Heidi Carlson, Master Life Coach
Heidi Carlson is a Certified Master Life Coach specializing in Generational Trauma and the Mother Wound. She helps women uncover and heal deep-rooted, invisible, wounds from their upbringing that impact their self-worth, their relationships, their marriage, their career, their parenting, every area of their life + future generations.
Share your background and if there is one, a defining moment led you to where you are today.
I grew up the youngest of five children to hard-working immigrant parents who loved us deeply. From them, I learned resilience, humility, and the sacred bond of family. Yet beneath that love was a layer of dysfunction shaped by generational trauma, a difficult marriage, and both mother and father wounds. Years later, I realized I had been carrying these patterns and wounds into every part of my life and relationships. From a young age, I knew I wanted to do things differently. At 19, I began therapy, which opened the door to my healing journey. I immersed myself in therapy, coaching, growth programs, and workshops while building a successful corporate marketing career. I fell in love with this work, continuing far beyond my own healing by participating in classes, retreats, and extensive personal development. I’ve now been on this journey for over three decades.
I often found myself naturally guiding other women—helping them work through life, parenting, relationship, and job struggles, as well as patterns like people-pleasing, boundary challenges, and perfectionism that left them feeling stuck and unfulfilled. Years later, I made the defining decision to leave my corporate career and dedicate my life fully to this work. After completing a nine-month coaching certification, I launched Heidi Carlson Coaching, where I now help women heal their generational trauma, mother wounds, and reclaim their voice, power, and self-worth—so they can live empowered, free, and fully aligned in every area of life.
What inspired you to pursue your current path or career?
I’ve seen firsthand how transformative self-discovery and healing can be— especially for women who grew up in dysfunctional environments, carrying generational trauma and the mother wound. Healing has transformed every aspect of my life: the way I show up in relationships, in my marriage, as a parent, in my work, and in the world After more than 30 years of studying, learning, and doing my own self- discovery and personal development work, I felt called to help other women experience the peace, empowerment, and freedom I’ve been fortunate to create in my own life. My mission is simple: to help women heal, reclaim their lives, and rise. When we stay stuck in childhood wounds, insecurities, people-pleasing patterns or perfectionism, we live in pain and hide parts of ourselves—our gifts, our voice, our power. But when women embrace healing, everything shifts. We reclaim our self-worth, set healthy boundaries, transform our relationships, and live empowered in every area of our life.
Have you faced any significant challenges or setbacks, and how did you overcome them?
Yes, many. I made plenty of mistakes and poor choices early on and didn’t fully heal until my 30s. I didn’t know myself well, felt insecure, and allowed the outside world to dictate my path, decisions, and sense of worth. Early on, I looked externally for answers, guidance, and validation, rather than internally—which is where I was meant to look all along. For years, I was a people-pleaser. I prioritized everyone else, overworked myself, and constantly wondered why I never felt fulfilled. I didn’t know how to prioritize myself, set boundaries, say no, express my needs, or navigate conflict. This led to many surface-level relationships and a few unideal endings to friendships. I also stayed far too long in a toxic work environment, believing—like I had learned from my parents—that sacrificing myself and overdoing it was “normal.” Deep down, I knew I deserved better, and as confident as I often felt, it was clear my self-worth was being compromised and I didn’t have control over my life. The outside world did. I overcame them by reflecting on my struggles and mistakes, trying to understand where they stemmed from, and staying committed to ongoing self-discovery and healing work. Rather than sitting in my problems, I faced them head-on, pursuing whatever was needed to resolve them. Over time, I transformed my life, my relationships, including the relationship with myself, the most important one.
What’s a lesson you’ve learned the hard way?
If you don’t honor, love, and prioritize yourself, your life and relationships will become unnecessarily difficult—because you’re showing others that your needs and boundaries don’t matter. They will respond accordingly, and your relationships, including the one with yourself, will suffer. We teach others how to treat us by how we treat ourselves. If we withhold love, compassion, and respect from ourselves, we’re signaling to others that they don’t need to offer it either. This not only leads to pain and unfulfilling relationships, but also perpetuates cycles of generational trauma and mother wounds that are often passed down to our children if left unhealed.
