosened as I looked into her tear-filled eyes. The room seemed to
shrink, suffocating me with the weight of what I had just done. I had
let my frustration, my exhaustion, and all the unspoken stress of motherhood spill over in that moment, and now I stood there, towering
over my daughter—my child—who had just wanted my love and un-
derstanding.
I stepped back, my hands falling limply to my sides. I was over-
whelmed with guilt. What had I done? How had I allowed myself to
become this version of a mother—the one I swore I’d never be? The
years of knowledge, of studying emotional intelligence, child develop-
ment—all of it seemed meaningless now. I hadn’t been able to control
my own emotions, and I had hurt my child in the process.
That night, after the house had finally fallen silent, I sat alone in
the dark, replaying the scene over and over in my mind. Every detail
haunted me—Sophie’s face, her wide eyes, the trembling in her voice
as she whispered, “I’m sorry.” The shame of my actions was unbearable.
I realized then that my anger wasn’t about the torn painting. It was a
symptom of something much deeper—years of suppressed emotions,
unprocessed pain, and the overwhelming weight of being a mother.
In that moment of stillness, I knew something had to change—I
had to change. I couldn’t keep letting my emotions control me, repeat-
ing the same cycle of anger and guilt. That night was a turning point, a
moment of reckoning. I decided then that I had to find a way to better
manage my emotions, not just for my daughters, but for myself.
From that dark moment of realization came the ABCD tech-
nique—a method that didn’t just teach my children how to manage
their emotions, but helped me control mine as well. It was a way to
break the cycle, to find peace in the chaos of motherhood. I understood
that if I wanted to guide my children through their feelings, I had to
first learn to navigate my own.
And this is the heart of my story—because I know I’m not alone.
Parents everywhere are struggling, not because they don’t love their
children, but because they haven’t been given the tools to manage their
own emotions amidst the demands of parenting.
This book is my gift to you. A collection of practical tools to
help you navigate the complex emotions of parenthood with grace,
self-compassion, and resilience. Just as I’ve learned through my own
journey, you too can find the strength to become the parent you’ve
always wanted to be. Together, we can break the cycle of anger, guilt,
and frustration, and create a new path of emotional growth—not just
for our children, but for ourselves.

Karla, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The EQ Revolution: Where Neuroscience Meets the Soul”
Inside Karla Garjaka’s bold new path to emotional mastery.

Karla Garjaka and the Emotional Literacy Revolution

“Mental health isn’t a crisis—it’s a calling. One that begins in the body, listens through the heart, and speaks through the mind.” — Karla Garjaka

Meet Karla Garjaka

If you haven’t heard Karla Garjaka’s name yet, take a breath—because you’re about to. She’s not just rewriting the rules on mental health; she’s burning the old playbook and building a new world from the ashes.
Karla is a best-selling author, international speaker, and holistic psychologist—but none of those labels quite capture her essence. She’s a force of nature. A movement. A revolution wrapped in compassion and science. With nearly three decades of experience and a staggering 11 years of formal education, Karla is the rare visionary who fuses neuropsychology, nutritional psychology, and emotional psychology into a single, electrifying discipline.
Her mission? To ignite an emotional revolution—one brain, one heart, one gut at a time.

The Origin: From Knowing Everything to Feeling Everything
Karla’s journey began in Brazil, where her relentless curiosity led her to a single, soul-shaking question:
What really drives our behavior and cogntive development?
Her research unearthed the invisible threads connecting food, mood, brain development, and emotional regulation—especially in the formative years. But the real breakthrough came not from a textbook, but from her own breaking point.
“I knew everything. But I couldn’t feel anything,” Karla confides. “That’s when I realized—emotional intelligence isn’t a trait. It’s a practice. It’s a choice we make every day.”
That revelation sparked the birth of her signature frameworks: the TriLEARN™ System and the A-B-C-D™ Method. Today, these tools are rewriting destinies across continents.

Science, Soul, and Real-World Impact
Karla Garjaka doesn’t just talk about emotional literacy—she builds it, teaches it, and lives it. Her programs are a masterclass in transformation, blending the rigor of neuroscience with the wisdom of lived experience.
Here’s what she brings to the table:
The Triad Model: A visual map that demystifies your inner world—the Frontal Lobe (the CEO), the Amygdala (the Impulsive Child), and the Gut-Brain Axis (your Compass of Wisdom).
The A-B-C-D™ Framework: A deceptively simple, wildly effective method that guides anyone—from children to CEOs—from reactivity to emotional mastery.
Immersive Experiences: Workshops, keynotes, retreats, school programs, and one-on-one consulting that don’t just inform—they transform.
Bestselling Books & eBooks: Groundbreaking works on food, mood, and emotional wellbeing.
Foundation Matters: Her nonprofit, on a mission to impact one million lives by 2025 through education, early intervention, and family support.
Her clients? Parents, educators, schools, and mental health professionals who are done with quick fixes and hungry for real change.

