A little bit about my journey I haven’t shared.
I’ve spent 22 years, if not more, fighting severe chronic illness. Somewhere along the way, that became fighting my body.
Fighting FOR my mental health became fighting AGAINST my mental health challenges.
Battling chronic pain became battling against myself.
After so many years of fighting to hang on, I’d sit in bed in my 20s commanding my body to listen…
Then in my 30s I had to quit teaching high school courses because my body just couldn’t do it any more. And the pressure had taken a toll on my brain.
I finally stopped in my tracks and realized- I had been at odds with my mind, my body, commanding and controlling and FIXING 🔨
But my body was screaming for help. It needed me to listen. It didn’t need FIXING. It needed BEFRIENDING.
My relationship with my mind and body began to shift. I learned about the connection between my chronic health issues, mental health dumpster fire, and my burned-out nervous system.
I stopped fixing, inspecting everything and declaring it broken. Instead I asked my body “what do you need?”
Now at 35, am I “healed?” No. Healing is progressive for many of us. But I have learned how to care for my needs. My mental health has skyrocketed. My own trauma recovery journey grew by leaps and bounds.
Dysregulation is an amazing teacher. And our body speaks- it cues us, prompts us, shows us where our boundaries are…
The question is, are we ready to LISTEN?
This is what I’ll be teaching starting next week. We have three spots left. Comment “COMMUNITY” if you want to learn how to hear your body and befriend your nervous system ❤️🩹
Kate at Refuge Life Services
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Mental Health & Trauma Coach at Refuge Life Services. Helping you cultivate positive mental health and overcome past trauma.
Certified Holistic Mindset Coach Kate Brennan focuses on partnering with clients to discover who they are and move beyond life-altering obstacles by creating a healthy mindset. Areas of specialty include: Self-discovery, self-esteem and confidence; Mental health support & self-care; Learning to thrive with a learning challenge, disability or chronic illness; Moving Beyond Past Trauma; Spiritual In
05/23/2026
A few things have come up. Here’s what I mean when I say “somatic” 💜
My work is Mental Health & Trauma Recovery Coaching. I do this holistically, and over the past six years have found that supporting clients by only focusing on the brain- only went so far. So I now utilize somatic work to support their goals whenever clients feel comfortable and it’s applicable.
I love science. I’m the girl who will read research papers at 3am for fun. So I do everything in my power to use evidence-based techniques only after I’ve seen the research.
Yes, spirituality and faith are also a huge part of my life. And sometimes clients want to incorporate their spirituality or even move beyond religious trauma. But that’s not what we’re looking at here.
Are there other evidence-based or helpful approaches out there? YES! Find what works best for you. It’s your mind, and your body. I love coaching because the client has such full autonomy.
My work has developed, grown and transformed along side me. And I’m excited to continue to grow with you all!
My empathic, ultra compassionate friends, and those who get overwhelmed by other people’s emotions… let’s talk for a second.
We don’t just need healthy physical boundaries. We need emotional ones too. And there are many amazing ways of doing this!
But if you’re not incorporating your body- your posture, your space, your biological cues- you’re only going to get so far.
This is not woo-woo. This is scientific study on how our posture, bodily cues, sensational awareness, and interoception change how we feel, think, and therefore behave! 🧬
✨ I might ruffle some feathers, but compassion is NOT taking on the emotions and experiences of someone else. Those ain’t yours, give them back. That’s codependent behavior, and a fast route to second-hand trauma and “compassion fatigue.”
✨ Your brain and nervous system will watch for your cues. If you’re physically shrinking yourself, you’re telling your body “I’m too small to carry this.” It will overtake you. Stand up tall, sit up straight, or take a step back! You’re telling yourself you’re strong enough, and that you need a little emotional space.
The brain follows the body. Our physical experience is connected- which is the foundation for true somatic work.
I LOVE educating on this subject and we’ll be covering it in the upcoming workshop Hearing Your Body. There are still a few spots left, so if this is helpful for you, I invite you to join us!
05/20/2026
11 years later ⏳ Age 24 vs. 35. I used to be incredibly afraid of “aging…” I’m still not a huge fan of the little silver hairs that I have 🤣 but I would choose this version of myself EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And here’s why…
24 year old Kate couldn’t leave without tons of makeup because of the fear of being perceived as imperfect. < 35 year old Kate wears what feels good- regardless of style, how much or how little makeup, and imperfections are totally acceptable.
