Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Morton.
Hi Krista, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My journey begins as a child. I grew up with chronic symptoms, such as anxiety, panic attacks, sound & light sensitivity & excruciating aching in my knees, all of which were acknowledged as issues that come with a “sensitive” child, or physical “growing pains.” As I grew into my teenage years, things began to progress into the realm of hormone disruption & gastrointestinal symptoms. At age 17, I was diagnosed with PCOS and decided to explore nutritional solutions to my symptoms. This is when I first realized I had a gluten sensitivity, and took an interest in how food affects the body. In college, I studied dance performance & fell into battling anorexia, orthorexia & bulimia, as, unfortunately, so many in the dance community do. During this time, I also suffered a severe head & neck injury, which set off a cascade of symptoms. I began to experience heart palpitations, severe fatigue, eye pain, jaundice, light sensitivity cold intolerance, hair loss, loss of reflexes, loss of circulation and wounds on my toes & dramatic weight loss. Knowing there was something more to this, I decided to pursue medical testing, which revealed no issues upon initial blood draw. The symptoms were all blamed on my eating disorder behaviors. Feeling shocked at this, I trusted my doctor & decided to pursue counseling from a therapist who specialized in eating disorders. She recommended that I put some of the foods I had been restricting out of my health-conscious, orthorexia tendencies, back into my diet, in order to heal my relationship with food. At the time, I had been gluten-free for two years & was dairy-free for about a year. After spending a few months of this, I was cleared of my eating disorder, but found myself in the emergency room, unable to stand up straight, with a partial bowel impaction. This was a pivotal moment for me. At the time, I was in nutrition school & I knew it was time to practice what I preached & get to the root of this. I pursued functional medicine testing with a naturopathic doctor. This is when I was diagnosed with three autoimmune diseases: celiac disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and Raynaud’s syndrome. I pursued healing with this diagnosis through functional medicine care for three years. These protocols were to no avail. Although I’d make some progress, I ultimately would find myself in continuous downward spirals. My symptoms became worse and worse. I developed more severe symptoms, some of which were neurological, such as auditory hallucinations, slurred speech, eye twitching, severe migraines and eye pain, insomnia, night sweats, loss of feeling in my left hand, an unexplainable rash, muscle weakness, weight gain of 45lbs, chronic sore throat, perpetual gastrointestinal distress, joint pain in multiple joints, panic attacks, cardiac arrhythmia, severe brain fog, occasional fevers & debilitating fatigue to the point where it was difficult to climb a set of stairs on some days. I knew there had to be an answer. I watched as my clients received healing while I continued to suffer. The amount of emotional pain that accumulated, as a result of failed treatment after treatment, is indescribable. My gut instinct knew my doctors and I were missing something, but it didn’t take away the feeling that my body was betraying me. Some very dark times were a part of the journey during this time. All the while from the outside, this battle was invisible. Chronic illness is silent suffering & only those who are closest to you (in your household) will truly know how deep the pain is. Finally, after four years of searching for answers and relief, I finally was diagnosed properly through a bioenergetic scan with chronic Lyme Disease, parasites, candida, gall bladder and liver dysfunction, severe mold toxicity & more, in addition to my celiac, thyroid & circulation diseases. It was a huge relief, as well as the beginning of a messy, intense healing journey. As many know, through conventional & even most herbal approaches to healing Lyme Disease, it is extremely uncommon, if not impossible, to expel the Borrelia Burgdorferi (Lyme) infection out of the body. The goal of most treatments is to manage symptoms & allow the Lyme to go dormant in the body. I denied this prognosis of “remission” of Lyme in its “dormant” state, as I felt strongly that God put a calling on my heart for complete healing and generational illness. This illness stops with me. This is when I journeyed to Biologix Center for Optimal Health, where under the treatment of Dr. Martin Hart and their incredible staff, I finally found validation, healing & relief. Through testing, they offer a treatment called Induced Native Anti-Phage therapy, which is highly effective at destroying the Borrelia Bacteria and ridding it of the body completely. It was during my treatment at the clinic that I found that I actually contracted Lyme Disease through the placenta in utero & all of my childhood symptoms, physical and emotional, that had been dismissed by doctors