You’ve tried everything. You’re still exhausted. Here’s what’s really going on…
Chronic fatigue, burnout, life feeling harder than it should…These aren’t signs of weakness: They can be signals that something deeper is out of alignment.
I’m Katie Dean. Doctors told me I would never recover from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome…but I found a way and it changed everything.
If something in you recognises this, I’d love to share what I discovered…
Free to enter. Explore at your own pace.
About Katie Dean
I recently celebrated my 50th birthday…yes, that’s me, at the birthday lunch my best friends organised to help me celebrate…
And this milestone felt like a good opportunity to reflect. Rather than reaching mid-life, I honestly feel like my life is just starting now.
On paper, “adult life” began back in the year 2000 when I graduated from Cambridge University, with a BA Hons., Masters and PhD in history. Full of drive and ambition, I entered the work-force, accepting a brilliant job as a business strategy consultant in London.
That first career was cut short by illness. In 2003, I collapsed on my way into work one day. After six months, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and told I would probably never recover. So began a twenty-year quest to regain my energy.
That quest became my “Heroine’s Journey” and I now sit here, fully recovered and actually living with more energy than I had when I left university. But my journey isn’t over: You meet me here as the “Avatar” emerging to share the lessons I learned in order to shine a light for others: Maybe you’re one of the people I am here to help…?
The first lessons…
During the first twenty years after my collapse, I began creating jewellery, wedding bouquets and other art using beads. So, that became my second career.
This path funded my recovery journey: During these twenty years, I created and published over 500 beading tutorials, more than forty online classes, and multiple books. For three years, I also edited Bead and Jewellery magazine and had a brief appearance as a guest designer on Jewellery Maker TV. I saw my beading designs published in magazines across the globe and gained a worldwide following.
I have always had a love of books – both reading them and writing them. So, when my nieces and nephew appeared, I began writing children’s books for them, and published those books as well.
That was how the world saw me: creative, successful, and yes, sharing my chronic fatigue experience, but seeming to manage it all.
What I was actually experiencing was a vicious cycle of energy boom-and-bust. I was attempting to manage symptoms, using diet, pacing, gentle yoga. But I was spending frequent spells bed-bound, sometimes for weeks, and house-bound for months on end. At the same time, trying to pretend everything was perfectly OK.
It wasn’t OK, and in 2016, my life imploded once again as I had my second complete collapse. And this was absolutely terrifying: I was self-employed, single and too ill to work. It was also a major catalyst…
What were the lessons?
Quite by accident, I had already stumbled upon something that was incredibly supportive. The beading was allowing me to relax and, as I relaxed, my nervous system calmed down, giving my body space to begin the natural healing process.
The trouble was, I didn’t understand any of this, so I kept (accidentally) getting in the way. I mis-took symptoms for signs of damage when they were signs of healing. I tried to push through instead of accepting where I was. In short, because I didn’t understand myself or my body during those years, I remained stuck for longer. (If you wish to read all of my story, you can find it in my international best-selling book, Finding the Energy to Thrive)
Trying to ignore my symptoms didn’t make them go away. Strategies for managing them (diet and lifestyle changes, even medication at one point) also didn’t bring recovery. In essence, these strategies were masking, not healing. I could have taken this to mean that the doctors were correct and recovery was impossible. Something deep inside me knew this wasn’t true, and I kept searching…so now you don’t have to…
The first step to support you
Now, I didn’t see these lessons at the time, but those agonising years were actually trying to show me some really important things:
Your symptoms are messages to let you know that you’re out of alignment and to guide you back to your true path. When you are out of alignment, your autonomic nervous system registers this as a threat. That triggers messages to your cells which tell them to shut down (the Cell Danger Response). If they spend too long in this shut-down, and don’t return to calm functioning, you will experience physiological symptoms: systems begin to malfunction and you feel ill.
For me, business strategy consultancy was not my true path. Yes, it was interesting, it paid well and I gained some great skills, but it didn’t light me up or bring me joy. I didn’t understand this until years later, but I was also living with some developmental trauma, which compounded everything.
