We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristen Schwartz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kristen, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?

During my graduate degree program, I interned at a children’s home. Children of all ages lived in the facility; some fled neglect and physical and emotional abuse, others had parents in prison, and children were there due to insufficient foster care. I was honored to be there and equally heartbroken. The depths of pain I witnessed and the effects of trauma these children longed to overcome weighed on me. Looking back, I see this was my first proper introduction to the impact of trauma. In the early 2000s, the mental health industry didn’t widely discuss trauma or consider that the diagnosis they were giving these children were symptoms of a body stuck in survival mode. Though I wouldn’t grasp the concept of boundaries until years later, during my internship, I found myself taking on the heaviness of pain around me and wishing I could save them. So much of what I experienced in my internship foreshadowed my expansion and passion for the future.

Kristen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For an Empath & Highly Sensitive (perceptive) to thrive, we must embrace self-healing. I created Realized Empath to support the specific healing needs of the empath and highly sensitive person. Through self-awareness, we see our blocks; we learn to release what we perceive by healing our pain. We begin to trust and deepen our intuition by acknowledging our needs. By implementing boundaries, we empaths feel safer in a high-definition world.

Kristen Schwartz, MA, is a writer, entrepreneur, attuned empathic healer, and certified trauma recovery, coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling. In 2016 fueled by passion and recognizing the need for Highly Sensitive People to thrive in a high-definition world, Kristen became the founder of Realized Empath. Within this wellness community, Empaths unite for support, inspiration, and healing. Join us at www.realizedempath.com or order her book, The Healed Empath.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Building trust and trust came through consistency and showing up as I am. I finally grasp that there are no shortcuts, especially with human connection. The big things we want to create are the small, consistent things we do daily. In the past, I found myself searching for shortcuts, and what I realized was I wanted a shortcut to bypass the discomfort I felt not having what I desired; and the pain came from the belief that said; you’ll be worthy once you create, obtain or receive this thing you want. So I let go of shortcutting and replaced it with showing up as I am each day and sharing my heart.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield changed me. Reading it altered how I show up for myself, my business, and my creating. Personal expansion and putting myself out into the world triggered my trauma response, and I would go into survival mode. I had many years where I would work and begin to see reward followed by fear and immense retraction. The pattern was unconscious; therefore, I felt tremendous shame each time it occurred. The War of Art helped me to identify and stay aware of my early signs of fear while creating, take necessary care, and remain committed to my intention.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.realizedempath.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/realizedempath
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/realizedempath
• Other: My Book- The Healed Empath: https://www.amazon.com/Healed-Empath-Sensitive-Transforming-Empowerment/dp/0760371733/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2QNTC4T7QIEDH&keywords=the+healed+empath&qid=1663693762&s=books&sprefix=the+healed+empath%2Cstripbooks%2C92&sr=1-1