SWIHA Blog

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), we celebrate students and graduates who courageously follow their calling into holistic wellness. Recent graduate Tina Lorenzo embodies this journey. With over a decade of experience as a nurse, Tina felt drawn to explore deeper, integrative approaches to healing after navigating her own profound challenges and personal transformation. Her path led her to SWIHA’s Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner program with a concentration in Advanced Hypnotherapy, where she discovered new skills and a renewed sense of purpose. Today, Tina is dedicated to helping others nurture their mind, body, and spirit through holistic care, compassion, and empowerment.

Have you ever felt stuck in a situation with no clear way out? The manifestation wheels are turning, yet nothing is happening. Maybe you’ve spent countless hours creating vision boards, visualizing, repeating affirmations, and doing “all the things”—yet, no change. You start to wonder: Am I stuck in a rut? What if I’m the reason my manifestations aren’t unfolding?

The truth is, resistance is what’s blocking your change. When you want something new, you often resist where you are now. It’s easy to keep focusing on what you don’t want. Many people wait until things get so bad that their desire finally outweighs their patience. They become so caught up in wanting to be somewhere else that they create resistance to where they are.

Every student who walks through the doors of Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) carries with them a story—a story of searching, of struggle, of transformation, and of hope. For soon-to-be graduate Lindsay Childers, her path to healing and purpose has been one of resilience, courage, and faith in the calling placed on her heart.

For two decades, Sarah Bundy worked as a dental assistant—committed to the job, yet deeply aware that something was missing. Each day, she felt the toll of showing up to a career that no longer resonated with her. The stress followed her home, impacting her children and dimming the joy in her daily life. Beneath the surface, Sarah knew she was meant for something more—something aligned with healing, growth, and the soul’s deeper purpose.

Before discovering Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Katie Carl was already practicing as a massage therapist—doing meaningful work, yet sensing there was something deeper calling to her. She felt the limitations of focusing solely on the physical body and knew true healing required more than just technique; it needed heart, intuition, and a space where the emotional and spiritual could be held just as tenderly as the physical. Drawn to SWIHA’s soul-honoring, holistic approach, Katie found not only a school - she found a sacred catalyst for transformation. What began as a desire to deepen her Massage practice became a powerful journey of purpose, authenticity, and the creation of a healing space where softness meets shadow. Her story is one of courage, clarity, and calling—read on to see how Katie is redefining what it means to be a healer.

In the depths of our minds, there are beliefs that shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us. These limiting beliefs can hold us back from reaching the life of our dreams because we can’t seem to let go and break free. Hypnotherapy is a way to unlock these chains, allowing us to rewrite our stories in a way that provides empowerment and positive transformation. Through this amazing healing modality, I was able to discover the strength inside of me and could finally move forward.

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?

In 2021, I reached my eleven year anniversary at an insurance company I had been working at since I was 20 years old. I grew up with a passion for art, always painting and drawing, however, like most young adults, I was encouraged to take a job that paid well and had “great benefits”. I always knew that I loved to help others, and I tried to incorporate that in the corporate world by training and assisting coworkers who needed additional help. Yet eventually I began to burn out, and my soul just knew this wasn’t what I was meant to be doing.

What was your life like before SWIHA? What led you to SWIHA and to your particular program of study?

Before SWIHA I was a very lost soul wandering towards different types of career paths. I struggled a lot trying to find my identity and felt like I was on autopilot. I always knew I wanted to help people so I took an online personality test that guided me towards holistic healing. I chose Hypnotherapy after seeing the impactful results from reviews on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. I became very passionate about this trade because it is something I can take with me over the decades and continue helping people who are also lost and desperate for help on the right path.

When asked about their favorite Southwest Institute of Healing Arts instructors, many students exclaim “Linda Bennett!” without hesitation. Linda Bennett, Queen of Hearts, and Certified Clinic Hypnotherapist, is a Senior Curriculum Specialist and the Hypnotherapy Program Director for SWIHA’s On Campus and Online Hypnotherapy programs. Linda is also a Board Certified Hypnotherapy Instructor and Certifying Examiner as well as a Certified Life Coach. She has almost 30 years of experience in the fields of Higher Education Development and Corporate Training. Linda’s passion is making learning a comprehensive and fun experience that is engaging to all students, whatever their learning style.

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?

My life before SWIHA involved a lengthy corporate career and years of talk therapy! An off-handed comment about becoming a Life Coach opened a world of opportunity. I stumbled across ads for SWIHA, stopped in for a visit, tried out several classes through the guest pass program, and landed myself in the Life Coaching program. I'd always been interested in Hypnotherapy and found the schedule aligned, so that became my weekend gig. It didn't take long before I was hooked! Being around like-minded people and learning how to use these techniques changed (and healed) me more than I ever thought possible. I couldn't wait to share my talents with the world and used these skills whenever I could.