In a world often dominated by noise, Karina Schelde invites us to rediscover the profound power of our own voice. As the Founder of the Soul Voice® method, Karina is a trailblazer in the transformative use of the human voice as a catalyst for personal development and healing. With a magnetic presence and a deep passion for her craft, she has touched the lives of thousands worldwide, inspiring individuals to break through perceived limitations and explore the boundless potential of their inner sound. Karina’s influence extends far and wide, with her pioneering modality presented at global conferences, showcased on national radio and TV, and immortalized in her book, Soul Voice, now translated into seven languages. Her dedication to nurturing practitioners and teachers through her rigorous certification programs has cemented her legacy as a leader in the field of sound medicine. From immersive workshops open to all to specialized training programs for those seeking to teach and heal, Karina’s Soul Voice® method transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, offering a universal language of connection and empowerment. Join Mystic Mag as we delve into Karina’s remarkable journey, her inspirations, and her vision for bringing the power of sound to untapped corners of the world.
You have described the human voice as the ultimate instrument for personal transformation. Can you share what first inspired you to explore the connection between voice and personal development?
Reflecting on my past, my journey as an actress in my 20s was significant. During that time, I learned much about voice, both through my acting and singing lessons. I realized that the voice encompasses much more than just speaking on stage—it’s deeply embodied. My training in body movement, mask theater, and singing sparked this understanding. While having a great singing voice is valuable, I started questioning: What if you can’t sing on key? What if there’s another way to access and express what’s inside you, from a place deeper than technique—more from the heart and body than simply hitting high notes? This perspective especially resonated for women and the unique challenges of accessing their higher registers authentically.
After having spent four years studying in Paris at mime & mask-theater schools including a circus school I had a physical accident involving my meniscus in my left knee while training a group of people in Denmark in acrobatics. I loved the physicality of it, but this injury forced me to take a pause and reflect deeper. This became a turning point and led me to personal development.
This period coincided with the emergence of the spiritual and personal development movement in the late 1970s. I took my first meditation and massage courses, which completely transformed my worldview. It shifted my focus from performing for others to giving from the heart. I had always strived for authenticity in my one-woman performances and theater work, but something deeper was missing—a connection to the heart and soul as a source of expression. Through meditation and massage therapy, I discovered a profound alignment with my inner voice and listening abilities, which took months—and eventually years—to fully develop.
By 1985, I transitioned into a new career, creating my own healing center. During this time, while still balancing acting and film work, I became certified in bodywork, breathwork, and counseling. My schedule was intense, but by 1988, the healing work had completely taken over. That same year, I had a transformative experience while working with a woman who suffered from severe abdominal pain. Despite using bodywork and counseling, her discomfort persisted. Suddenly, sound began to pour out of me in a way I had never experienced before. It felt like an embodied trance, a sound coming from somewhere beyond me. Astonishingly, the woman’s pain disappeared, and she gained profound insights into the emotional and energetic causes of her condition.
The sound itself helps alleviate pain or discomfort, allowing the client to become aware of the changes they need to make in their lives to prevent the issue from recurring. This was far beyond my previous experiences as an actress using voice for performance. The results were extraordinary, but they also required clients to take responsibility for their healing by understanding and addressing the roots of their discomfort.
Over the years, I developed techniques that work directly with the subconscious, where our true selves reside—our dreamtime, emotions, and instincts. Many therapeutic modalities engage the mind and body, but sound work, when done with intention and proper technique, reaches the emotional and energetic core. It unlocks the suppressed feelings and sensations that people often fear confronting. This includes grief, anger, and what I call the “frogs”—the unspoken pains lodged in the body that we often avoid.
The journey isn’t always comfortable, but it’s transformative. My work synergizes all levels of being—emotional, physical, and spiritual. It addresses the suppressed vibrational energy in our nervous systems, reconnecting us with our authentic selves and the Earth’s energy. The feminine voice, in particular, has been suppressed for generations. By reclaiming it, we heal not only ourselves but also the planet.
I train others to hold safe, compassionate spaces for this work. As a practitioner, you can only guide someone as far as you’ve gone yourself. That’s why boundary-setting and self-clearing are essential. In my workshops, people often experience profound shifts in just a weekend—releasing years of suppression and reconnecting with their core.
