Today we’d like to introduce you to KJ.
Hi KJ, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In case we haven’t run into each other gnoshing at Oakland’s Mac + Cheese shop Homeroom, or while hunting vintage clothes and used books on 4th Street in Long Beach, my name is Kimberly, but you’re welcome to call me KJ.
I’m a licensed trauma-focused psychotherapist, artist, and speaker with an obsession with words and the knack for making grilled cheese sandwiches. I believe that every being possesses medicine for healing self and community, and I’ll guide you in rediscovering yours.
I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (which means, I study and counsel on relationships), a musician, a speaker, and a collector of stories. I also am a Psychological First Aid Responder with extensive experience providing mental health support to families impacted by disasters, both natural and man-made.
As a therapist specializing in work with BIPOC healthcare workers, educators, activists, artists, I focus on supporting those who are experiencing burnout and creative blockages.
Growing up, I was always aware that my unique background drew unwanted attention to me which caused me to feel self conscious, adrift and without a tribe to which I fully belonged. I am a biracial, female, transracial adoptee raised by a single mother in a fairly homogenous city- which is a fancy way of saying I didn’t look like anyone else in my neighborhood including my own family.
I became attuned to others who also felt like they were outsiders, unwelcome because of perceived differences or unconventional approaches. I led a life in which I downplayed my appearance, muted my voice, and hid my ideas from my teachers and peers. Sometimes I would avoid social gatherings. I stayed small, which caused bouts of depression and anxiety as well as self-shaming, especially in my later high school years.
In between offering wellness coaching and trauma-informed somatic arts psychotherapy in my California private practice, my husband Norman and I run somatically (body-based) and trauma informed expressive arts and mental health retreats in California (LA County & San Francisco) and Bali, Indonesia three to four times a year.
In 2024, I experienced the onset of seizures and I survived a major stroke. In my rehabilitation, I relearned basic skills like speaking and balancing while walking. This personal journey has deepened my understanding of the profound need for self-care and recovery, especially for those in helping professions.
I bring a unique perspective as a woman of color and stroke survivor who has faced burnout in multiple areas of my life. Having not only recovered but now thriving, I am committed to helping you find your path to recovery and joy.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Growing up, I was aware that my unique background drew unwanted attention to me which caused me to feel self conscious, adrift and without a tribe to which I fully belonged. I am a biracial, female, transracial adoptee raised by a single mother in a fairly homogenous city- which is a fancy way of saying I didn’t look like anyone else in my neighborhood including my own family.
Over time, I became attuned to others who also felt like they were outsiders, unwelcome because of differences or untraditional thinking. I led a life where I downplayed my appearance, muted my voice, and hid my ideas from my teachers and peers. Sometimes I would avoid social gatherings. I stayed small, which caused bouts of depression and anxiety as well as self-shaming, especially in my later high school years.
There were feelings of confusion, vulnerability and oppression interwoven in my childhood, adolescence and young adulthood but I had no way of articulating my experience until I began researching into my own indigenous background and reconnecting with my BIPOC roots from which I was always disconnected.
In the fall of 2023 into the winter of 2024, I experienced the onset of seizure disorder with no warning and then survived a major stroke caused by previously undiscovered blood clots in my brain a day before Thanksgiving. In my rehabilitation, I relearned basic skills like speaking, writing and maintaining balance while walking. This personal journey has deepened my understanding of the profound need for self-care and recovery, especially for those of us committed to the health and wellness of others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a creative arts healer and BIPOC creative business leader, my specialty lies in supporting BIPOC healthcare workers, educators, activists, and artists who are navigating burnout and creative blockages. I guide them back to the natural artistic gifts we are all born with, using practices like art journaling, mixed media collage, sound and music therapy, and gentle somatic movement rooted in yoga, barre, and somatic release.
What makes my work unique is that I bring the lived experience of a woman of color, a stroke survivor, and a trauma-informed psychotherapist who has faced and overcome deep burnout. This personal journey allows me to meet my clients with profound empathy and authenticity. I blend EMDR therapy and creative arts approaches with somatic healing techniques to help clients reconnect with their “hidden healing artist”—the part of themselves capable of profound self-healing and joy.
Additionally, my background as a classically trained musician and my journey as a transracial adoptee seeking reconnection with my indigenous roots deeply inform my leadership style. I approach creative healing as a sacred practice, helping others not only heal themselves but also contribute to healing future generations. My work is rooted in compassion, cultural humility, and a commitment to nurturing the creative light within each person I serve.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I’m a trauma informed creative arts somatic psychotherapist in Long Beach and Oakland, California, as well as in Bali, Indonesia. You can find me online or on social media. I have a website at https://blissbeginsretreats.com, and Instagram accounts at https://www.instagram.com/_kjcreates_/. You can also follow me on Substack https://kimberlyjanenasrul.substack.com/ or https://www.instagram.com/blissbeginsretreats/.
Pricing:
- $175/ Hour Creative Consulting
- $5000- $7500 Creative Wellness Art Retreats in Bali Indonesia
- $155 -$195/ Session Trauma Informed Creative Arts Somatic Psychotherapy
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blissbeginsretreats.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_KJCreates_
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/blissbeginswithin
- Other: https://kimberlyjanenasrul.substack.com/
Image Credits
– Angelina Hong Media (Photographer) https://www.instagram.com/angelinahong_/
– Kimberly J Nasrul (KJ Nasrul) https://www.instagram.com/_KJCreates_