Why Karla Garjaka Is Unforgettable
What makes Karla different? She doesn’t just bring science—she brings story, strategy, and soul. She turns cold data into warm, actionable wisdom. She doesn’t “fix” people—she empowers them to become their own healers.
“We don’t need to fix our children. We need to listen to them—and give them the tools to understand themselves,” Karla insists. In her world, emotional literacy isn’t a luxury. It’s a birthright.

Why You Need Karla Now
Are you a parent desperate to raise emotionally resilient kids?
A teacher tired of power struggles and craving peace in your classroom?
A leader seeking to infuse empathy into your culture?
Karla Garjaka isn’t just another expert. She’s the spark that lights the fire of transformation. She offers more than information—she delivers a revolution.

“We don’t rise by knowing more. We rise by feeling deeper. And when we give our emotions a voice, we give our lives direction.”

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The Moment Karla Garjaka Rebelled
Fresh from university, diploma gleaming, Karla Garjaka entered the world as an educational psychologist—armed with knowledge, hope, and a burning desire to help. What she didn’t see coming was the battle that would erupt between the rigid system she was trained in and the deeper truth she could no longer ignore.
Her job? Simple on paper: test, label, report. Diagnose. Prescribe. Move on.
But for Karla, every child was a mystery, not a number. Especially the bilingual kids—their stories, their struggles, their brilliance lost in translation. The standardized tests she was told to trust? They failed these children the moment language shifted. The results became meaningless. And what haunted her most was what those tests never even tried to measure.
No one in the room was asking:
What storms are raging inside this child’s heart?
What invisible wounds are shaping their every reaction?
How does food—yes, food—fuel their focus or fog their minds?
What is it like to carry two cultures in one small body?
Back then, these questions were heresy. Emotional health? Nutrition? Cultural shock? Not in the curriculum. Not in the manual. Not in the meetings.
And when Karla dared to bring them up, the message was clear—stay in your lane.
“You’re already helping. Stick to the tests. Stick to the labels. That’s enough.”
But Karla’s soul was on fire.
She couldn’t unsee what she saw. She couldn’t unknow what she knew.
So, she rebelled. Quietly at first—pouring over research, decoding case files, chasing the earliest whispers of gut-brain science and trauma-informed learning. She began to see her students not as scores to be sorted, but as whole, complex beings—hungry to be understood, not branded.
And then the resistance hit.
“You need to pick a lane.”
“Are you a psychologist or a nutritionist?”
“You’re making this too complicated.”
“You’re going to confuse everyone.”
But Karla refused to shrink. She stood her ground, fueled by the transformations she witnessed when children were seen, nourished, and empowered—not just labeled. She knew the truth: the mind, body, and heart are inseparable. To compartmentalize them is to betray them.
With nothing but her conviction and the unwavering support of her husband, Karla made the bravest move of her life—she walked away from the system and built her own path. She dove deep into nutritional psychology, neuropsychology, trauma-informed care, and cognitive development. She created her own signature approach—one that sees the whole child, not just the behavior.
Her mantra became her mission:
“The path to a stronger mind begins inside.”
Two decades later, Karla Garjoka is a best-selling author, international speaker, and holistic psychologist—leading a global revolution in emotional literacy. Her work fuses science, compassion, and actionable tools that don’t just change minds, but change lives.
Karla’s resilience didn’t just rewrite her story—it’s rewriting the stories of every child, parent, and educator she touches. In her world, challenges aren’t deficits. They’re invitations. And every invitation is a chance to rise.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

The Secret to Transformation: What Success Really Looks Like

When asked what it truly takes to succeed in her field, Karla Garjaka doesn’t hesitate.

“It’s not just about credentials,” she says. “It’s about paying attention to what others miss. The smallest details. The quietest cues. The moments most people overlook.”

For Karla, success begins with radical attentiveness—the kind that honors each child’s story, cultural background, nutritional needs, and emotional reality. She refuses to rely solely on protocols or surface-level checklists. Instead, she insists on individual thinking—digging deeper, asking different questions, and never taking anything for granted.

“I don’t treat data points—I support human beings,” she explains. “That requires intuition, curiosity, and the courage to trust what you see, even when it doesn’t fit the mold.”

But what really sets her apart is this: Karla doesn’t believe in working with just the child. She works with the whole family.

In Karla’s world, everyone is seen, everyone is involved, and everyone is cared for.
Because emotional literacy and cogntive empoerment doesn’t happen in isolation—it’s a shared language, built at the dinner table, in morning routines, in bedtime stories, in moments of frustration and joy.

She empowers parents to become emotional guides, not just observers. She gives siblings a voice. She helps caregivers understand that healing happens together, and that the environment a child lives in is just as important as any diagnosis they’re given.

This is Karla Garjaka’s magic.
It’s not a one-size-fits-all method. It’s a living, breathing practice built on presence, personalization, and purpose.

She doesn’t just help kids thrive in school.
She helps families thrive in life.

And that, she says, is the real revolution.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.karlagarjaka.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlagarjaka/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karla.garjaka
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karla-garjaka/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@globallybrightersreaders8357