Healing, Hustle, and the Power Within: Shannon Santerelli-Freeman’s Mission to Transform Women’s Lives
Through energy work, womb healing, and deeply personal experience, Shannon leads women from survival mode to a life of balance, joy, and abundance.
As someone who has spent years challenging traditional ideas about work, success, and balance, I’m always drawn to stories of resilience and reinvention. Shannon Santerelli-Freeman’s journey is one of both — moving from burnout and survival mode to deep healing and empowerment. As the founder of Modern Hippie Soul, she guides women — mothers, corporate achievers, and survivors — through the process of reclaiming their energy, intuition, and joy. In our conversation, Shannon shares how her own experiences with trauma, exhaustion, and self-discovery shaped her path, why healing is both personal and collective, and how she’s helping others transform their lives from the inside out.
Thank you so much for connecting with me and sharing your story. I’m so excited to get started!
Tell me about what you do professionally:
I guide women — mothers, survivors, and corporate achievers — to heal from burnout and reclaim the energy, balance, and joy they deserve. Through my work as a Reiki Master, Womb Healer, and Energy Coach, I help women reconnect with their innate power, blending ancient wisdom with modern practices to support holistic healing.
My signature program, Balancing Brilliance, is a 90-Day journey designed for women, particularly those in corporate roles and single mothers, who are navigating burnout. This program introduces foundational ancient wisdom concepts, deepens energetic awareness, and provides personalized tools for transformation. I also offer womb healing sessions, energetic alignments, and customized coaching to help women align with their purpose and fully embody their brilliance in work, life, and relationships.
Ultimately, my mission is to empower women to recognize their own ability to heal, guiding them to weave the mystical into the practical so they can thrive in every aspect of their lives.
How did you get into this?
My journey into holistic healing began in childhood, growing up in Arizona with a deep fascination for shamanism, witchcraft, and Eastern medicine — despite being raised in a strict Catholic household. That early curiosity stayed with me, but it wasn’t until years later, as a single mother navigating the demands of a corporate career, that I truly stepped into this work. Facing severe burnout, ovarian cysts, and chronic fatigue, I found that traditional medical approaches only offered temporary relief and ultimately the emergency room. This led me to seek alternative healing methods, sparking a profound spiritual awakening. Over the past decade, I’ve studied with master practitioners and wisdom keepers, integrating ancient teachings into my own healing journey. This transformation not only restored my well-being but also fueled my passion to help other women overcome burnout and reclaim their energy, power, and brilliance.
That is so interesting! What do you love about it?
What I love most about this work is walking alongside women as they step into the depths of their own healing. I have the privilege of standing with them in the dark, helping them uncover their own North Star — the light within that guides them back to a life they truly love. Each woman I work with reflects something back to me, offering new insights, new lessons, and new ways to heal. Their strength, their gifts, and their transformations inspire me endlessly, reminding me that healing is a shared journey, and we are all mirrors for one another’s growth.
Why is this work important to you?
This work is deeply important to me because I know firsthand what it feels like to be lost in burnout, disconnected from my own power, and searching for something more. I’ve walked the path of exhaustion, survival, and self-doubt, and I know how transformative it is to reclaim your energy, your purpose, and your joy.
Healing isn’t just about feeling better — it’s about remembering who you are and stepping fully into your brilliance. Women have been conditioned to pour from an empty cup, to silence their intuition, and to push through at the cost of their own well-being. This work is about breaking those cycles. It’s about helping women reconnect with their own wisdom, trust their own light, and embody the strength they’ve always had within them.
Every woman I guide on this journey reminds me why I do this work. Their healing ripples out into their families, their communities, and beyond. It’s more than personal transformation — it’s a collective shift, and I’m honored to be part of it.
Clearly, you’re thriving; your passion is coming through loud and clear! What makes you so great at this?
What makes me great at this work is that I’m not a traditional energy practitioner — I don’t just offer soft, passive healing. I push boundaries, challenge perspectives, and guide women to face their deepest triggers, helping them release and heal the trauma that’s been stored for far too long. I don’t just work with energy; I work with truth, and sometimes that means stepping into the uncomfortable so real transformation can happen.
I’ve lived this work. I was raised by a narcissistic father, and the impact of his abuse followed me well into my 40s. Even after deep healing sessions with powerful wisdom keepers, I wasn’t able to fully address or even recognize the trauma because it had shaped the very foundation of how I understood love, self-worth, and relationships. I continued cycles of abuse, believing love was conditional — something I had to earn through performance and sacrifice.
I’ve experienced life on both ends of the spectrum. I’ve slept in my car with my young children when I had nowhere else to go. I’ve bathed them with water bottles by candlelight because I couldn’t afford the bills as a single mother. And I’ve also built a thriving career, traveled to some of the most beautiful places, and created a life filled with abundance. They say to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes — I’ve walked in a thousand different pairs.
