The Neuro Sculptor

17/02/2026

You’ve done the work.
You left what no longer honoured you.
You moved through the grief.
You faced parts of yourself you had been silencing for years.

And in that grief, you didn’t just lose a relationship.

You reclaimed yourself.

You reclaimed the voice you used to swallow.
The needs you used to minimise.
The boundaries you were once afraid to set.

You worked hard for that.

And still…

You long.

Not for someone to complete you.
But for connection.
Depth.
Shared presence.

And that longing is tender.

Because when you open now,
you’re not just risking heartbreak.

You’re risking the parts of you
you fought to bring back online.

So when someone new arrives —
when you feel warmth, possibility, that subtle spark ...

your body tightens.

You check your phone.
You replay conversations.
You notice yourself softening your truth mid-sentence.
You feel the old pull to over-function
or withdraw before it matters too much.

Not because you’re weak or too needy.

But because caring activates attachment history.

And attachment history once taught you that shrinking kept you safe.

So here is the moment.

You feel something land wrong.
You feel the tightening in your throat.
You know there’s something you could say.

If you speak up,
you might feel the shift.
You might feel them pull back.
You might feel the space widen.

But if you smooth it over again,
if you tell yourself it’s not a big deal,
if you prioritise preserving the connection…

You feel the distance inside yourself.

And you’ve already lived that version of love.

05/02/2026

To the woman who feels it all.

I see how much you carry.
I feel the grief beneath the shrinking.
I hold this with compassion.
Nothing here needs fixing - only noticing. Pausing.
It's time to receice your sensitivity with respect and reclaim it as the devine guidance it has always been 🙏

28/12/2025

I release my parents from the feeling that they have failed with me.

I release my children from the need to make me proud, so that they can write their own ways, according to their hearts.

I release my partner from the obligation to make me feel complete. I lack nothing in myself.

I learn with all the beings that surround me through all time.

I thank my grandparents and ancestors who met so that today I breathe life. And I release them from the faults of the past and from the wishes they did not fulfill, aware that they did the best they could to resolve their situations, within the consciousness they had at that moment.

I honor them, I love them, and I recognize their innocence.

I bare my soul before their eyes and that is why they know that I do not hide or owe anything, more than being faithful to myself and my own existence, walking with the wisdom of the heart.

I am aware that I am fulfilling my life project, free of visible and invisible family loyalties that may disturb my peace and my happiness, which are my greatest responsibilities.

I renounce the role of savior, of being the one who unites or who fulfills the expectations of others.

And learning through LOVE, I bless my essence and my way of expressing, although there may be someone who cannot understand me.

I understand myself, because only I lived and experienced my story; because I know myself, I know who I am, what I feel, what I do and why I do it.

I respect and approve.

I honor the Divinity in me and in you.

We are free.

✍️ A Traditional Náhuatl Prayer

26/11/2025

As a little girl, I dreamed of being on stage… and for years I buried that dream, along with the grief of the part of me that never got to be expressed.

Stepping into speaking now — sharing my story, standing there as myself , has been both terrifying and beautiful.

Letting a long-held dream finally come true is a strange thing… there’s the fear of getting it wrong, and then the magic of realising that “right” simply means showing up from the heart.

I used to want to be an actor so I could be someone else. Now the real fulfilment comes from being fully me!

If you’ve buried a dream because of fear or grief… please don’t. The life force that comes from stepping outside your comfort zone is the most powerful medicine you’ll ever feel.

To all the incredible speakers who shared the stage with me. To the friends who came to support.
To the judges (not judging) thank you for your invaluable feedback
And to Ciaran - thank you for organising, encouraging, and believing in us.

23/10/2025

We’re conditioned from such a young age to compete , to be the clever one, the capable one, the one who gets it "right."

But your worth doesn’t fit on a scale ...
it’s a frequency that only you emit.

You see, competition assumes sameness, that we’re all running the same race toward the same finish line.
But human beings aren’t built on identical blueprints.

Each one of us carries a completely unique blend of experiences, sensitivities, and soul intentions.

The moment you release the need to compete and be better than, is the moment you create space to simply be You!

Growth stops coming from pressure and starts coming from presence.
You stop striving to prove your worth
and start expressing it uniquely -  authentically.

So instead of needing to be right,
Choose to be:
Humble enough not to know.
Curious enough to stay open, and Courageous enough to evolve and grow 🙏

22/10/2025

When “I don’t know” or “I don’t mind” becomes your default, it’s rarely about being easy-going and more about not feeling safe to trust yourself.

So you start leaning on others who seem more certain, letting them decide for you, and before you know it, you’re living a life shaped by other people’s choices and preferences.