were actually the beginning warning signs of Lyme disease, and the neck injury in college was the final straw for the capacity of stress my body’s immune and nervous system could take. Through my doctor & several other helpers and healers, I was gifted hope for my health back, I left the clinic feeling empowered & 60% better, overall, after just two weeks of treatment. I also experienced love, compassion & the priceless gift of being seen and fully validated in my physical and emotional pain. I still visit Biologix, in order to continue optimizing my health, as it is my #1 priority after suffering for so many years. Repairing the body from the inner destruction of chronic Lyme Disease (24 years for me!) takes time and patience. One of the things that helped prepare me to receive healing the most was neuro-emotional work. My body had been holding onto so many stories and trapped emotions, which is extremely common in chronic illness. Many chronic symptoms have an emotional attachment & ALL of us have some form of childhood trauma from our developmental stages of life. I’m a strong believer in healing our pain & I believe that we are given these wounds in order to go on a healing journey & become the most authentic and free versions of ourselves. The modality that truly changed the course of my emotional healing was Parts & Memory Therapy, developed by Dr. Jay Norick. This modality uses the concept of multiplicity, in order to rewire the brain’s emotional response to painful memories. I believe that we were designed to renew our minds, especially as we experience pain in the world, as we are reminded in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. The patterns of this world include pain, suffering & imperfection. When we can embrace our messiness, we set ourselves up for choosing a powerful healing journey towards freedom. Throughout the four years of my healing, I knew my calling was to help others who were suffering to and to facilitate healing and transformation for clients of my own. I devoted myself to studying healing, both physically & emotionally in the body. I became so passionate about a holistic approach to healing, I pursued and graduated with my Master’s degree in Integrative Health, where I immersed myself in studying Traditional Chinese Medicine & Somatic Therapy modalities. This part of my journey gave me the opportunity to conduct a human research study on my original somatic movement medicine method, called Soma Soul Flow, which is a form of mind-body dance that is accessible to all members of the community. After graduating and nutrition school, Parts Therapy had made such an impact on my healing, that I decided to become certified in the method, levels one and two through Dr. Jay Norick’s & Patrick Tobey, LMFT. I began specializing in a somatic, holistic approach to healing, working with clients 1:1 on various issues such as emotional trauma healing, emotional triggers, disordered eating patterns, anxiety, depression, gut issues, autoimmunity, vagal tone, fatigue, chronic illness, chronic pain & more. This grew into my full-time practice, Soma Sonder, which invites clients into the healing journey of making their life their medicine through Somatic Parts Therapy, Functional Nutrition, and Supplementation & Bioenergetic Testing. I work with clients 1:1 from around the world, virtually, and take in-person clients in Charleston, South Carolina, where I now call home. Clients come to me, seeking healing from a wide variety of issues, some of which are mostly physical, and some emotional. Most often, it is a combination of both, whether they are aware of this or not, as the mind-body connection is inseparable. I’ve watched incredible transformations of clients’ physical and emotional health, through bridging the gap between the mind and the body & addressing each healing protocol bio-individually for each client. Clients and community members can also experience healing through live Soma Soul Flow workshops, retreats & live events, as well as listen to my podcast, Unbound, on all major listening platforms. My story is a pain to purpose. Without my pain, I would’ve never pursued the knowledge I now have to support clients in their healing journeys. It is my greatest joy in life to facilitate healing & transformation and to tell my story of redemption, as I believe that all things happen FOR us, not to us. My healing philosophy is that the body was designed to heal by a good God & powerful Healer. When we can take the interference out, whether it be physical, emotional, chemical, environmental, energetic, or spiritual, we create a clear vessel for the body’s natural processes. I also believe that in the face of adversity, whether it be deep emotional pain, a poor prognosis, or a pain that simply feels unrepairable, the definition of healing is “finding wholeness despite one’s circumstances”. No matter what, healing is always an option. Sometimes, we simply have to rewire our minds, approach & expectations. I hold true to this truth and promise through Philippians 1:6, which states, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NIV).