Most importantly, I’ve learned how to pull myself out of holes that most people can’t even fathom. I know the power of self-healing because I’ve lived it. I know the power of self-love because it saved me. And that’s why I do this work — not just to help women heal but to show them that they already have everything they need inside of them to rise, to reclaim their power, and to create a life that feels like home.
What is the most challenging part of your work?
The most challenging part of my work is healing alongside the women I guide. There is always a connection — some shared experience, some frequency that ties us together. Every session is not just about leading someone else to their healing but also about uncovering another layer of my own. As I help women release their pain, reclaim their power, and step into their light, a part of me is healing, too.
This kind of work isn’t just about energy — it’s deeply emotional, raw, and transformative. There are times when I feel the weight of it all and want to shut myself away, to hibernate for a week just to process and restore. And while that’s normal, the real challenge is not letting myself stay in that space of exhaustion or emotional depletion. Instead, I have to pull myself into the next moment — finding love in the lesson, rather than focusing on the loss.
Healing isn’t linear, and guiding others through it means constantly walking the fine line between holding space for their pain and making sure I tend to my own. But in the end, that’s also what makes this work so powerful. Every woman I work with is a mirror, reflecting something back to me, reminding me that we are all healing together.
What kind of an impact are you hoping to make through what you do?
The impact I hope to make is to show women who have endured narcissistic abuse — whether from a parent or a partner — that they are not alone, they are not to blame, and that love is possible for them. So many survivors carry the weight of these experiences, believing they are somehow at fault or that real, unconditional love isn’t meant for them. My mission is to help them break free from that narrative and guide them back to themselves.
The most powerful lesson I’ve learned from surviving abusive relationships, growing up with a narcissistic parent, and ultimately going no contact with my own father is that my healing was an act of self-love. Choosing myself — choosing my peace, my boundaries, and my worth — was the most transformative thing I could have done. And I want other survivors to feel this power, to feel this love for themselves.
Through my work, I want to help women reclaim their strength, trust themselves again, and know that they are worthy — not because of what they do for others, but simply because they exist. That shift is life-changing, and once they make it, everything else begins to align. Healing isn’t just about moving past pain; it’s about stepping into a life where they feel whole, seen, and deeply loved — by themselves first and foremost.
I am a big reader — well, I am more of an audiobook person nowadays. In any case, I love talking about great reads. What is one of your favorite books?
I highly, highly recommend The Sacred Andean Codes by Marcela Lobos, Sekhmet by Nicki Scully, and Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD. Each of these books offers profound wisdom, deep healing insights, and powerful teachings for anyone on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. And the best part? They’re all available on Audible!
If you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?
If I could talk to my younger self, I would tell her to trust her intuition — it’s never wrong, especially for women. That deep knowing inside you isn’t something to second-guess; it’s your guide, your protector, and your truth.
I’d remind her to believe in herself, fully and unapologetically. And even more importantly, I’d tell her that her accomplishments are her own — no one else’s. She doesn’t need validation from anyone to be proud of what she’s built, survived, and created. Every success, every step forward, and every moment of resilience is hers to own and celebrate.
Do you have a favorite quote? What does it mean to you?
One of my favorite quotes is: “Always a lesson, not a loss.” I honestly don’t know who said it or where I first heard it, but it has shaped the way I view every challenge in my life.
When I reflect on the times I thought things couldn’t get any worse, through my “initiations”, I now see the beautiful lessons hidden within those moments. My pain wasn’t pointless — it was teaching me something. My fear led me to courage. My jealousy showed me what I truly desired and pushed me to strive for more. My anger taught me where my boundaries needed to be for my own peace.
This quote reminds me that even in my darkest moments, there was wisdom waiting to be uncovered. Nothing was ever truly lost — only transformed into something that made me stronger, wiser, and more aligned with who I am meant to be.
Outside of work, what do you love doing? What lights you up?
Outside of work, what truly lights me up is being a mom and a wife. I was a single mom for 12 years, so my kids and I share an incredibly close bond. Now, with my amazing husband, we’re entering a new chapter — we’re actually expecting our first child together! This season of life feels so full of love, growth, and new beginnings.
I also love giving back through volunteer work, especially using sound and energetic healing to support different organizations in my local community.
Beyond that, I find so much joy and peace in nature. Sailing, exploring off-the-grid destinations, and kayaking are some of my favorite ways to connect with the world around me. Living right by the river means there’s always an adventure waiting — literally just a stone’s throw away!
I believe there is power in having big dreams and audacious goals, and lately, I have been pushing myself and everyone I know to speak them out loud… Do you have any dreams or goals you want to go on record about here?