This work is courageous, pioneering, and deeply needed. It’s about listening to the Earth’s call, rising above our disconnection, and embracing the transformative power of our own voices. Our voices are instruments gifted to us by the divine, capable of healing ourselves and the world. By daring to express our truths fully and authentically, we not only heal but also empower ourselves to create a better future.
Your method, Soul Voice®, has touched the lives of thousands worldwide. What is the most profound transformation you’ve witnessed through your work, either in yourself or in others?
Everything can be profound. Whether you take a session of one hour or an hour and a half, transformation is possible if you are ready as a client. However, you must be open to the process. The sound itself supports in removing the pain or the discomfort and to become aware of the changes client eventually needs to make for the issue not to reoccur.
It is not about the most profound session or whether someone takes a single or engages in years of work. The difference lies in commitment, readiness & self-responsibility.
Each session offers unique results. To have the best experience, you need to be receptive. Some people are ready right away, especially if they have already explored other healing modalities. They enter the process like gazelles, fully open and prepared. Others may approach it with hesitation, thinking: “how can this possibly work?” before they eventually surrender to the magic of the soundwork.
Still, the effectiveness remains consistent, depending on the individual’s readiness. Every person can have a profound experience, but their willingness to embrace the process ultimately determines the depth of the results.
I train people in educational programs. It can start with workshops lasting two days, five days, or six days. Following that, participants can take practitioner training, which spans two and a half years to become certified practitioners. Beyond that, one can train to become a teacher, which takes an additional three years.
What type of services do you offer?
I focus solely on education now. I have educated over 300 practitioners worldwide and at present a community of around 100 ambassadors of the method are maintaining their practicing certificate and working professionally with the Soul Voice® method.
In a private session, the process often begins with a Soul Voice® coaching. Soul Voice® coaching involves guiding the client into deeper awareness of their body—helping them connect with their feelings, physical sensations, and even track memories stored in the body. While we won’t delve too deeply into that here, this coaching method plays a crucial role in helping clients embody their experiences and truly listen to their own bodies before they receive the actual session.
Over the years, I have developed numerous techniques, all of which are certified and registered under a trademark. These methods are integral to the work my practitioners and teachers deliver. The training programs vary in length—there are two-day and five-day workshops as well as an extensive educational program.
For those interested in deeper learning, there is a 2.5-year Practitioners’ Certification Program, PCP. This program consists of five modules over the course of 2.5 years, with a series of documented sessions, studies in anatomy and physiology and other certification requirements. The goal is to guide practitioners into a profound understanding of the body and sound as a healing medium.
Practitioner training not only teaches techniques but also emphasizes the importance of intuition. For example, understanding what specific sound the physical heart may need at any given moment requires both technical skill and intuitive insight. With this level of training, practitioners can achieve remarkable results, even for self-healing.
However, this work cannot be approached casually. Sound is powerful—it can heal, but it can also destruct if not used properly. This is something even ancient texts, such as the Bible, allude to. Practitioners must know themselves deeply to ensure they are working with sound in alignment and integrity.
Soul Voice® is now taught globally and translated into seven languages. How do different cultures respond to your modality, and do you adapt your teachings depending on where you’re presenting?
I have been teaching all over the world since I left my home country, Denmark, in 1993. I have traveled & taught in North & South America, Mexico, South Africa, Asia, Bali, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and nearly every country in Europe.
How do I adapt? Well, I recently held a workshop in Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand, like many other places, has a diverse cultural mix due to the global movement of people. This is something I have grown accustomed to over the years. Of course, I bring my authentic self to every session.
South Americans and Southern Europeans, for instance, often have a stronger connection to their emotions and a more passionate energy compared to those in Northern Europe. However, the work then involves guiding this emotional energy into higher levels of consciousness and embodiment.
In my European practitioner training programs, I typically have participants from many different nations, and very few of them have English as their first language. Naturally, I adjust my teaching style to accommodate this. If I’m in a setting where English is not the first language, such as my European programs, I slow down my speech and avoid overly complex words. In contrast, teaching in counties like New Zealand & Australia, where English is the primary language, allows me to use my natural flow of speech more freely.
