Healing isn't about fixing yourself. It's about discovering who you are beneath the conditioning, fears, and learned patterns that have shaped your life. It's becoming aware of the ways you've learned to think, behave, and protect yourself. With that awareness comes choice, and with choice comes the freedom to live fully and authentically.
Lauren
What is Unconditional?
Wake Up with Lauren Barnes: The Story Behind Unconditional
Q: Lauren, Unconditional sounds amazing! Let’s start with the basics - what inspired you to create it?
Unconditional was really born out of one of the most painful periods of my life, which ultimately was the catalyst for my own healing journey and spiritual awakening.
I didn't fully understand what people meant by "doing the inner work." But with a lot of support, particularly from my mom, I started asking myself some difficult questions and doing a lot of self-reflection. Why was this experience so painful? What was it bringing up in me? Why was I responding the way I was?
And the more I explored those questions, the more I started to realize just how much of who we think we are is actually learned.
We're conditioned from such a young age to behave certain ways, suppress parts of ourselves, seek approval, and become whoever we think we need to be to feel accepted and loved. And because rejection is such a deeply human fear, we learn to adapt. We people-please, we build walls, we chase validation, and somewhere along the way, we can lose touch with who we actually are. And this is all very subconscious. We don't make a mental note to change, we just start to cower from possible embarrassing situations or rejection as we grow.
That realization completely changed how I saw myself and the world.
I started wondering how many people are living their entire lives according to patterns and beliefs they've never even questioned. How many of us are making decisions based on fear rather than what we genuinely want? How many of us even know who we are beneath all that conditioning? And I began to see how deeply this connects to self-worth. When your sense of value depends on being accepted, achieving something, or becoming what someone else wants you to be, it's incredibly difficult to feel truly secure in yourself.
But what I found so freeing was that once you become aware of those patterns, you have a choice. You can begin questioning what you've learned, reconnect with yourself, and choose how you actually want to live.
That's really why I created Unconditional. I wanted to help other people experience that same freedom, and reduce the prevalence of anxiety and depression. Once you've reconnected with your authentic self and truly embody self-worth, that's when you magnetize the love, life, and relationships that you desire.
Q: What does the name Unconditional mean to you?
The name comes from my spiritual belief that, at our core, we are unconditional love. Yet so much of what we're taught about love is conditional. We learn that love depends on meeting expectations, being chosen, or behaving in certain ways.
And I don't believe love has to work that way.
For example, I believe you can love someone and recognize that they're no longer meant to be part of your life. You can have boundaries, walk away from a relationship, and still hold gratitude and love for what that person brought into your experience. Love doesn't have to turn into resentment simply because a relationship ends.
To me, unconditional love isn't about accepting everything or abandoning yourself for someone else. It's about learning to lead with love rather than fear, while still honouring yourself and others.
Q: Why do you think Unconditional is so important right now?
Because it changes lives. We need to wake up. We've been living this way for far too long.
We live in a world that's incredibly noisy. Social media, dating apps, constant comparison, endless expectations, and pressure to be someone or achieve something. We're so focused on what's happening outside of ourselves that we've become completely disconnected from what's happening within us.
We're seeing so much anxiety, depression, loneliness, and dissatisfaction. I don't think it's a coincidence that so many of us are struggling to find peace and fulfillment while subconsciously constantly looking externally for our worth.
You can believe you have self-worth, but are your choices reflecting it? You might tell yourself you know your worth, but you're staying in a relationship where your needs are consistently dismissed. You're tolerating friendships where you're disrespected. You're afraid to speak up at work because someone might not like you. You're constantly compromising yourself to maintain acceptance. And I'm not saying these situations are always easy to leave or change. But I think it's important to recognize how often fear, conditioning, and the need for external validation influence the decisions we make, which literally designs our lives. No wonder we all have symptoms of depression and anxiety. No wonder we're all lacking purpose, fulfillment, and alignment.
Q: You’ve made journaling a central part of Unconditional, why is that?
Journaling saved me. It was how I got clear on what I was experiencing, feeling, and what my conditioning and patterns were. It’s such a simple but powerful tool when used correctly (and yes, there is a correct way). Writing for a quick cathartic release is great, but it doesn't help you get to the root of your limiting beliefs.
That’s why I'm creating an inner work journal course (coming soon!), it’s not blank pages, prompts and affirmations, it’s a guide and a companion to teach you how to get to the root of yourself.
Q: There are so many self-help platforms out there. What makes Unconditional different?
Unconditional isn’t about productivity hacks, toxic positivity, or spiritual bypassing. This is real inner work. The kind that meets you in the mess, sits with your truth, and helps you transform from the inside out.
Most self-help platforms focus on surface-level fixes. They’ll tell you to shift your mindset or “just love yourself”, but they never teach you how. They don’t talk about the root: the unhealed wounds, the limiting beliefs, the patterns shaped by your past that quietly run your life.
We go deep, focusing on self-awareness as the key to changing your life.
This is a space where you learn how to actually understand your inner world, your upbringing, and your experiences that have moulded you. Through group sessions, 1:1 coaching, guided journaling, and relatable blogs.
Everything I offer comes from experience, not from reading in a textbook and some piece of paper giving me a title because I paid for it. I did this work, I am constantly living and breathing this work. It is my soul passion. That's how I am so confident in my offerings being able to help others.
Q: Finally, what’s your ultimate hope for Unconditional?
My hope is that Unconditional makes a difference, whether it reaches one person, a thousand, or a million. I want the courses, group sessions, and everything I create to genuinely help people. I want this work to be accessible to everyone, and I'd love to see it eventually grow into retreats.
More than anything, I'd love to see Unconditional become a community where people feel supported, understood, and free to be themselves. A community connected by the Unconditional bracelet, which is a shared reminder to lead with love, for ourselves, others, and life.
That's ultimately what I want Unconditional to represent.
Lauren’s vision is clear, her passion contagious. Unconditional isn’t just a platform; it’s a movement. It’s about finding yourself, healing deeply, living and loving authentically.
