About Dr. Kaitlin
Who are you?
I’m Dr. Kaitlin, a clinical psychologist, meditation instructor and yoga teacher who knows that integrating evidence-based strategies with embodied wisdom practices is one of the most effective and heartfelt ways to design a life full of meaning, purpose and productivity!
I’ve written an award winning dissertation looking at the psychoneuroimmunology and therapeutic benefits of a yoga practice for women experiencing chronic stress as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, and won awards for my teaching and my excellence in performance during my clinical therapy training.
But honestly, what you really need to know is that I know what it is like to suffer, to struggle, and to feel lackluster and stuck – and it really hurts. It was this pain, feeling overwhelmed and lost, that drove me to the yoga mat nearly 20 years ago, and then to a deep dive into modern psychological skills and coping strategies. I’ve had years nerd’ing out on this stuff. My mission now is to share my learnings to save you some time, and hopefully save you from some suffering.
What is this place?
This is the place where you come to learn strategies taught behind the closed door of a therapist’s office, coupled with insights from the yoga mat and meditation cushion. Whether you want to develop the skills to avoid (or recover from) burnout and overwhelm, to reignite your sense of life meaning and passion, or to reach peak performance, you’ll find free, evidence-based education and inspiration. My free weekly email will deliver tips and tricks for cultivating wellbeing in your life – yep, I think of wellbeing as a skill [you might like to sign up here] -right to your inbox. You can also deep dive on different topics in my podcast , trainings and workbooks.
I highly value integrity, so no – this isn’t a place that endorses a magic bullet, or a one-size fits all approach. I teach you how to gain clarity on the areas of your life that YOU consider to be important, and figure out effective and achievable ways to show up as the person you want to be. There is both an art and science involved in creating, yes, your dream life. A yoga mat can offer an experiential playground for inspiration and change, but some common myths can derail this effort – I’ve got a free training here that will help you bust them!
Why should I care?
Because living a lackluster life where you feel you’re simply surviving (instead of thriving) each day is… well, draining. You deserve to live your years with a sense of vitality, meaning and confidence, even when things are challenging. Yes, you can align your mind, body and spirit, and not in some patchouli burning way – but in a way that truly facilitates growth in your life through a deliberate balancing of meaningful challenge and nourishing rest. Essentially, you are wiring your brain for wellbeing. I call this a Yoga Brain and even have a course designed to teach you this practice! [You can read more about Yoga Brain 101 here.]
Is it true that you're so zen you never get anxious anymore?
Categorically untrue. I remain a human, and humans get anxious. It is wired into our DNA. However, I have developed the skills needed to greet challenging emotions with composure and ensure they don’t impact my long-term health or the things that are important to me. But, throw me into a suspenseful Netflix series or sneak up behind me, and you’ll well and truly see me lose my cool. I am a highly sensitive person, so I’ll likely always lean to feeling the feels (the joys and the sorrows), but my daily habits and practices allow these fleeting moments to be exactly that, fleeting.
How come you’ve got a teaching award? You can’t even spell.
I’d love to tell you. Gasping for breath at the pool’s edge as I tried to learn one of the ‘survival strokes’ that had me near-drowning, I was compassionately offered some words of wisdom from my swimming instructor: “Those who struggle with something become the best teachers!” I tend to lean naturally into teaching, perhaps because I have sucked at pretty much everything at some point in my life. In the nature of transparency, I’ll share a couple of examples:
I grew up in a small mountain town in Canada, where I collected a shoebox full of participation ribbons (and a few ‘thanks for coming’ trophies), none of these so-called-awards were near-misses, I was always the kid picked last for teams and coming last in races. You might think that given my fancy title academics provided me some reprieve, but alas, no such luck. I spent hours sitting at the kitchen table going over spelling words, all to consistently fail the test. And my social life… well, let’s just say that I spent my time at recess earnestly waiting for the bell to ring, as I hid-out alone in a toilet cubicle. And now I’m a busy Mum and partner, with busy mum and partnership challenges all whilst running my own business. Which is all to say, while I might not know your particular brand of suffering, I know suffering. I also know how to move forward, grow, love, thrive, and to teach others the skills I’ve used!
Note: I still struggle to spell, and I do sometimes hide in the toilet from my family (but they find me, and I don’t mind).
I want to learn from you.
What should I do next?
Check out my courses, resources and coaching here.
Life is too short not to live by beautiful and thriving design!
Media Features
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Media Kit
Below you’ll find the materials needed for introductions, podcasts, and other public appearances.
For media inquiries click here.
Media Kit
Below you’ll find the materials needed for introductions, podcasts, and other public appearances.
For media inquiries click here.
Offical Bio
Dr Kaitlin Harkess, host of the Wisdom for Wellbeing podcast and founder of the holistically oriented therapy practice of the same name, is an award-winning Clinical Psychologist and Senior Yoga Instructor who helps burnt-out individuals develop the psychological skills they need to change their lives for the better. (No, more hustle does not always equal more success!)
Kaitlin’s research on the psychoneuroimmunological impact of a yoga practice for chronic stress has been featured in Time, while her expertise on the therapeutic use of mindfulness and meditation has seen her featured in The Holistic Approach television series. As a result of her scientific research and clinical practice, Kaitlin understands how to maximize the healing and performance enhancing benefits of integrating mindful wisdom practices with modern psychological interventions.
Alongside supporting folks struggling with mental health or life adjustments in therapy, Kaitlin offers online resources at drkaitlin.com where she teaches how you can use your yoga mat as a playground to untap the tools and strategies traditionally taught behind the closed doors of the therapy room.
You can find her at www.drkaitlin.com and on the socials @drkaitlin (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn)
Example Interview Topics:
- How to use modern psychological skills to get beyond survival mode and thrive
- How to manage burnout and stress, while maintaining purposeful productivity
- How embodied movement (like mindful yoga) can support your mental health and performance
- An overview of the mind-body relationship, and how you can harness it for physical and mental health (including: Polyvagal Theory, psychoneuroimmunology and epigenetics)
- The how and why of cultivating mindful compassion
- An introduction to the science and practice of gratitude
- Successful lifestyle practices to increase your energy, improve your mood, and support wellbeing
- An overview of ADHD and how attention training practices, like yoga and meditation, can be integrated with behavioural strategies to support ADHD'er wellbeing