Kerstin Vollbrecht

L'AMOR WOMEN OF POWER

The main goal of L'amor is to encourage every woman to love herself as she is. Every woman is worthy, full of power, strength, and beauty - she simply needs to look within herself and let it radiate to the outside world. This page spotlights women whose life story serves as an inspiration to others.

Do you also have an empowering story that you would like to share with us? Email us

Kerstin Vollbrecht

I'm 44 years old and German. I was raised in Mannheim and Jiddah (Saudi Arabia) and spent most of my youth in Munich, in a dysfunctional middle-class family. While I was materially provided with everything I needed and wanted, I grew up with an alcoholic parent, while the other struggled to keep the family functioning. This led me to develop a strong sense of responsibility to provide emotional support. I became my mother’s confidant and friend, listening to her thoughts and feelings about our situation, which gave me a sense of responsibility for her and others' well-being. Watching her struggle to raise us and keep our family together also gave me an appreciation for the strength women can muster in difficult times.

I was always a very compassionate, shy, idealistic, and people-pleasing child, seeking approval and validation from others. Since friends and family often treated me as clumsy and incapable, I developed a very weak, almost non-existent, self-esteem. This programmed within me and constantly perpetuated my limiting belief of "not being good enough." As a result, I was often fearful of speaking up and expressing my truth. I developed a tendency to isolate myself from others, so I wouldn't risk being rejected. This contributed to my introverted nature, as I avoided being noticed or taken into account, out of fear to confirm, once again, that I'm unworthy. At the age of 12, I developed an eating disorder that lasted for at least 10 years, furthering my isolation and reinforcing my limiting beliefs. All this was accentuated when my father was diagnosed with stage IV cancer when I was 14, which he was not likely to survive. This illness deepened my sense of needing to emotionally support my mother while also trying to cope with my own fears about losing him soon. Fortunately, he did live for 15 more years.

After finishing high school, I moved to Berlin to study, but the fear of being around people continued to affect me. My belief in my own unworthiness and inability to be accepted kept me from fully enjoying life. Even when I went to parties or met with friends, I couldn't shake the feelings of inadequacy and fear. Near the end of my studies, I moved to Chile for professional practice and, unconsciously, to escape my life back home. However, the real reason I moved so far away was to escape myself. I thought that changing my surroundings and living in a different country would make me feel better, but I was surprised to find that I fell back into the same patterns that had followed me all my life. Nothing had changed. When my father passed away 14 years ago, I fell into depression. It was during this time that I had the opportunity to completely change my life. Through traditional therapy and, later, holistic approaches, I began to transform. After years of working with my counselor and discovering yoga during my pregnancy, I became increasingly aware that my happiness lies within me. I reached a turning point in my life. I got into yoga teacher training and from there on into different holistic therapies and neuro linguistic programming, through which I have managed to rewire my patterns and heal.

Ten years after beginning my healing journey, I am a completely different person. I now understand that my happiness lies within me, and no one else's opinion can define my worth. I have come to see my uniqueness, and I have gradually learned to love myself. While I still feel a strong desire to help others, I can now set boundaries and no longer sacrifice myself for the sake of others. With this newfound desire to help, I became certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Life Coaching, aiming to assist those who resonate with the feelings and limiting beliefs I once struggled with. Though my old limiting beliefs occasionally surface, I no longer let them control my life. I know how to manage them and keep them in their proper place. This journey led me to build my online coaching business, where my mission is to help others overcome insecurities and fears, and to boost their self-confidence and self-esteem.