The art of HEALING

BY SUE READY

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

Karolyn Brenny is a holistic body therapist. She has a passionate interest in personal empowerment, self healing, well-being and spiritual growth through the healing art of energy therapy in its many forms. As a mother of four children she saw a need to address some of her family’s health issues by using a natural alternative and holistic method of healing of mind, body and soul. She began incorporating more natural foods into their diet as well as exploring various types of alternative healing. Prayers have always been a part of their family’s daily routine. She focuses on asking for protection for herself and family, a healing technique that pushes negative energy from oneself into energy healing. At this time the family of six was living on a family farm in rural Rice. Karolyn began to explore more natural alternative and holistic healing of mind, body and soul through energy and its many forms. In 2007 she opened a clinic on their property called Karolyn’s Integrated Healing Hands. Karolyn views herself as a facilitator helping clients heal emotionally or mentally on many different levels to become whole. She has a spiritual approach to life: “Everything I need comes from God — He will provide.” related to energy therapy.

Karolyn Brenny and her husband, John, left, took over Brenny Funeral Chapel in 2019 and renamed it Brenny Funeral Family Chapel, as they run it with the help of two sons and a daughter-in-law. Karolyn has found a niche in working with the funeral home business.

In 2015 John and Karolyn relocated from Rice to Baxter after their youngest daughter graduated from high school. Karoyln’s husband John had worked with the prior owner of Benny Funeral Chapel from 2012-2019. On Valentine’s Day in 2019, John and Karolyn took over the funeral homes and changed the name to Brenny Funeral Family Chapel. Their business is family run and locally owned with two sons and a daughter in law also part of the staff. There are now five locations in central Minnesota. Brenny’s working model is based on “serving your family as your own.”

Besides owning her own business, Karolyn has found a niche working with the funeral home business. An aftercare program is offered for clients to help those suffering from grief, traumas, depression and experiencing suicidal thoughts. Karolyn’s experience from grief counseling classes and holistic healing provide needed support to group participants to accept that grief both physically and emotionally is a very normal thing in the grieving process. Under Karolyn’s direction, her clients receive the necessary tools to manage their grief and accept where they are at this time of their grief journey.

Looking to keep her life balanced with all the challenges of daily multi tasking, Karolyn notes the importance of self care. Each morning her routine includes prayer, meditation and some form of exercise to maintain a balance to gain better mental health and inner peace for the day.

Currently, Karolyn is involved in an organization called EntreWomen, a community for women business owners in the Brainerd lakes area. The focus is connection, support and mindset coaching to encourage women to take another step towards the ideas and goals they have in their heart to pursue. “I find the connection useful because it helps me stay motivated with my goals and dreams for my business,” noted Karolyn.

Karolyn sees herself in a role to serve the community, particularly families to help them improve the quality of their life through energy healing. In her words, “All of us have lived life and gone through our own physical, emotional, mental and spiritual traumas in life. I help people turn their grief, sadness, and heartaches back into love and joy. I help them release their anger, distrust, guilt and fears and fill them back up with forgiveness, innocence and strength to move forward once again with life. Families are my heart and soul,” she said. Karolyn Brenny embodies the spirit of empowerment. With her positive, caring attitude she helps others find their strengths, develop better interpersonal relationships, become more focused and achieve their personal goals.

Sue Ready is a freelance writer, poet, food writer, book reviewer and former middle school teacher. She is a member of the Northwoods Arts Council in Hackensack and one of the chairs for the Annual August Northwoods Art and Book Festival. Sue blogs at http://sockfairies. blogspot.com with recipes, up north living and travel adventures. Her book reviews are posted on Facebook under EverReady Book Reviews and on her blog.