Absolutely! One of my biggest dreams is to create a boutique crystal shop and Reiki studio with a salt healing cave — not just for adults, but for kids to come and play in, too! I envision a community center where people can come together for workshops, Reiki training and shares, and a space to showcase local artisans and healers.
I see an environment that fosters both healing and connection — with outdoor yoga sessions, afternoon ceremonial tea in a beautiful Zen-like garden, and a cute coffee truck parked outside, adding to the warmth and charm of the space. I want it to be more than just a wellness studio — I want it to be a hub for energy work, learning, and holistic community support, where people of all ages can come to heal, grow, and connect.
Speaking it into existence now — because I know this dream is going to become a reality!
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Ok, now I for the big question of the interview! What is the biggest lesson you have learned through your life and career journey?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned through my life and career journey is the power of adaptability, evolution, and trusting the flow of life.
One of my favorite songs is She’s Always a Woman by Billy Joel, and it has always felt like a spiritual message for me — it seems to come on whenever I’m on the right path. The lyrics, “She can wait if she wants, she’s ahead of her time. Oh, and she never gives up, and she never gives in, she just changes her mind,” perfectly describe the lessons that life continues to teach me.
We are meant to grow, shift, and evolve in this human experience. What you were certain was your path yesterday may no longer align with who you are today — and that’s not failure, that’s wisdom. Every experience, every challenge, and every new piece of knowledge you gain gives you the right to change your mind, to pivot, to pause, and to pursue something new.
For so long, society has conditioned us to believe that we must stick to one path, one identity, one dream. But the truth is, our purpose is fluid, and our power comes from allowing ourselves to adapt, to embrace change, and to trust that every shift is leading us exactly where we are meant to be.
Finally, what makes you a powerful woman?
What makes me a powerful woman is my resilience, my ability to transform pain into wisdom, and my unwavering trust in myself.
I have faced moments that could have broken me — narcissistic abuse, toxic relationships, financial hardship, single motherhood, and the deep exhaustion of burnout. But instead of letting those experiences define me, I used them as fuel to rise, to heal, and to create a life that is fully my own. I have pulled myself out of depths that most people can’t even imagine, and in doing so, I’ve discovered the true power of self-healing and, most importantly, self-love.
A woman who truly loves herself is an unstoppable force. We are taught from a young age to feel shame — shame about our bodies, our sexuality, our emotions, and even our power to create life. This conditioning didn’t start with us; it has been passed down for generations. But when a woman chooses to love herself fully — her body, her cycles, her intuition, her ability to give birth to new life and new realities — she becomes untouchable.
Loving myself changed everything. It showed me how to love my family, how to show up for my work in a way that no one can shake, doubt, or f*** with. That is true power.
I am powerful because I am unafraid to change, to evolve, and to walk away from anything that no longer serves me. I don’t fear starting over. I trust my intuition, knowing that it has never led me astray. I hold space for others in their darkest moments while continuing to do the deep work of my own healing.
My power comes from owning my story, embracing my journey, and standing firmly in the truth that I am worthy — not because of what I do for others, but simply because I exist. And that is the message I want every woman I work with to carry forward — your power is already within you. You just have to reclaim it.
How can we support you?
You can support me by sharing my story with anyone who may need to hear it. If you or someone you know is suffering from burnout or healing from narcissistic abuse — whether from a parent, a partner, or a toxic work environment — please let them know they’re not alone. They can reach out to me for private 1:1 work to help identify the root cause of their burnout and trauma, or simply to share their own story. Sometimes, just being seen and heard is the first step toward healing.
Another way to support my mission is by spreading the word about my free download available on my website. It’s a powerful resource designed to help people begin their healing journey, and sharing this information can help more people access the tools they need to break free from burnout, reclaim their energy, and rebuild their lives after narcissistic abuse.
You can also support by attending my events and workshops. I donate a percentage of my earnings from local events to Nashville-based charities, so when you join a yoga and sound bath session or a healing workshop, you’re not just investing in your own well-being — you’re also helping others who need extra love and support.
Every conversation, every share, and every person who steps into this work makes a difference — not just in their own life, but in the collective healing of our communities. Thank you for being part of this movement!
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insights! I know our readers are going to love learning more about you!
Connect:
IG @modernhippiesoul
🌟 A little about me:
I’m Natalie Ruiz, CEO of AnswerConnect, and my path to leadership has been anything but conventional. That journey has shaped my relentless curiosity — challenging traditional ideas about work, success, and balance. Along the way, I’ve been honored as Female Executive of the Year, Woman of Influence (Portland Business Journal), and one of the 100 Women to Know in America, among other recognitions.
Beyond my career, I’m passionate about giving back. Whether I’m mentoring, speaking on global stages, sharing insights through podcasts and publications, or rolling up my sleeves for community impact, my goal is always the same: to leave people and places better than I found them.
Let’s connect: Medium | LinkedIn
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