Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Lagan.
Kristin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey began long before I ever sat in a therapist’s chair. Raised in an evangelical church, I grew up believing in an unseen realm, but through a narrow lens: us versus them, heaven or hell. Questions were a sign of backsliding. Still, as a teenager, I’d slip away to the school library at lunch to quietly read about other religions, sensing there was more to life and the path I was expected to take.
In early adulthood, I was a single mom with a very large support system. I discovered personal growth books and loved learning new skills and how to expand my thinking. I followed what lit me up: poetry, literature, space, science, aliens…if it was remotely fringe, I wanted to learn about it. I eventually earned a degree in Sociology and found my way into real estate. Real Estate is such a large part of my story, from the friends I made and colleagues I worked with, but most importantly, my direct broker introduced me to meditation. He and his wife were advanced meditators, and I needed to learn more. Thus began my journey into the inner self – I began exploring breathwork, meditation, and metaphysics.
In 2015, I walked the meditation gardens at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Los Angeles. Near the end of the path, rose bushes were grouped by color, each honoring one of the world’s great religions. It struck me like lightning: if one is seeking, then the Divine can reach each of us differently and in different ways. Many paths lead to one truth.
That day I found a teacher in Paramahansa Yogananda, and later new influences appeared, such as Tolle, Singer, Steiner, Joseph Campbell, and Carl Jung (to name a few), whose work still shapes how I understand the psyche and the soul.
In 2018, I returned to school for my master’s in counseling psychology, graduating in 2020, and continued my training in DBT and humanistic psychology.
Today, I see clients one-on-one at Haus of Sovereign in Nashville, co-host a monthly men’s group, and teach a weekly class on non-canonical texts like the Gospel of Thomas and the Book of Enoch. I also serve as a counselor at Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica, supporting guests who choose to work with the plant medicine Ayahuasca.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The main struggle that comes to mind was not being understood by my family and friends. My curious nature has forged a unique path for myself, without permission or the need for approval. I’m not sure where this courage originates, but I am happy it is innate within me. I do sense this life is much bigger than these few years we exist in our human body. This is not to discredit our present time here, but when not attached to the outcome of this life, I have found a freedom to fully relax and exist in the now. It has been a lonely road at times, but something has always pushed me to keep exploring, learning, and allowing life to unfold….and how it unfolds is perfect.
We’ve been impressed with Therapist @ Haus of Sovereign | Counselor @ Rythmia, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I believe that healing modalities call to each of us in different ways and at different parts of our journeys. At Haus of Sovereign, I offer services as an individual therapist — I love to meet my clients where they are that day and believe that all humans are innately good. This is a humanistic approach that allows me to try to direct my clients on a path of personal expansion rather than restriction. I also co-lead a monthly men’s group with Dr. Jerome Burt where we hope to allow men to come talk about the complexities of being a man and the responsibilities that come with getting older, wiser, and/or stuck in life. In addition, I host a weekly class exploring the recent discovery of the Nag Hammadi Scriptures. I am not here to convince anyone of anything; rather, I view myself as a tool used to present some interesting information to those who are interested in hearing or learning about what could be considered a taboo topic.
I also believe in the power of plant medicine as a healing modality that can help people make sense of their personal story arc. Set and setting are critical, and I do not take lightly that this vein of exploration is not for everyone. My interest in this field has allowed me to serve as a part-time counselor at Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica. Here, participants legally engage in a plant called Ayahuasca, and my job is to help them walk through an array of memories, visions, thoughts, ideas, and miracles that present during this sacred experience. It is truly life-changing in so many ways.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I loved hunting Easter eggs, which, now writing this, aligns with how my life has rolled out. I think I’m still hunting for easter eggs, different ones now; more like life’s secret jokes or hidden messages placed into this experience of being human. I remember the golden egg everyone wanted to find, and my mother would put cash in this egg. I was quite competitive too, so collecting the most eggs and finding the prized egg was so fun for me. I was never a sore loser; if I didn’t get the prize, I knew there would be another hunt and another chance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1433794
- Instagram: @KristinLaganTherapy
- Other: Tik Tok: @kristinlagantherapy