When I began beading, I began reconnecting with who I am. The things that light me up are creative pursuits – writing, designing, making. As I moved more and more into alignment, learned about my nervous system, and discovered how to support it, I recovered my health. I found all of this by accident, but you don’t have to.
My first invitation to you: what is it that lights you up? Make a list. Forget all the stories about what is possible or “allowed” – those stories are keeping you from living in your natural flow of energy. The first part of your journey is to start becoming aware of your desires and aware of the stories that keep you away from following your desire. When you have that picture, you’re going to begin re-writing the stories that are keeping you stuck. If you know how to do that, perfect…you will go far, and you probably don’t need my help!
If you’re not sure where to begin or what I mean by this process, then this is why I created the Find My Energy community. It’s a free online space for you to connect with others, understand your symptoms, discover your passion, and reconnect with yourself. Once you come back into alignment and connection with yourself, your energy flows and your body heals itself naturally…you won’t believe me yet, but I invite you to simply get curious and discover this for yourself…
(It’s free to join, so what have you got to lose? More importantly, what might you gain?)
“The best part for me is that Katie provides a safe space to explore symptoms and issues. There is no judgement, just discussions and suggestions on how I could move forward in the areas I wished to work on. Not only have a number of my CFS symptoms improved, but I feel that I have regained some control over health and a better understanding of my condition.“
Lesley B.
Back to my story…
That second severe collapse, in 2016, didn’t break me: Instead, I intensified my quest for energy. I began researching the illness, I found people who had travelled the road of CFS recovery, and I worked with them. I met my nervous system and came to understand how it controlled my body and my health. Instead of battling against it, I learned how to work with it, and – lo and behold! – one by one, the debilitating symptoms that had drained me for almost two decades, began to lift.
In 2022 I reached full recovery. When that happened, I found myself at another crossroads. After two decades of illness, now with energy, what was I going to do with my life?
Fascinatingly, the beading and children’s books that I had been so passionate about during my illness no longer held the same appeal for me. Perhaps I came to subconsciously attach them to the identity of “illness” – I don’t know. But I found myself in a void. I had an instinct that I was now meant to share my journey and life lessons to help others. But no idea how…
Awakening…
I feel sure it is no coincidence that my final recovery unfolded alongside a rather large, and most unexpected spiritual awakening. At first, I had no idea what this meant, where it was taking me, or how to really integrate it all into my life and identity.
Those things crystallised over time – they still are – and while that process unfolded, I returned to studying and training.
I qualified as a Bioenergetic Health Coach (with Energy4Life – formerly NES Health), studied trauma, trained in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Life Coaching and then gained diplomas in Colour Therapy and Sacred Geometry. I also studied level one Tolpakan Healing.
Then, to my great surprise, I began channelling a complete system to support personal growth and healing…The Kolorlan System…and that brings me to here, the present moment, where I would love to invite you to join me on the next stage of the journey: Not my journey now, but your journey – your reconnection to your Self, your energy, your health, your dreams. So, if something in you recognises this, you’re very welcome to step forward…
Inside this space, you’ll find different ways to explore and reconnect with yourself—at your own pace, in your own way.
You don’t need to understand everything right now. You can simply begin, and follow what draws you.
But if you’re not quite ready to enter at this moment, let me share a little more about some of the paths below…
“Katie is a wonderfully warm and supportive individual. She is always ready to listen, very knowledgeable and offers great advice when needed. I like the fact that she also is straight speaking and not afraid to call me out or push me when she knows I need it. I’ve leaned on Katie as a mentor and found her invaluable.“
Chloe Seedhouse, Pinkhot.co.uk.
ONE OF THE WAYS I NOW SUPPORT THIS PROCESS IS THROUGH SOMETHING UNEXPECTED…
The Kolorlan System…
Working with colour and sacred geometry, these creations carry a subtle frequency that can help bring the body and environment back into a state of balance and coherence.
You might begin simply—choosing a piece of art for your space, a coaster, colouring a design, or working with the colours in a way that feels creative and calming.
Or you may find yourself drawn more deeply into using these tools as a way to explore your inner world, reconnect with yourself, and gently support your own process of change.
