SWIHA Blog

If you're passionate about wellness, healing, and helping others thrive, pursuing a career in Holistic Health & Wellness Coaching may be your next inspired step. At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), we’ve recently updated and expanded our Health & Wellness Coach curriculum to better meet the needs of today’s wellness professionals—and the individuals and communities they serve.

This newly revised program is more hands-on, integrative, and aligned with real-world wellness practices than ever before. Whether you're just starting your path or looking to deepen your practice, this program equips you with practical tools and holistic knowledge to make a meaningful impact.

Ronald Aguilera’s journey into holistic wellness began with powerful synchronicities—moments that felt like the universe whispering, this is your path. Now a student at SWIHA in the Holistic Health & Wellness Coaching program, Ronald is weaving together his passions, purpose, and personal growth into something bigger than himself. Manifesting, as he’s come to learn, isn’t about wishing or waiting—it’s about fully stepping into alignment with the version of yourself you're ready to become. Ronald shares the real magic: aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with the life you're calling in, trusting unseen timing, and letting belief lead the way—especially when there's no proof yet. This isn't just about dreaming—it's about becoming.

When Taryn Ravi Sadesh first stepped onto the campus of the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) in 2011, she was a recent high school graduate with a vision — one rooted in healing, service, and deep spiritual connection. Today, Taryn is a thriving holistic wellness practitioner and founder of Holistic Wellness Sedona, guiding others through transformative journeys with the wisdom, tools, and heart-centered leadership she has cultivated over the past decade.

Before discovering Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Samantha Devine was navigating the intense demands of military life, motherhood, and the aftermath of deep trauma and chronic burnout. It was a powerful spiritual awakening during a Kundalini yoga practice that opened the door to her healing—and ultimately led her to enroll in SWIHA’s Holistic Health & Wellness Coaching program. Samantha’s path has been one of profound transformation, marked by courage, embodiment, and a deep desire to help others find their way back to themselves. Through her business, Nurtured by Samantha, she now offers trauma-informed coaching, Kundalini yoga, sound healing, and wellness services that empower others to reconnect with their bodies, rediscover their inner resilience, and heal with intention. Her time at SWIHA gave her practical tools and training, as well as reaffirming her purpose: to hold space for others the way she once needed for herself.

At the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), we believe that the soul speaks loudest when life grows quiet—and often, it’s in the stillness of our struggles that we hear the sacred call to awaken. For Anne Harney, that call came during a season of deep emotional exhaustion, standing at the edge of burnout after years of selfless service in special education. What felt like a breaking point became a breakthrough—a divine invitation to return to her true self. Guided by intuition and the desire to live with greater alignment, Anne stepped onto the path of holistic healing, where purpose and passion are no longer just dreams; they become daily practices.

Sometimes, the path to purpose is born from the deepest uncertainty. For Sherronda Davis, it began with a bold, life-altering choice—to leave behind the familiar, move into her car, and search for something more meaningful. In the midst of emotional and physical transition, she found the courage to rediscover herself. What started as a quest for personal healing soon unfolded into a powerful journey of transformation, leading her toward a life of purpose as a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach.

Amanda Herring always knew she was meant to help people — it wasn’t until she blended her medical expertise with holistic healing that she truly discovered her purpose. As an ER nurse, she spent over a decade on the front lines of emergency medicine, tending to crises and comforting those in their most vulnerable moments. Yet amidst the chaos and heartbreak of the ER, Amanda began to notice a recurring pattern — many of the emergencies she treated could have been prevented with better self-care, healthier habits, and more education on wellness.

That realization sparked a fire in her: there had to be a better way.

Before Alyssa Moates found the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), her life was centered around one very personal mission—figuring out how to heal herself. Like so many others, she was navigating a healthcare system that often left her with more questions than answers. So, she became her own advocate. She researched. She asked questions. She tuned in to what her body needed. Along the way, something powerful sparked within her: the desire to help others do the same.

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), we celebrate the incredible transformations our students undergo as they step into their calling as holistic healers. One such inspiring graduate is Shamiya Taver, a passionate Holistic Health and Wellness Coach who turned her personal journey of healing into a mission to help others.

In a world where wellness is more important than ever, many people are discovering their passion for nutrition and healthy living. Yet you may be asking, how do you turn that passion into a thriving career? Whether you dream of helping others achieve their health goals, working in a clinical setting, or launching your own wellness business, a career in Holistic Nutrition can be deeply fulfilling—and financially rewarding.