Karen Hood Caddy

Each of us comes into the world with unique gifts. Just like real gifts, too often they stay unwrapped or get set aside, unopened. In my experience, it is only when people unwrap their potential and use it fully that they feel great about their lives.

Over the twenty-five years of my professional career, I have worked with people individually and in groups to empower them to reach their full potential. If you don’t notice the difference in your life from being coached by me, I will offer you a complete refund.

I know how to help people listen to the truth of themselves and how to support them taking appropriate risks. I know how to help people stay centered and motivated and make their dreams come true.



"Oh, the joy of being published"
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful
than the risk it took to blossom."   Anias Nin

When I'm not coaching, I write. My article and stories have appeared in Europe, USA and Canada. I have three novels published--I write what I call eco-fiction, which is fiction that has characters who stand up for nature! In my first book, Tree Fever, my character, a fifty-ish psychotherapist meets an Ojibway healer who helps her to find the courage to risk her life to save a stand of hundred-year-old trees. In Flying Lessons, another episode that involves many of the same characters, the home of a bird sanctuary is threatened and the survival of 2 loons is at stake. (This story is partly based on true events here in Muskoka, Ontario). In the Wisdom of Water, the last episode, the characters face a life threatening situation when the town's water becomes polluted with e-coli.

All my novels are about people empowering themselves to make a difference in the world and even though they are often described as "page turners", they have inspiring endings. Personally, I get discouraged about all the doom and gloom about what we're doing to the environment (however justified that might be) so I write stories that create hope and encouragement for people to take stands and make a difference.

My first nonfiction book, entitled The Findhorn Book of Everyday Abundance has been getting rave reviews. The book not only outlines the fundamental principals involved in 'creating' but offers some new, cutting-edge technologies for moving past personal limitations.

When I am not writing or coaching, I like to spend as much time as I can paddling my kayak and gardening. The more time I can be in nature, the better!!

More About Coach Karen

Here’s more about me, my life experience and qualifications:

Personal Growth

Personal growth has always fascinated me. Whether I am in my kayak, working an emotional issue in my own life, or helping someone with a life-altering situation, I want to give my BEST.

To help me do that in the psychological realm, I’ve explored a variety of “cutting- edge” self -improvement technologies, rather than follow traditional academic training. The ones I have studied seriously are:

  • The Mastery (Scotland).
  • Empowerment Teacher’s Training (New York).
  • Hoffman Quadrinity Process (Toronto).
  • Process-Oriented Psychology (Switzerland).
  • Reiki Training (Scotland).
  • Yoga Teacher’s Training (Toronto)
  • Mindfulness Meditation (France).
  • Insight Training (Scotland).
  • EFT (Internet training)
  • Focussing (In training now)

This intensive learning gives me lots of tools to coach with, providing significant resources for different people and situations.

Self-Improvement:

Growing up in an alcoholic family gave me lots of experience at how Not to live your best life. As a child, I was riddled with anxiety, but somehow managed to keep the belief that life could be wonderful- - I just had to figure out how to get beyond my family’s programming.

Even though I graduated from York University with a Psychology degree, I was far more interested in creating change. Vice President of the student body for 2 years, I was instrumental in creating several socio-political programs to make student life better.

After university, I continued my commitment to be a “force for good”, by working as a social worker. Its gift to me was a decade of experience in coaching people on a wide variety of problems.

At that time, I explored my own psychotherapy and found myself interested in techniques that were quick and easily self-administered.

In my early thirties, I moved to Scotland to live at Findhorn, an International organization dedicated to developing alternative environmental and healing technologies. While I was there, I organized conferences which involved such notables as Sir Laurens Van der Post and Caroline Myss.

Coaching in Canada:

Fascinated with people who made a difference in the world, I returned to Canada and began writing articles and books with that theme. I completed 3 novels and one self-help book (on Abundance). The Globe and Mail called my last novel “a hymn to nature” and I was featured on the CBC, Canada’s renowned radio station. During this time, I was nominated for a YWCA “Woman of Distinction Award” for being a “Champion of the Environment”.

Meanwhile, I worked as a psychotherapist and offered workshops in self-actualization. I believe my work has been success because:

  • I am courageous enough to dig for what truly matters. Who wants to create a life that doesn’t stir one’s soul?
  • I work hard to build inner confidence so a person CAN go for what they want.
  • I expand a person’s vision of what’s possible.
  • I deeply respect how each person does their lives. It’s always “your way”, but with more skills and confidence.
  • I foster autonomy by teaching tools for self-regulation.

In brief, you might see me as self-taught, but really I’ve been taught by the greatest teacher of all—Life. The gift of my challenging childhood was that it made me highly motivated to make the most of every life lesson. And I have.

Now, I can truly say, I am living the life that I love. You can do that too.

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