For more than 25 years, Catherine O'Connell built a successful career in corporate human resources, working closely with executives and teams under constant pressure to perform. She understood the mechanics of burnout, not as a trend but as a lived reality shaped by long hours, constant connectivity, and the erosion of personal boundaries.
That understanding became deeply personal when the stress she had managed for years began to manifest physically. "Persistent neck pain progressed into numbness that traveled down my arm, threatening my ability to work and care for my young child," she says. "I was pushing through everything. Like so many people in corporate environments, I kept telling myself I would deal with it later."
It was during this period that she was first introduced to Reiki through a close friend and practitioner. At the time, O'Connell approached the experience with skepticism. "I am a very logical person," she says. "When I first encountered Reiki, my reaction was disbelief. I questioned how something like this could possibly work."
Although that early experience stayed in the background for several years, it planted a seed. By late 2023, as physical symptoms and stress intensified, O'Connell reached a turning point. Incremental fixes were no longer enough. She began exploring a range of wellness practices, including acupuncture, acupressure, massage, and meditation, returning to Reiki with renewed openness and intention.
This time, she committed fully. In early 2024, O'Connell pursued formal training, expanding her education across complementary wellness disciplines.
In January 2024, she launched Temperance Intuitive Wellness, her private practice dedicated to Reiki, meditation, and holistic wellness education. The practice reflects both her professional background and her belief that wellness tools should feel accessible rather than abstract. Her clients include professionals, caregivers, and individuals navigating high-stress environments who may never have considered practices like Reiki before.
"So many people think wellness requires special knowledge or a complete lifestyle overhaul," O'Connell says. "What I try to show them is that many of these tools are gentle, practical, and available to anyone. You do not need equipment. You do not need to change who you are. You just need a willingness to pause."
In addition to individual sessions, O'Connell places strong emphasis on education and community engagement. She leads meditation sessions, collaborates with sound healing practitioners, and offers introductory Reiki education designed to remove mystery from the practice. She also volunteers with a local hospital, providing Reiki sessions for staff members.
What continues to resonate most for her is witnessing transformation in real time. "You can often see a shift from the beginning of a session to the end," she explains. "Sometimes it is subtle, sometimes it is very clear. That moment of release or reset is powerful."
O'Connell is careful to frame Reiki as a complementary practice rather than a replacement for medical care. Her work focuses on supporting relaxation, self-awareness, and balance in ways that fit alongside conventional approaches. This perspective reflects her corporate roots and her desire to speak to audiences who value evidence, structure, and practicality.
Looking ahead, she envisions expanding Temperance Intuitive into a multimodality wellness space. Her goal is to offer everyday tools that people can incorporate into busy lives. "I want wellness to feel approachable," she says. "Especially for people who have spent years taking care of everything and everyone else."
At the heart of her philosophy is a belief in personal responsibility paired with collective impact. "Anything you do for your highest good is done for the highest good of all," O'Connell reflects. "When you take care of yourself, it changes how you show up in the world. That creates a ripple effect."
After decades inside corporate systems, O'Connell now works at the intersection of structure and self-care, still holding the corporate role while helping people reconnect with themselves without abandoning the realities of modern life. Through Temperance Intuitive, she is not asking people to escape the world they live in, but to navigate it with greater awareness, balance, and intention.
