Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shannon Santerelli-Freeman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shannon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
Absolutely. One of the most defining and transformative moments of my professional journey came after I completed my Womb Wisdom Practitioner training through the Sacred Woman School, led by Malieokalani Urrita. I had already been deeply rooted in energy healing, but I felt called to expand my work in the divine feminine space—supporting women through challenges like painful periods, toxic relationships, generational trauma, and even infertility.
This training wasn’t just an intellectual deepening—it became a sacred initiation for me. It reawakened something ancient and powerful within, and during one of the more intense healing sessions, I experienced a profound personal shift.
My husband and I had tried to conceive multiple times without success. Just one week after this powerful energetic clearing and activation through the training, I found out I was pregnant. We’re now expecting our first child together this September.
That moment not only changed the trajectory of my personal life—it cemented my professional purpose. I witnessed firsthand the power of this work and how essential it is for women to reclaim their energetic, emotional, and spiritual sovereignty. It affirmed that I’m meant to walk this path—not just as a practitioner, but as a living testament to what’s possible when we return to our womb wisdom.
Lesson learned? That our bodies hold ancient intelligence. When we truly listen, clear, and nurture them—not just physically, but energetically—miracles can unfold.
Shannon, 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 those who may not have met me yet, I’m Shannon Santerelli Freeman, founder of Modern Hippie Soul. I’m a Womb Healer, Reiki Master, Sekhem Practitioner, Energetic Coach, and Speaker—devoted to helping women heal from burnout, reclaim their power, and embody the fullest expression of their feminine energy.
My journey into this work was born from lived experience. I navigated the trenches of corporate burnout, survived narcissistic abuse, rebuilt life as a single mother, and emerged not just surviving—but thriving—through deep spiritual healing. These personal trials led me to study a wide range of energetic and holistic practices. I trained extensively in Reiki, Sekhem (an ancient Egyptian healing system), and most recently became certified as a Womb Wisdom Practicioner. Each of these modalities has given me a different key to unlock the wisdom, inner strength, and resilience we all carry within us—especially women.
Through Modern Hippie Soul, I offer a suite of services designed to support women on their healing journey—from sound baths and womb clearing sessions to personalized 1:1 energy coaching and group programs like Balancing Brilliance, my signature 9-week burnout recovery and energetic empowerment course. I also lead seasonal retreats, workshops, and feminine energy ceremonies that blend ancient wisdom with modern practicality.
The problems I help solve are the ones many women quietly carry—emotional and energetic exhaustion, burnout from people-pleasing or overworking, feeling disconnected from their body or voice, carrying trauma in the womb space, or living under the weight of generational patterns that no longer serve them. I guide women back to their inner healer—to the power, intuition, and balance that has always been theirs.
What sets me apart is that I don’t just teach this work—I live it. I know what it means to rebuild from rock bottom. I understand the nuance of carrying spiritual gifts while navigating real-world responsibilities. My work is heart-led and rooted in both the sacred and the practical. I’m not here to fix anyone—I’m here to walk beside them as they remember who they are.
I’m most proud of the community I’m creating—one where women can be both soft and strong, intuitive and intelligent, mystical and grounded. I want people to know that healing doesn’t have to be sterile or inaccessible—it can be beautiful, messy, joyful, sacred, and deeply personal.
Whether you’re seeking clarity, rest, reconnection, or full transformation, my work is here to help you realign with your truth and radiate your brilliance—body, mind, and soul.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I’ve had to unlearn a lot—and honestly, I still am. But one of the biggest and most transformative lessons I had to unlearn was shame. Shame for what I’d been through, for what I thought made me “less than,” and for the parts of my story I once believed needed to stay hidden.
As women, we’re conditioned not to speak openly about our pain. We’re taught to be meek, to avoid making others uncomfortable, and to stay quiet out of fear we’ll seem ungrateful for what we do have. It’s such a harmful paradox—expected to carry the weight of trauma, abuse, or heartbreak quietly while still performing strength and grace.
Growing up with a narcissistic father meant I had to maintain the illusion that everything was perfect. We were trained to keep up appearances at all costs. No one from the outside had any idea how dysfunctional things really were—and that image management became deeply ingrained. That’s where the shame took root: in the belief that truth had to be hidden in order to be acceptable.
For a long time, I was ashamed of having a child with someone who later became an extreme addict. I carried shame from abusive relationships, childhood trauma, my father’s affairs, and even from miscarriages. These experiences lived like secrets—until I began to realize that the shame wasn’t mine to carry. These are things I survived. And not only did I survive—I healed, grew, and reclaimed my power.
Now, every time I allow myself to be vulnerable, raw, and real—someone reaches out. Someone tells me they see themselves in my story. That they feel less alone. And in that moment, any lingering sense of shame dissipates. It reminds me that this is the work. The real shame isn’t in what we’ve lived through—it’s in hiding the light we’ve earned by walking through the dark.
Unlearning shame has allowed me to build my business from a place of truth and connection. It’s the foundation of the community I’m building—a space where women can show up fully, with every scar, every story, and every ounce of their sacred strength.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One of the most defining moments of resilience in my life was the day I left my first child’s father. He was emotionally, physically, and financially abusive—and deeply consumed by addiction. The environment had become unsafe, unpredictable, and dangerous. I knew that if I stayed, it would cost me everything. So I made the decision to leave, with nothing but a diaper bag and the instinct to protect my daughter.
As I was trying to drive away, he was so far gone in his addiction that he attempted to pull my daughter’s car seat out of the car while it was still moving. That moment—chaotic, terrifying, and surreal—made it crystal clear: I had to go. There was no turning back.
I drove from California to Arizona, holding my breath almost the entire way. I coasted into my mother’s driveway running on fumes—literally. My car ran out of gas the moment I reached her front door. I had nothing left, but I had made it. That moment—completely emptied, yet safely holding my child—was both a rock bottom and a new beginning.
And if I’m being honest, that wasn’t my only time at rock bottom—life seemed to think I needed a few reps to really learn what I was made of. But every single one of those moments shaped me into the woman I am today.
From there, I rebuilt my life. I worked hard, healed deeply, and eventually raised two children on my own. I transformed my pain into purpose, and the strength I found in that moment now lives in every part of my work.
That experience taught me that resilience doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it’s the quiet determination to keep driving, to keep breathing, to keep choosing yourself and your future—even when you’re running on empty.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.modernhippiesoul.com
- Instagram: @modernhippiesoul
Image Credits
Pneuma Photo