I'm Kristen Joy, a heart-centered, trauma-sensitive, holistic coach.

When I meet someone new online, I'm often asked,

"Is Joy your real middle name?" or "Do you actually use your middle name?"

or some version of these two.

The answer is: Yes, and no.

I was named Kristen Joy at birth and by the age of five my mom tells me she wasn't sure what happened, but the "sweet Kristen Joy" had left. The person that remained was described again and again as someone who "just decided she wasn't going to let anyone else tell her what to do." (And this was apparently not a good thing!)

The juxtaposition of the first version of me and whoever this version was that I had become never seemed like a positive thing. As other negative messages came at me, I learned to hate my middle name. "Joy" seemed always out of reach for me.

What about you? What's your name?

More importantly, how do you feel about who your name represents?

What we believe about ourselves is one of the most foundational aspects to our connection with God, others, and ourselves and our satisfaction in life.

For years, I didn't like who I was - or, at least, I didn't like who others seemed to think I was and I concluded they must be right.

But, in a beautiful healing moment after a devastating life event,

God declared over me, "I named you, dear child. You are a joy."

These words spoken over me brought such healing to a specific and deep pain, setting me on a path towards healing other parts of me that needed to be spoken over as well.

If you are here reading this, I suspect you may be in search of healing, too.

You can find it here. I hope you'll come along with me...