SWIHA Blog

In the world of holistic health and wellness, few stories resonate as deeply as that of Keisha Peele, the inspiring founder of Healing InnerG - Holistic Health and Wellness Center. With a background that weaves together years of experience and a passion for helping others, Keisha has crafted a unique coaching style that empowers individuals to achieve holistic balance in their lives.

Life often presents challenges that can feel isolating or insurmountable—especially for those navigating the complexities of hearing loss. Maureen Covinsky, founder of Hear 2 Hear U, is a SWIHA Life Coaching Graduate who has turned her personal journey with hearing loss into a mission of empowerment, guidance, and connection for others.

Coaching is a transformative profession, rooted in helping individuals unlock their full potential. Few embody this mission more authentically than Gwendolyn Bailey, the founder of Resilience Wellness Coaching and Consulting, LLC. As a graduate of the Holistic Health and Wellness Coach program at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Gwendolyn combines personal growth with professional expertise to create lasting change in her clients’ lives.

As the calendar turns to 2025, we’re invited to reflect on the journey behind us and the possibilities ahead. This is a time to pause, breathe, and set intentions for the year to come. The New Year is more than just a date—it’s a powerful opportunity to realign with our dreams and step into a life of purpose, balance, and joy. We are thrilled to announce that January 2025 is officially National Coaching Month! A perfect opportunity to focus on growth, transformation, and the power of intentional living with the beginning of a new year. At the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), we are dedicated to helping individuals achieve their highest potential through coaching, healing, and personal development.

What was your life like before SWIHA? What led you to SWIHA and your particular program of study? Why are you passionate about this modality?

Before SWIHA, my life was marked by a journey of self-discovery and healing, particularly following an extensive series of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments. I was on a quest to find out who I truly was and what I was meant to do in life. Despite working in retail, which I found to be unstimulating and unchallenging, I knew I was capable of so much more. My desire to challenge myself and to avoid being stuck in a position that didn’t fulfill my potential led me to seek out a career where I could genuinely help others. A close friend introduced me to SWIHA, and together, we embarked on this journey to acquire hypnotherapy skills to offer as a service in our envisioned New Age store and community garden. My friend, a passionate herbalist and tarot reader, inspired me to explore a path where I could channel my natural leadership abilities and pursue my calling to help others. After leaving a toxic relationship, I knew it was time to follow my passion and become my own boss. So, I enrolled in the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner Diploma program, specializing in Hypnotherapy.

Life is full of transitions, and how we navigate them can shape our future. For Jennifer Labuz, this understanding became both a personal and professional passion that led her to the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) and a new career in life coaching. In October 2023, she graduated from the Life Coaching Certificate program, and her journey is an inspiring testament to the power of personal growth and transformation.

As we approach Thanksgiving, a time for reflection and connection, it’s important to pause and take a moment to truly appreciate the blessings in our lives. At the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), gratitude is not only a seasonal sentiment—it is a foundational element of our philosophy and practice. This time of year, we invite you to explore the deeper meaning of thankfulness, both personally and professionally, and how it plays a vital role in healing, growth, and transformation.

What was your life like before SWIHA? What led you to SWIHA and to your particular program of study? Why are you passionate about this modality?

Life before SWIHA was somewhat challenging to find direction. I was led to SWIHA by a need to stay in the healing profession and was able to secure my spot via the Vocational Rehab program offered by Veteran Affairs. I chose this program to try and bridge the gap between health and wellness and whole foods for my clients. I firmly believe food can be medicine and hope to spread that belief to others through transformations in their behavior around food and their food choices.

Before enrolling at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Laura Blazak spent over a decade working as a nurse in western medicine, starting her career in 2009. Over the years, she witnessed countless people struggling with chronic illness, often resigned to the belief that “this is just the way it is for me.” She also listened to many friends and acquaintances, particularly women, sharing their struggles with hormonal imbalances and difficulty maintaining healthy eating habits.

For years, she had been both a practitioner and a teacher of yoga, experiencing firsthand the profound benefits that yoga brought to her body and life. She had seen how this ancient practice transformed her own well-being, as well as, the lives of her students. Yoga, for her, was more than a series of postures—it was a tool for healing and self-discovery. This deep appreciation for yoga’s ability to foster transformation led her to pursue the next step in her journey: enrolling in the Yoga Therapy Program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA).