About Dr. Kirsten Viola Harrison
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Dr. Kirsten Viola Harrison is a trauma psychologist, spiritual integration expert, and founder of Soul Wise Solutions. For over 25 years, she has helped individuals navigate profound psychological and spiritual transitions — including those living with complex PTSD (C-PTSD), dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, and near-death experiences. Her integrative approach blends clinical expertise with compassionate soul work to support true, lasting healing.
She is the co-author of “I, Sean/a: The Story of a Homeless Intersex Woman Who Inspired a Community,” the true account of Sean/a Smith, an intersex woman with schizophrenia whose life defies stigma and inspires change. Together, they advocate for an end to outdated medical practices and a future rooted in dignity and inclusion.
Whether she’s speaking, writing, or working with clients, Dr. Harrison brings insight, depth, and humanity to conversations about trauma, identity, and transformation.
Learn more at soulwisesolutions.com.
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Dr. Kirsten Viola Harrison is the co-author of “I, Sean/a: The Story of a Homeless Intersex Woman Who Inspired a Community.“ The book tells the remarkable true story of Sean/a Smith, an intersex woman living with schizophrenia, whose life challenges medical stigma and inspires a movement toward dignity, inclusion, and soul-deep healing.
Whether she’s working with clients, writing, or speaking, Dr. Harrison brings clarity, hope, and humanity to every conversation. Learn more at soulwisesolutions.com. So how did a chance meeting with a homeless woman change the course of your life and work, Dr. Harrison?
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Dr. Kirsten Viola Harrison is a trauma psychologist, spiritual integration expert, and the founder of Soul Wise Solutions. For over 25 years, she has worked with individuals facing deep psychological and spiritual transformation — including those with dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, and near-death experiences. Her passion lies in helping people navigate life’s most complex transitions with compassion and clinical insight.
Her groundbreaking new book, “I, Sean/a: The Story of a Homeless Intersex Woman Who Inspired a Community,” co-authored with Sean/a Smith, tells the riveting true story of an intersex woman living with schizophrenia who defied all odds. Together, they challenge outdated medical practices and advocate for dignity, inclusion, and soul-deep healing.
Dr. Harrison has spent her professional career as a psychologist studying and treating trauma disorders and their consequences. She has had the opportunity to conduct research on PTSD at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, as well as study at Georgetown University, Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Barry University, and Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her continuing education has included summers at Harvard Medical School and conferences and training in Europe, supplementing her master’s degree in biomedical sciences. By far the most instrumental and informative in shaping her philosophy has been her direct work with trauma survivors, including near-death experiencers and those struggling with complex DID and PTSD. The creativity, passion, and will to survive the unthinkable that her clients have endured on their healing journeys have combined to give her life’s work meaning and purpose beyond any professional training program. It is in honor of these courageous souls that Kirsten proudly and steadfastly continues to offer her knowledge, experience, and clinical skills, in the hope that the greater good can be best served.
Whether discussing trauma, identity, or the power of spiritual insight, Dr. Harrison brings honesty, depth, and humanity to every conversation.
Sean/a Smith is an intersex woman, artist, athlete, and activist who spent nearly two decades navigating homelessness while managing severe mental distress — and never lost her hope. Born intersex and assigned male at birth, Sean/a’s journey has defied every binary placed on her: gender, housing, mental health, and spiritual identity. Her story is one of radical resilience, marked by what she calls “mood walks” — daily long-distance walks that serve as both therapy and meditation.
A deeply spiritual voice with roots in both street survival and scriptural faith, Sean/a brings raw wisdom and compassion to every conversation she enters. She is the co-author of the powerful memoir “I, Sean/a: The Story of a Homeless Intersex Woman Who Inspired a Community,” alongside trauma expert Dr. Kirsten Viola Harrison. Through this book and her speaking, Sean/a advocates for ending non-consensual intersex surgery, breaking stigma around schizophrenia, and affirming every person’s right to simply be.