How do you stay motivated during difficult times?
I stay in regular touch with myself, checking in on how I feel, where I’m at, what my capacity is, and what I need. I lean on a variety of practices that ground and nourish me, keeping my mindset and nervous system healthy— mindfulness, gratitude, deep breathing, staying present, music, time in nature, journaling, working out, and more. I seek support from trusted people, and when needed, turn to coaching. I also stay action-oriented. I never sit in my problems. I reflect on ways I can move through the difficult times and then take one step at a time. I listen to inspirational podcasts, read, rely on a strong coaching network, and continue learning to support my resilience, tolerance, and growth. And when I need strength beyond my own, or have no control of the situation, I rely on my faith.
Who do you consider a role model or mentor, and what have you learned from them?
I’ve had many role models and mentors throughout my life, starting in my 20’s. I didn’t have many when I was younger. Women who inspire me most are those who take action and live in their authentic power, voice, and purpose. Whether they are women in my personal life, mentors, authors, speakers or teachers, the common thread is wisdom, resilience, compassion, courage, kindness, integrity, and a commitment to growth and inner peace. They’ve taught me that healing is not linear, vulnerability is a strength, and we each have the power to rewrite our story, no matter where we come from.
How do you use your platform or position to inspire or uplift others?
I participate in speaking events, workshops, podcasts, and use my coaching practice and voice to help women feel seen, heard, worthy, empowered, and validated. Many of us grew up believing something was wrong with us, when in reality, we were carrying generational patterns and childhood wounds—especially the mother wound. When I help women name these patterns and give them the language to understand what they’ve been experiencing, it’s like a bright light turns on and an immense weight lifts. I also share my story openly—my upbringing, struggles, emotional pain and confusion, and my healing journey—so women can better understand themselves and realize they are not the only one suffering. I emphasize that these struggles are common, affecting the majority of women, which not only lifts the heavy burden of self-blame but also opens the door to healing. My goal is always to empower women to realize they are not broken, that they can heal, and that their gifts, voice and power are needed in this world.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love when a client realizes where her struggles actually stem from, and that she was never the cause of them, nor at fault for the pain she’s carried. I also love witnessing a client’s growth and transformation, realizing she is free from old generational trauma, patterns, and emotional wounds, when she feels a sense of peace, clarity, and empowerment she once thought was impossible to attain. I also love the ripple effect of this work. It transforms relationships, marriages, parenting, careers—entire lives—and breaks generational cycles, helping future children grow up free from the same pain and struggles. I believe when women heal and rise, we not only change our own lives but it can also create a collective shift that impacts families, communities, and the world.
What’s a project or achievement you’re especially proud of?
I’m especially proud of my own healing and what it has afforded me. I grew up in a dysfunctional environment, witnessing an unhappy marriage and carrying deep generational trauma along with both mother and father wounds. I had a mountain of pain to heal. Without doing this work, I would have lived an extremely difficult life and unintentionally passed my trauma, wounds, and dysfunction onto my son. I also doubt my marriage would have lasted, given my early challenges with identifying, understanding, and expressing myself, my emotions, and my needs—along with learning to show up as a healthy partner and navigate conflict and differences constructively. Because I’ve done the work, my marriage has not only lasted but thrived; we are in our 21st year. I’ve been able to raise my son as a healed parent, teaching him to grow up secure in who he is, confident, with healthy boundaries, and able to express his needs and emotions. He will never inherit my struggles. By breaking the generational cycle, I’ve stopped the passing down of trauma, dysfunction, and childhood wounds. That is by far my greatest achievement— and it’s what inspired me to create the Mother Wound AwakeningTM Program, where I now guide other women to heal their mother wound, break generational patterns, and reclaim their voice, power, and self-worth.
What’s one thing people often misunderstand about you or your work?