You can explore all of this in your own way, at your own pace, through the Kolorlan collection.
Kolorlan Journeys
For those who desire to go a little deeper, the Kolorlan Journeys offer a guided experience.
Through a simple daily practice of colour, geometry and meditation, you are invited into reflection, insight and gentle transformation.
Each journey unfolds within a small online group space, creating a beautiful sense of rhythm, structure and shared experience as you move through your own process.
“Thank you for holding your lovely workshop on Friday. It was great to take some time out for me, in what was a particularly busy week. It felt indulgent to do this but that was a great part of the pleasure too. I really enjoyed using the cards to dictate to me which colours I should use, giving me little challenges to create pleasing designs even with colours I wouldn’t naturally choose. I really also enjoyed learning about what the colours represent, beyond what we might obviously think of. I felt very relaxed after the workshop and will definitely be colouring again!”
Suzanne Raffellini, SuzanneRaffelliniGlassArtist.com.
“I wanted to tell you how much I loved the Kolorlan I ordered for my friend. I have yet to give it to her, but the extra card that came with it for me to colour in with the friends who are chipping in to gift the Kolorlan set with me, is very surprising. I met with one of her friends, someone I haven’t really spoken to much before. As we talked, had tea, and coloured in the card, we had the most incredible conversation. We discussed a wide range of topics in depth. I found myself sharing parts of my history with her that I hadn’t told our mutual friend, whom I have known for years. It was so interesting and exciting, as though a calmness entered and relaxed both of us in our time together. There’s magic to the cards!
I’m looking forward to my friend discovering this transformation as she explores her birthday gift.”
Lou Lachman, EnergyCounselling.co.uk.
The Temple of Rejuvenation
For those who feel ready for a deeper level of support, the Temple of Rejuvenation offers a space to slow down, reconnect and explore this work more fully.
We (women and men, from around the world) gather every four weeks in a small group, on Zoom, for a guided experience that includes a Kolorlan meditation, gentle somatic practices, and space for reflection and shared insight.
Alongside the live sessions, you have access to a private online space containing the meditations and past explorations, so you can continue to support yourself between meetings.
This is a space for those who are ready to take small, consistent steps towards greater awareness, alignment and change.
“When I first heard about Katie’s proposed Temple of Rejuvenation, I immediately felt drawn to it, and was so excited to listen to her first presentation about what it would entail and her ideas for it. I joined immediately after that. And at a difficult time, it is not only sustaining and nurturing me, but is helping on so many different levels, and has revived, and is reviving my belief and hope that I can become unstuck and start to move forward in small ways again.” ~ Jill Clark
BOOKS, PODCASTS & TV SERIES
Get to know Katie in the media.
How the Body Heals Itself TV Series
Katie Dean is a featured Teacher in the multi-Award-Winning TV show, How the Body Heals Itself. In it, she shares her own story of recovering from a medical diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, along with some of the wisdom she gained from this experience.
Navigating the Clickety-Clack TV Series
What is the clickety-clack? It is that challenging feeling of being hit by a curve-ball and not knowing where to turn or how to navigate through to the next level. The speakers in this TV series share their stories of adversity and the tools they developed and used to make it through to the other side. They share how you can grow from the experience and ultimately end up thriving.
Finding the Energy to Thrive Book
Katie Dean’s award-winning, international best-selling book Finding the Energy to Thrive shares her story of recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome. It is an inspiring and powerful guide for others who are seeking to take their own journey of recovery.
Beadflowers, Beadwork by Katie Dean
If you knew me in my previous career as an award-winning bead artist, designer and teacher, this is for you…
I may not be actively designing, publishing tutorials or teaching any more, but all my creations are still available…
Yes, you read that right: you can still enjoy all of my 500+ beading tutorials. I have turned them into a book series that is available from Amazon. So, you can grab your copies from your local Amazon website, wherever you live in the world.
Children’s Books
The collection of children’s books that I originally wrote for my nieces and nephews are now available to purchase from Amazon.
You can head straight to your local Amazon website and search for the book titles. Or, if you would like to learn more about them before you make your purchase, click on the button below…