This was the dynamic in most of my relationships. It felt more familiar and therefore safe for me to negotiate my own needs than to risk the disappointment or judgment I feared would come with getting it “wrong.”

But without any self-awareness of this, I’d often feel belittled or undermined by others’ dominance, quiet resentment building, connection slowly eroding.

It wasn’t until I began to see my part in that pattern that I started to cultivate healthier relationships, ones that felt safe, mutual, and supportive. 

Relationships that welcomed my voice, while giving myself permission to walk away from those that didn’t.

Embodied trust doesn’t come from being certain or avoiding mistakes,  it comes from your willingness to choose without attachment to the outcome.

Because you know that whatever unfolds is simply part of your growth process — guiding you deeper into self-trust and relationships that are truly alligned 🤍

15/10/2025

I’ve been reflecting on the relationship I had with my sister growing up and the impact it had on me. For so long, I felt like I was living in her shadow — the “loser” in comparison, the one who never quite measured up.

As a child, I looked up to her, quietly hoping for her approval. I didn’t realise it then, but for most of my life t, I longed to be her. I didn’t want to be me. And the underdog inside me — the one who tried, the one who hid, the one who resigned herself to mediocrity , carried shame, grief, and a deep sense of not being enough.

 Recently  I’ve been feeling into this more deeply. Holding space for this vulnerable part to be experienced and supported. Finally offering her the apology and acknowledgement, she has always needed :

“I’m so sorry I kept you in the dark. You were always meant to shine.”

I created a simple affirmation to support this inner alchemy:

“I choose to be me.”

This process has reminded me that our “shadow” parts are not something to erase — they can alchemise into our light, into reclaimed authenticity and expression.

If this resonates, I invite you to reflect on the part of yourself you’ve kept small or hidden and offer it compassion.

Your light has always been waiting.

07/10/2025

Resourced & Rewired for Success

Ladies, a morning you won’t want to miss!

Join us for November’s Coffee & Connect event with Karen Shirlow – The Neuro Sculptor ❤️

📅 Tues 18 Nov
⏰ 9.30–11am

Karen’s a trauma-trained Nervous System Educator & Emotional Mastery Coach, who will be delivering a practical session making us delve deep into why we hold back from our dreams and how to finally break free from survival mode!

With over a decade of experience blending neuroscience and somatic healing, Karen will share simple, powerful tools to build courage, resilience and self-trust, from the inside out.

We will be hosting in the gorgeous Chronicle Press – a transformed jem in the heart of Coleraine!

So, make sure to book a place for some connection, insight and a good dose of inspiration!

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑: https://tinyurl.com/5n887v36

27/06/2025

Excited and honoured to be invited to facilitate at the beautiful Clára Tide retreat ✨️ 🙏

01/06/2025

19/05/2025

Are you always the one holding it all together?

The reliable one. The doer. The one who people lean on - even when you are running on empty.

If that landed... you're not alone.

This pattern often starts in childhood as a way to feel seen and worthy of love - and it becomes a quiet kind of resentment and exhaustion.

If this resonates, drop me a ❤️ in the comments

06/05/2025

This isn’t a performance — it’s a reclamation.

For most of my life, I confused playing small with humility and self-expression as arrogance.

What I didn’t realise was, I was living a life I hadn’t consciously chosen.
My survival patterns were calling the shots…
And the result?
I was feckin miserable.
Disconnected. Uninspired.
Longing for more but not knowing where to begin.

Rewiring that old pattern has taken deep inner work:
🌀 Creating safety in my body
🌀 Developing real self-awareness
🌀 Integrating all parts of me

Now, with deep humility, I honour the woman I’ve become.
And I’ve poured everything I’ve learned into…

✨ The Reclamation Series ✨

A 3-part in-person experience to guide you back to yourself.
Not through more information, but through embodied transformation.

You can come to 1, 2, or all 3 workshops
✨ Bundle all 3 and receive a discounted rate
✨ Each session stands alone, but together, they build deep and lasting reclamation

It’s for you if…
💛 You’ve been everything for everyone else and feel like you’ve lost yourself
💛 You’re craving more purpose, meaning, and fulfilment
💛 Life looks “fine” — but something deeper is calling
💛 You’ve outgrown the old story that says taking up space is arrogant
💛 You’re curious about somatic healing and want to reconnect with your body’s wisdom

🗓 Starts: 23rd May, 6th June, 20th June
📍 Seascape Wellness Studio, Portstewart
⏰ Time: 10 am - 12 pm
💷 Come to one, two, or all three — DM for pricing + bundle offer

✨ BONUS: I’m gifting one free space — nominate someone in the comments
(Details pinned below ⬇️)

If you’re ready to honour your light over fear — DM me or hit the link in bio to book.