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were many challenges to getting to the place I am today. Along with my healing journey with chronic illness, the emotional pain was a huge obstacle, as well as financial resources. Starting a business, while healing from chronic illness & moving to a new state was certainly a liberating challenge. In the thick of my struggle, I hired a business and personal coach, who helped me overcome the limiting beliefs I needed to address, in order to launch my business full time. I had a desire to move out of my home in New Jersey to sunny South Carolina. Within three months, I went from having minimal financial resources and one client to being in business full time & moving to South Carolina as my own boss! The work was challenging but so rewarding. We must feel to heal. Confront your pain and watch your life change!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Soma Sonder?
My business, SomaSonder, is a health consultation practice. I support my clients’ physical and emotional wellness, from a functional & somatic perspective. In my work, I leverage principles of the Polyvagal Theory & Somatic Therapies, as well as a background in functional medicine & nutrition. I specialize in emotional regulation, trauma, inner child healing/reparenting work, chronic illness, gut health, autoimmunity, etc. What sets my practice apart from others is a modality I use called Parts & Memory. I use it in almost all of my client cases, as it is extremely helpful for rewiring the neuropathways, whether this is around an emotional belief system or a chronic symptom. The limbic system plays a huge role in our physical & emotional health. Additionally, I utilize a frequency-based DNA scan to get to the root of symptoms immediately, prior to recommending a protocol for clients. This greatly supports immediate progress in their healing journeys. SomaSonder also hosted its first retreat last summer (2021). Several clients came together to celebrate & continue going deeper into their healing journeys. This was a highlight & represents the deeper bonds we have through this process of working together, both with myself & alongside other, like-minded individuals. When you work with me, you are receiving support in all branches of holistic health, physically, emotionally & spiritually. My goal and deepest desire are for you to feel seen, validated & supported in whatever part of your journey you are currently navigating. One of our core needs is to be seen. When the health practitioner can support not only your healing but also hold space & understand that core need of being seen and validated, the practitioner that has the ability to facilitate the most change, simply because the client feels safe enough, to be honest, and open in the process. I commit to holding that safe space among my clients.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There have been so many helpers, healers & mentors along the way. Some of the most influential to me have been Dr. Martin Hart from Biologix Center for Optimal Health. His skillful work as a doctor took my healing journey, physically, emotionally & spiritually, to the next level, inspiring me & allowing me to uplevel my work with clients & show up in a new way. Dr. Sachiko Komagata, my graduate program director, created the space for me to explore research that set my soul on fire. Because of her openness, I discovered my true calling in graduate school. Coreen Ward of Peas & Carrots Wellness has always been an inspirational mentor & supporter. I’ve known Coreen since I was in high school and our relationship has been so beautiful in the many ways it’s developed from mentor to co-worker & friend. Lisa Hall, my incredible healer & friend, has supported me emotionally and energetically throughout this healing journey through her gifts & provided clarity and support when needed. Graham Lichtner & Autumn Farr have been instrumental in developing my confidence as a business owner through their powerful coaching skills. Their impact on my life has allowed me to show up and take my business full time. My family has also played a huge role in this process. Without their unconditional support, this journey would’ve been significantly more challenging. I’m blessed to have never questioned their belief in my goals & dreams. My incredible clients, many of which have stuck around for a long time in this journey, have been so wonderful. Our work together facilitates healing in both directions & I’m unconditionally grateful for their choice to commit to themselves & heal. It changes the world. Finally, my biggest teammate in this has been God. Without my faith, I’m not sure where I’d draw my courage from. He has blessed me far greater than I could have ever imagined in this work.
Contact Info:
- Email: somasonder@gmail.com
- Website: http://somasonder.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somasonder/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somasonder
- Other: https://calendly.com/somasonder_
Image Credits
Chris Wilson