That said, sound work transcends language barriers. I have had participants in my practitioner training who barely spoke English, yet they were still able to grasp the work because sound is its own universal language. Sound frequencies resonate beyond words and tap into something primal, something many indigenous peoples deeply understand.
Indigenous cultures have an innate connection to sound frequencies—they hear and feel these frequencies naturally. We, as modern humans, have much to learn from them. This connection is also mirrored in other sentient beings, like dolphins and whales. These creatures possess incredible sound intelligence. Whales, for example, are ancient beings with the largest brains on the planet. Their sound frequencies travel thousands of kilometers underwater, balancing energies within the ocean.
Whales have taught me much about sound as a language of remembrance. One of the first messages I received from them was about bringing their underwater sound wisdom to the surface. I have shared this in my videos on YouTube. This sound language allows us to communicate beyond words—through our hearts, emotions, and primal forces.
The heart, not the brain, is our primary guide. It has its own intrinsic nervous system, which processes all inputs before they even reach the brain. This is scientifically proven, and my work in the Soul Voice® method is now being backed by scientific research.
Many people believe they can “fix their brain” to solve issues, but the true healing begins with the nervous system and the heart’s energy. Once these are addressed, the brain can naturally follow, enabling new ways of thinking and accessing higher consciousness.
True higher consciousness comes from integrating all four brains: the reptilian brain, the limbic brain, the neocortex, and the prefrontal cortex. These layers interact with the entire body, which is why my exercises and techniques emphasize embodiment.
We must descend into our bodies—fully grounding ourselves—before we can ascend into higher states of awareness.
Sound therapy, especially using one’s voice, is a unique approach to healing. How do you see this method complementing or even transforming traditional therapeutic practices?
I visualize this already happening—practitioners who are working with bodywork and then complementing it with sound healing, specifically the Soul Voice® method. By integrating sound, they are able to go much deeper than what traditional bodywork alone can achieve.
As I’ve mentioned before, Soul Voice® is not about replacing other therapies or methods. Rather, it complements and enhances them. Whether it’s mental coaching, bodywork, or any other practice, the Soul Voice® method integrates seamlessly to amplify the impact.
This method allows practitioners to tap into an innate instrument that we all possess—our voice. As children, we naturally used our voice to express and explore, but as we grew older, many of us lost touch with this inner freedom. Through Soul Voice®, people reconnect with their playful, uninhibited selves and rediscover their authentic voice.
Too often, we confine ourselves to rigid structures and societal expectations, keeping ourselves in metaphorical boxes. The hierarchical systems around us reinforce this, stifling creativity and expression. The voice, however, offers a way to break free from these limitations. It complements numerous modalities and has a unique ability to unlock deeper levels of healing and understanding.
That said, it’s important to honor the integrity of the Soul Voice® method. It is a registered trademark and a structured methodology that I have developed. You cannot simply use bits and pieces of it and call it something else, like bodywork. Practitioners need to undergo proper education and training to use the method effectively and responsibly.
For example, after completing the beginner’s courses, participants are not permitted to use the method in their private practices until they have further training. This ensures that they fully understand the depth and power of the work and are equipped to integrate it appropriately. Soul Voice® is distinct from coaching, yoga, or other modalities, and practitioners need to be educated in its principles before applying it in conjunction with their existing practices.
The beauty of Soul Voice® is its adaptability—it can enhance a wide range of modalities, making them even deeper and clearer. Why do we need to go deeper? Because the deeper our roots are, the higher our consciousness can rise. This is the ultimate goal: to elevate ourselves to higher states of consciousness, moving beyond purely intellectual pursuits.
In today’s world, what we truly need is greater connection to our bodies and deeper roots in our being, allowing us to rise to new heights of awareness and understanding. This is the transformative power of the Soul Voice® method.
“The Human Voice as Ultimate Expression” – There is a longing in human beings to fully open up their voice, to communicate the truth. There is a cry deep within our hearts that wants to be heard, a longing to free our greatest potential through the voice. Being of the highest vibration of Creation, I believe that the human voice is the most powerful tool available for the healing of humanity and in significantly shifting consciousness.
