About Kerri
My Story
I’m Kerri Sjoblom, a certified Somatic Coach and Life and Success Coach as well as a writer and creator. I am passionate about authenticity, connection, creativity, and social and environmental impact.
My journey began in northern Minnesota on the tip of Lake Superior where there was snow as late as May. I was the shy, sensitive kid who became an overachiever and people-pleaser to try and fit in at school and at the same time cope with what often felt like chaos at home. I never felt like I quite belonged and that I was different in some way.
At the age of eight, a dinner with Central American refugees fleeing the civil wars in their countries shifted my understanding of the world and increased my desire to connect with people and new cultures and languages. This experience led me to El Salvador several times throughout high school where I supported the creation of a sister community relationship. I also became passionate about the empowerment of girls and served as an editor of New Moon Magazine, a magazine for girls and their dreams which supported girls in developing a positive self-esteem and body image and created a space for their authentic self-expression.
In college, I studied for several months in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Argentina where I soon fell in love with Salsa dancing. The dance helped me reconnect with myself as well as others in a new way, and the energy of the music and movement captivated me.
I tried on various professional hats over the years, including:
as an AmeriCorps volunteer at an elementary school, a job coach for persons with disabilities, and a campaign executive for a non-profit in Minnesota;
a 7th grade teacher/NYC teaching fellow in Brooklyn, New York;
and a customer service representative in the private sector and an English teacher in El Salvador.
For the past 13+ years, I served as an international affairs professional in Washington D.C. where I worked on human rights, racial equity, and gender equality in U.S. foreign policy with a focus on Latin America. At the same time, I also fostered over 80 kittens and cats for the local animal shelter (over a ten year period, not all at once!).
While I was humbled to write papers for former presidents and secretaries of State, make high level initiatives happen, and help respond to various crises globally, I noticed that I was becoming disconnected from myself and my authentic self-expression as well as increasingly burned-out the longer I stayed. Being a contractor, not a federal employee, which meant in practice that I was treated differently despite carrying out the same duties as my peers, also gnawed at me and retriggered old childhood feelings of invisibility and reinforced my over-achiever, people-pleasing and perfectionistic parts. After my father passed away in October 2024, and I lost two jobs with the elimination of my former offices, I gained clarity about the need to truly do what I love and reconnect with my purpose and authentic self-expression.
I became a Jay Shetty-certified Life and Success Coach in 2024 and have since trained and become certified in body-oriented coaching with the Somatic School from the UK. I noticed that even with simply participating in the experiential Somatic School training alone, my own nervous system was becoming more regulated despite the various losses I was experiencing and the chaos of events in Washington D.C. around me at the time. I also felt seen and heard in a new way and began connecting with myself at an even deeper level than I knew was possible. Eager to support people in a similar way with a body-oriented mindfulness approach to coaching, I have now transitioned from the foreign policy world of international affairs to becoming a somatic coach. In addition to coaching, I have rekindled my love for dance and music and am now diving into writing and painting as well. My life has shifted significantly yet I feel much more aligned with who I am now.
I’m excited to support your journey toward the version of yourself that feels most grounded, alive, and fully you.
What I Help With
Experiencing life transitions, such as career change, entrepreneurship and creative endeavors, and moving to a new city
Living more fully in the present
Learning to manage stress and increasing resilience
Reconnecting with your authentic self
Gaining clarity on your next steps and purpose
My Approach
Supporting you in finding and (re)connecting with your own inner wisdom and resiliency.
Recognizing that you are whole, creative, and resourceful and the expert on your life journey.
Incorporating the wisdom of the body in addition to the mind. This often means slowing down and working with the present moment and what is seeking to emerge.
Engaging with empathy, open-mindedness, curiosity, and an experimental attitude.
Who I Work With
I work with adults of every gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, and sexual orientation.
You are welcome here. 💕
My Coaching Training
The Somatic School
Certified Body-Oriented Coach
Jay Shetty Certification School
Certified Life and Success Coach
Additional Education:
Master of Arts - International Affairs, Specialization: Latin America
The George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs, Washington D.C.
Bachelor of Arts - International Relations, Spanish
Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Study Abroad - Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerri-sjoblom/
Fun Facts
Most memorable moment: Performing with Mambo King Eddie Torres at a Salsa Congress in NYC. I was in the back row with other dancers but was so proud to be there.
Most challenging professional moment: Getting hit with a paper airplane by one of my students as a new 7th grade teacher and trying not to cry in front of my class.
Favorite food: I love cheese!
Zodiac sign: Libra
Random skill: Reciting the 50 states of the U.S. in alphabetical order. I taught myself this during a really long road trip as a kid.