24 year old Kate was late EVERYWHERE, because she was secretly so anxious and compulsive trauma-cycles kept her from feeling safe to leave the house, which caused deep shame. < 35 year old Kate knows how to plan according to her needs, is timely, and doesn’t have anxiety and trauma-cycles calling the shots. And shame? Left in the rear view mirror.
24 year old Kate smiled because she was told “it was pretty.” < 35 year old Kate smiles because she embraces her goofy self and looks for the joy each day. (Seriously, I didn’t even let myself smile in certain ways back then. Now I see pictures of my crinkly-eyed smiles and think, wow I look happy!)
24 year old Kate had to fight to hold onto hope. That was ok, it was part of the journey. But… < 35 year old Kate? Can wake up and greet Hope. On days where it’s harder to feel it, she KNOWS it’s still hers 💜
What are you proud of yourself for today, friends?
We be like that sometimes 🤣 she’s not wrong!
Thanks for the laugh, it’s good medicine! (It might even regulate my nervous system, wink wink)
Did I miss anything? 🙊
I can’t wait to introduce you to some of my FAVORITE tools for positive mental health and nervous system regulation!
There’s plenty of beginner-friendly tools, but I can almost guarantee there will be techniques you’ve never heard of that might just make you swoon. We are going far beyond “drink your glass of water” advice (although hydration is definitely part of it!)
The best part? ONE HOUR A WEEK. The rest is at your own pace and utilizes our online community platform so we can cheer each other on 🎉
And while the stuff I mention above may sound strange, I promise you’ll walk away with a tool-belt full that will allow you to hear your body, reconnect with your intuition, and befriend your nervous system on normal days. Without a huge time investment, during busy life.
If you want to join the Hearing Your Body community online event that starts soon, comment CIRCLE ⭕️
I think I missed one… 🙊
I can’t wait to introduce you to some of my FAVORITE tools for positive mental health and nervous system regulation!
There’s plenty of beginner-friendly tools, but I can almost guarantee there will be techniques you’ve never heard of that might just make you swoon. We are going far beyond “drink your glass of water” advice (although hydration is definitely part of it!)
The best part? ONE HOUR A WEEK. The rest is at your own pace and utilizes our online community platform so we can cheer each other on 🎉
And while the stuff I mention above may sound strange, I promise you’ll walk away with a tool-belt full that will allow you to hear your body, reconnect with your intuition, and befriend your nervous system on normal days. Without a huge time investment, during busy life.
If you want to join, comment CIRCLE ⭕️
The nervous system is a great teacher… here are a few lessons it has taught me about my own mental health 🧠
✨ Dysregulation isn’t the enemy. It tells me when something is not right. Ignoring the signs means I am allowing my mental state to plummet
✨ I can’t take care of my mental health while ignoring the body as a whole. Mental health and physical health are intertwined
✨ Those “spidy senses?” 🕷️ That’s my nervous system picking up on something my brain hasn’t worked through yet! Ignoring them usually means ignoring my boundaries and needs. Cue the anxiety attacks…
✨ As an empath, if I’m allowing myself to feel and take on everyone else’s emotional states, my mental health is not going to be stable! But if I listen to my nervous system and its needs, and create NERVOUS SYSTEM BOUNDARIES, then I can be compassionate without blurring their emotions and my own
If you want to learn more, comment MORE for the link to join our upcoming online community circle where we cover this stuff and so much more 💜
05/16/2026
I am so incredibly grateful to have met such loving people today at the Wellness Expo here in Johnson City! Thank you for the warmth ✨
An extra dose of love for Cindy, .fire.breathwork for connecting with me and the free eye gazing 👁️ 👁️
Coregulation and holding space for another is deep work. Thank you 💜
If life just has too much WEIGHT right now. If you’re snapping at people all the time, jumpy, anxious…
I made this just for you 💜
Comment “COMMUNITY” for more information on joining us.
Registration open now! We begin June 2nd.
04/06/2025
This could not be more true.
Healing allows you to step into your true identity.
Your strength.
Your wisdom.
Your whole being ✨
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