My Story

My life, loves and career paths have unfolded with interesting and fulfilling twists and turns, largely an incredibly rich and full one to feel immensely thankful for. 

To give you an idea of what inspired my personal and professional passion for health and wellness, have a read.  Heads up, it's pretty long, so pour yourself a hot beverage and put your feet up.

I remember being a pretty shy and nervous kid, one of five kids in a loving family.  There were the typical “kid issues” that influenced me (like new homes and new school and feeling like I didn’t fit in, etc.) and unique influences too, such as having an amazing new Dad complete our family when I was just six… the eventual arrival of two more siblings and BALLET.

At the age of eleven, as a young, talented and aspiring prima ballerina with a rigorous training schedule, exams and performances, I started having unexplained collapses of energy while dancing. One minute I’d have the vitality to leap and twirl and then I’d be a weepy, lifeless puddle.  It was puzzling and alarming too.

That is, until finally receiving the Naturopath’s diagnosis of having hypo-glycemia.

Who knew then that this hypo-glycemia (low blood sugar) diagnosis would completely change my life, serving me so well toward what has now been a lifelong commitment and alignment of eating clean nutrient-dense foods, participating in daily self-care activities, movement, yoga and meditation, overall health and wellness. Through energy adversity, the knowledge and subsequent shifts I made became such a gift to my health.

This influence, combined with watching my “kooky, yoga practicing, health nut” Granddad expanded my health and wellness introductions.  As a young girl, little did I know that watching his strange and unfamiliar practices would have on my life… his “weird diet,” his ventures into the desert to collect, dry then drink medicinal herb teas and standing on his head each day.  His wellness commitment became at least part of the catalyst for my passion for health.

Mom's lovely friend "Stephanie"... so alive, keenly involved in health and beauty practices and products... she was someone I aspired to emulate.  She was a role model for me to learn from.

Well, as my adolescent body naturally developed curves and I grew tall, my knees suffering long periods of puffiness, it became clear that a professional career in dance was sadly not going to be my path.   At 18, I got married... so young.

My journey of self-learning began.  Looking back, here's what I know...

I’ve known the pain of being in a very unfulfilling young first marriage that ended quickly... and I sought counseling support.

I've known feeling deeply parched from periods of being achingly asleep within myself.

And, goodness, I’ve experienced applying tools for change and awakened into great abundance in my being and my life.

I've been deeply blessed to experience a 30-year long joyously rich and free, juicy and loving second marriage with a wonderful man (and exceptional Transpersonal therapist), Richard Clarke.  I awakened into knowing my Self through personal growth self-work.   Our 25 year age difference meant "staying awake" together through crystal-clear communication.

It was over these decades that I had the privilege to develop my original therapeutic counselling skills from his insightful approach.  Richard was, and remains, my first and greatest teacher. We loved, travelled a lot and worked side-by-side throughout a long and rewarding personal and professional counseling, teaching and consulting journey together.  

When in my early 50’s I felt the needful stirrings of mid-life change and made the hard choice to set out into independence and living on my own for the first time in my life. Despite our marriage eventually ending, our deep love and soul friendship continues and we are still very much in each others lives.

My new life has been an adventure of "trying out my new wings," getting to know myself ever deeper, sourcing courage and building resiliency, having struggles and great successes too. 

I built two businesses with energy, integrity and loads of creativity (Carolyn Clarke Photography and The Furniture Rejuvenator), felt newfound freedom of expression, leaned into coaching support, and grew in my personal power and expression.  To live more simply and affordably in these crazy-expensive times, I thought creatively "outside the box" and seriously downsized my home.  

The most amazing part of my recent life journey was going back to school at 57 years old, attending Rhodes Wellness College in Vancouver to expand on those previous 30 years in the counseling and personal growth workshop field.  What an immensely rich and rewarding gift this was to the enrichment of my entire being, to my life and my healing profession. 

Carolyn Clarke Wellness Programs.  Full circle, bringing decades of learning and experience together, and soon to incorporate self-portrait photography into my offerings for personal growth.