People often see me as extra nice, calm, positive, and easy-going—and I love this about myself. But because I come off that way, those who don’t know me are often surprised when they also see that I’m strong, secure, opinionated, with firm boundaries, a clear sense of self-worth, and confident in my voice, power, and standing up for what’s right. A common misunderstanding around my work involves the terms “Mother Wound” and “generational trauma;” they are still unfamiliar terms to many people. Many women don’t yet realize these dynamics are shaping their relationships, self-worth, and life experiences. Part of my work is educating them—helping them understand that they are not broken, but have inherited pain and emotional wounds that can be healed. This awareness alone is powerful and brings deep relief—knowing the struggles they’ve carried were never their fault.
What’s a habit or routine that contributes to your success?
I start my mornings with meditation music, movement or exercise. I listen to inspirational books and podcasts, and I practice gratitude daily. Gratitude keeps me grounded. Even in hard times, I remind myself there is always something to be thankful for—and that perspective always gets me through. I also embrace the reality that life is full of ups and downs. Instead of resisting challenges, I welcome them as opportunities to grow. And I never hesitate to reach for support—from friends, mentors, coaching, or therapy. I know I don’t have all the answers, and that humility keeps me open and evolving.
How do you balance work and your personal life?
Honestly, I don’t think the term balance really exists. Life can be hard, complicated, unpredictable, and with that, it requires constant adaptability and help—checking in with yourself, honoring where you are, understanding your capacity, staying prioritized, and asking for help when needed. In the end, I believe it’s about doing your best with the awareness and capacity you have, and this looks different for each of us. And as an entrepreneur, I don’t believe perfect balance is possible. The work is constant and plentiful, important, time-sensitive, and it’s easy to lose yourself in it. What helps me is staying present and mindful—regularly checking in to ensure I’m not overextending, neglecting my own needs, or running onautopilot. When I notice it happening, which it does, I pause, reflect, reset, and re-align.
What are you currently working on or excited about?
Right now, I’m deeply passionate about my new program, the Mother Wound AwakeningTM: Six-Week Mini-Mastermind. It’s the program I wish had existed when I started my healing journey at 19. Within six weeks, women gain clarity, insight, and relief about themselves and their past that took me decades to achieve. Generational trauma, mother and father wounds weren’t recognized in the mental health field when I began my work, and only recently have they gained wider acknowledgment. My healing journey was a long, frustrating scavenger hunt, turning over one stone at a time, uncovering clues rather than answers. In my mastermind, women have the opportunity to uncover everything about themselves, gain answers to their questions in just six weeks: why they have repeat patterns, where those patterns stem from, why they exist, how they’ve been impacting them, and why they’re not their fault—plus how to start healing them. To be honest, this program is a goldmine for women ready to better understand themselves and heal their repeat struggles.
Where do you see yourself—or hope to be—in the next five years?
In five years, I hope to be serving thousands of women through group programs, speaking events to share my story and educate on generational trauma and the Mother Wound, healing workshops, and limited 1:1 coaching—while building a strong, connected community of women healing and growing together.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell her she was perfectly created exactly as she is, and to never forget that or try to change herself. Trust her intuition—it is always right and will guide her through every area of her life. She doesn’t need to rely on the external world to know what’s best for her; her body and inner wisdom always know. If she encounters repeat struggles in life, explore her past and uncover what may be present—most importantly, generational trauma, mother wounds, and father wounds. Her struggles are not her fault—they often stem from inherited pain and childhood wounds. Mother wounds can profoundly impact women, shaping and sometimes shattering identity, confidence, self-worth, and more.
Never lose sight of who she is, her worth, her voice, and her power, and practice exercising it continuously. Trust herself, her inner knowing, and never let others dictate her choices, her path, or her self-worth.
What message do you hope to pass on to the next generation of women?
You are powerful, you have a purpose, and you are valuable in this world. Never minimize yourself, shrink, silence your voice, or dim your power. Speak up, take up space, stand up for what’s right, and do not allow anyone to dismiss, discount, or undermine you. You are worthy and you matter—every single day.
What does winning mean to you?
Winning, to me, means showing up authentically as yourself every day, and not letting anyone or anything shake that. It means doing the self-discovery and healing work needed to overcome what stands in your way, so you can achieve peace, freedom, become the best version of yourself and live the life you desire to live.