SWIHA Blog

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), many students arrive with a calling—and sometimes, that calling begins in unexpected places. For Health and Wellness Coaching graduate Kodee Jankowski, the journey into holistic health didn’t start as a career plan. It started as a mother’s search for answers.

Today, that search has grown into something much bigger: a mission to support the health, resilience, and well-being of first responders.

For Letisha Givens, the path to holistic health coaching wasn’t about starting from scratch—it was about finally stepping into a calling that had always been there. Now a current student in the Holistic Health and Wellness Coaching program at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Letisha is building a purpose-driven career rooted in empowerment, sustainability, and whole-person wellness.

For current student Hailey Hyatt, the path to purpose wasn’t always clear—yet it became undeniable once she began listening to her body and her intuition. Now enrolled in the Holistic Health and Wellness Coaching program at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), with a focus on Whole Food Cuisine, Hailey is preparing to graduate in May 2026 with a renewed sense of direction, resilience, and passion for helping others heal.

For many students, the path to healing work is not a straight line—it is a remembering. For Larese Dockery, her journey to Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) unfolded through timing, alignment, and a deep inner knowing that eventually could not be ignored.

“Before SWIHA, I was finding my way in the healing field—looking for direction and focus,” Larese shares. “I was naturally gifted, however, not truly grounded or certain of my path.”

Although she began the enrollment process years ago, it wasn’t until just over a year ago that everything aligned. “I always knew I’d become a student here; it was really about timing and alignment.” When the moment arrived, she stepped fully into the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner program, a decision that would anchor her gifts and help her clarify her purpose.

Before discovering Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Diana Arredondo’s life looked stable from the outside—yet internally, something was missing.

“Before coming to SWIHA, my life felt busy and unfulfilled,” Diana shares. Like many people on the brink of transformation, she was working in a corporate job that provided security yet left her feeling disconnected from her deeper purpose. Although she had long been drawn to holistic health and personal growth, she didn’t yet see a clear path forward.

Over time, the disconnect began to show up physically and emotionally. Stress and burnout took a toll, signaling that something needed to change. What began as a personal healing journey soon became a calling.

When life asks you to rebuild, it also gives you the chance to rediscover who you truly are. For Sarah Hanlon, a recent graduate of the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner (IHAP) program, her journey has been one of courage, renewal, and transformation.

Before enrolling at SWIHA, Sarah was a dedicated massage therapist and mother living in Massachusetts. She was also in the process of healing from a painful chapter in her life — a toxic relationship she had left behind. “I wanted to help others in ways that I wanted to be helped as I was getting out of a toxic relationship,” she shares. “I wanted to be that hand that helps guide people through the tunnel to the other side of the hurt that allows them to build their lives for themselves.”

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." — J. Krishnamurti

What does it mean to be the light? “You light up my life!” “Let your light shine!” “You are the light and the salt.” The light illuminates the way and divides the day from the night. It allows us to find our way out of darkness.

So how does one continue to push on and be the light when the world around you gets dark? How do you harness that light and keep showing up when it can be so turbulent to be seen?

Before finding Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Elliott Warner (they/them) was in a place of deep uncertainty. “In my life before SWIHA, I was facing many challenges,” Elliott recalls. “I was struggling to make sense of my life, and being a professional of any kind seemed impossible.”

It was during a hospital stay—when Elliott was searching online for affordable hypnosis training—that their life took a powerful turn. “Even a single class was around $500,” they share. “This was significantly out of my budget. So, I logged on to the SWIHA website I had encountered years before to look into Yoga training… I found that financial aid was available for my program of study, and it was more than I could have dreamed.”

In today’s fast-paced, high-stress world, something is shifting. More and more people are waking up to the reality that true wellness goes far beyond prescriptions and symptom management. They're seeking deeper healing—healing that touches the body, mind, and spirit. That’s where holistic practitioners come in. And the truth is: we need them now more than ever.

Whether it’s the rise in chronic illness, the growing awareness around mental health, or a collective desire to return to ancient, earth-centered practices, the call for holistic healers is getting louder—and more urgent.

Have you ever felt called to help others heal? Do you sense that wellness goes deeper than what’s on the surface? If you're wondering whether a career in holistic health is your soul’s path, you're not alone.

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), we believe that everyone has a unique gift to share. Our programs are designed to teach techniques and awaken purpose. If you’ve been curious about turning your passion for wellness into a profession, these five questions can help you assess if a holistic health career is right for you.