There is a path to freedom, a path to the life you deserve and desire. As a resilient survivor of many of life’s challenges, Kirsten Johansen is a creative, intuitive, seasoned guide. She teaches tools, strategies and practices that center your beliefs about yourself, and the development of unconditional positive regard, to get to the source of the stubborn thought, feeling, and behavior patterns that cause you suffering and keep you from living your happiest and most authentic life. Her writing, radio show and coaching practice reflect her passion for radically honest and vulnerable storytelling that builds a bridge of connection for humans to heal and be released into the freedom of unconditional self-acceptance.
Kirsten Johansen, Writer, Radio Host & Coach
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
I am sitting in my studio apartment on the tiny Maltese island of Gozo in the Mediterranean. I spend about half my time in this fascinating, ancient country and the other half on the beautiful Oregon coast with my mom. I dreamt of this life since 2007 when I began to travel internationally. I convinced myself that perhaps I could somehow achieve international living in retirement, applying the analytics of perfectionism to all that would be required to pull it off. Turns out, building the plane while I fly is a better strategy because I get to live my dream NOW.
My life today bears no resemblance to my life just three years ago. I have transformed it completely, letting go of my perfectionism, corporate job, dependable salary, car, luxury condo, 90% of my wardrobe, make-up, cosmetic procedures, structured 12-step recovery, and most of all, the belief that I needed any of these things to be happy, joyous, and FREE.
The absolute freedom I have always longed for is the willingness to live in the present, to embrace and accept all that is unknown, and to choose the next right step for me based solely on my truth.
What inspired you to start this business?
Thanks for asking this question in this way! As I reflect upon my professional life, it is driven by inspiration, mission, and purpose, as well as the willingness and, more likely, the need to transform and transcend.
I was far from free in the spring of 2020. I was despairing, hollow, fearful, and (almost) hopeless. I had experienced a loss that pulled the rug out from under me, and, ahem, unbeknownst to my clean, organized, and tidy self, there were essential things that had been swept under that rug for many years. I had built a good life. A life that checked all the boxes of success. But nothing ever seemed to be enough. I kept waiting and hoping to feel like I had “made it” and could finally relax and enjoy my life. I was projecting 15 years into the future and wondering if I could somehow retire when I was 65 to live the life I really wanted. I was also well aware of the temporary nature of life and health, having lost my dad suddenly when he was just 56, my sister-in-law at 51, and survived a bout of cancer myself. I knew that I could not continue in this same pattern and expect different results. The situation I found myself in was my own doing. Yes, circumstances are often outside my control, but how I respond to them is wholly mine to choose.
So, choose I did. I investigated what had brought me to that despairing, empty place, and when I found out what it was, I committed to healing as if it were the most important project of my life. I availed myself of all the tools, strategies, teachers, and opportunities that flowed into my life and had epiphanies, discoveries, and transformations. I ultimately transcended my past—and experienced freedom for the first time since I was a small child.
I could not keep a lid on this! I needed to offer help, support, guidance, and healing to other humans from the same place my mission and purpose have always originated: from my lived experience.
What sets your products/services apart from competitors in the market?
My coaching practice is a judgment-free zone. I treat every client with unconditional positive regard, something often missing from our internal lives as our inner critic works us over with its constant negative chatter. My core work is guiding people to self-acceptance. Their journey is often sparked by starting a new business, navigating a relationship challenge, or addressing their health. Not surprisingly (to me!), silencing their inner critic, accepting themselves unconditionally, and treating themselves with compassion is the basis for achieving their goals.
I’m comfortable talking about a wide range of sensitive topics. My depth of professional experience in leadership, business operations, addiction treatment, sexual health, training and consulting, and entrepreneurship, including owning and operating a tattoo and body piercing studio, gives me a deep well from which to draw. My Sociology, Psychology, and Business Administration degrees provide a solid foundation to support clients in their personal and professional endeavors. As a resilient survivor of many of life’s challenges, all the tools and strategies I’ve used to coach myself are available to tailor to my client's needs, making for a fun, creative path to the life they desire.
Could you provide an overview of your website and business?
Please connect with me here! You can message me directly, ask questions, book a coaching package, check out my blog, or listen to my radio show, GTO Freedom for Humans. If you want to share your story or promote your business, I would love to feature you on the show!
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
When I left my job after sixteen years, I had enough savings to take some time to decide what I wanted to do next. I knew it was time for a change. I could hear my authentic inner voice after some time to reflect, heal, connect with my family and friends, and live free of the demands of a career that had been driving me for the last 30 years. It told me to write, tell stories using my voice, and use my experience to help others. When VoiceAmerica contacted me about developing a radio show/podcast, I was struck by the opportunity to answer all three callings in one place. This was the genesis of GTO Freedom for Humans, my weekly radio show. It is a dream come true to connect with a broad, international audience of freedom seekers about a range of topics related to freedom through unconditional self-acceptance. I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the authors, teachers, and guides who helped me transform my life. What a gift!
What plans do you have for your business's future growth and development?
Over the years, as I have shared my personal stories to connect with others who are struggling and offer strategies that worked for me, I’ve received one question over and over: “When are you going to write a book?” Well, now is when I’m going to write a book!
Many years ago, I was watching an episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. While I don’t remember the segment's subject, I do remember a journalist sitting on the porch of his cabin in the Brazilian rainforest, writing. I was so jealous!!! I wondered, “How do I make that life?”
Each day that I sit on my terrace with its warm breeze and view of the countryside and the Mediterranean Sea, tapping out the stories of my life, even if I’m blocked and it feels like coaxing a watermelon through a straw, I am aware that I am living the life I always wanted. It is this perfection, this acceptance and gratitude for the present moment, that I most want to share with others. It is the ultimate freedom.
Stay tuned for an unflinchingly honest memoir of sex, drugs, food, plastic surgery, and looking for acceptance in all the wrong places.
