SWIHA Blog

From Europe to Arizona: Massage Therapist, Franchesca Booth, Helps Others Live a Pain-Free Life

Posted by Jade Marvin on 12/14/23 4:00 PM

I’ve been interested and involved in holistic health since the 80s. I lived overseas for several decades, was a practicing Licensed Massage Therapist, and started my own holistic health clinic before returning to the US. I attended SWIHA so the AZ board would recognize my European qualifications and medical massage experience. I firmly believe in helping others as naturally as possible so they may live pain-free.”

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Topics: Massage Therapy, Great Graduate, Licensed Massage Therapist, Massage Therapy CEUs, Arizona Massage School

Jessica Chapman Found Her Path as a Healer, One Mindful Step at a Time

Posted by Jessica Chapman on 1/6/23 8:00 AM

Jessica Chapman is a recent graduate from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts’ Massage Therapy program, with a focus in Polarity and Cranial therapy. Prior to that, she completed the Reiki Master Teacher program. Today, she tells us about her journey, and offers inspiration to those seeking to step fully into their purpose!

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?

I'm aware, it's the on-going giggle: "SWIHA finds you".

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Topics: Great Graduates, Massage Therapy, Mindfulness, Reiki, energy work, Inspiration, Intention, National Be on Purpose Month 2023

Jenny McGee uses Holistic Nutrition Coaching to Heal the Mind, Body & Spirit

Posted by Jade Marvin on 11/10/22 4:00 PM

I knew I wanted to be a part of the Holistic Wellness industry 12 years ago when I started a new job working at Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center in Tempe, Arizona. This was my first introduction to what holistic medicine was and what it meant to view the body as a "whole" rather than just the symptom. I quickly grew passionate and learned that whole food nutrition is a necessary part to bring the body into balance. In 2009, I became a massage therapist and practiced for 5 years. I was passionate about massage therapy and eager to learn more. Little did I know, I was led to dive deep into my passion for helping my clients.”

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Topics: Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Holistic Nutrition, Massage Therapy, holistic entrepreneur, Great Graduate, SWIHA, Urban Farming, Farmers Market, Holistic wellness, Arizona, Tempe, Holistic Healh and Wellness Coach, nutrition Practitioner

How Medical Massage Therapist, Renae Valdes-Seago, Transforms Lives with the Healing Power of Touch

Posted by Jade Marvin on 8/4/22 4:00 PM

Before SWIHA I had the privilege and blessing of being a full-time wife and mom of four amazing children. We owned a mortgage company that my husband ran. My husband of 15 years passed away unexpectedly after a 25+ year struggle with chronic pain which led to opioid addiction. This rocked our world and my children and I lost everything. The depths and darkness of addiction ran deep and his passing uncovered a painful spiral of a brilliant man.” said Renae Valdes-Seago. She continues, “I found myself lost, undereducated, underemployed and urgently needing to figure out how to provide for my family. I didn’t find SWIHA, my angel grandmother led me to this institution for my own healing and to rediscover the gifts I was born with. I felt guided to choose medical massage because of the world I existed in loving a man who hurt constantly and searched tirelessly for respite from pain.”

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Topics: Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, spirituality, Massage Therapy, SWIHA, entrepreneur, Holistic Healing, Holistic wellness, Arizona, Tempe, Licensed Massage Therapist, medical massage, Shamanic Reiki, Arizona Massage School

Why 2022 is the Best Time to Seek a Career as a Massage Therapist

Posted by Jade Marvin on 2/3/22 4:00 PM

More than ever people need to be touched. Physically and emotionally, the soul needs to be touched through understanding, meeting people where they are at, and holding them in a space where they can come into a place of calm homeostasis and healing. There has never been a better time to seek an education in massage and the healing arts than now because we have been isolated for so long that we now understand how connection and human interaction is such an important part of the human psyche.”  - Joel Hamilton, SWIHA Associate Dean of On-Campus Education

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Topics: Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Massage Therapy, SWIHA, Holistic Healing, massage, Arizona, Licensed Massage Therapist, Our Success Center, Career Statistics, Gainful Employment, Healing Modalities, Arizona Board of Massage Therapists, Arizona Massage School

5 Grounding Techniques to Cultivate Success & Self-Regulation

Posted by Jade Marvin on 1/18/22 4:00 PM

Anxiety is a primal human experience to anticipate and prepare for threats, which can serve as a good thing. However, too much anxiety can quickly turn into mental health issues and can disrupt your daily life, relationships, work, and more. Anxiety can feel different for everyone, luckily, there are some very effective and scientifically proven ways to help us become more grounded, balanced, and in tune with our bodies. Here are 5 Grounding Techniques you can utilize to self-regulate when life is feeling out of place:

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Topics: Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Massage Therapy, SWIHA, Mindfulness, massage, Holistic wellness, exercise, Holistic health, Breathing Techniques, Arizona, LMT, Mindfulness Exerise, Grounding Techniques, Earthing, Stretching, Massage Therapy Program, Grounding

The Healing Power of Serving Others with Massage Therapist and Great Graduate Robert Pruett

Posted by Jade Marvin on 1/11/22 4:00 PM

Everyone has a story to tell, a lesson to teach, and wisdom to share… Life is a beautiful masterpiece bound together by your experiences. Open up and share your story; become an inspiration to others. You can make a difference because you matter. You were created with purpose. Live your life with intention, go out there and make a difference by being the difference.” - Melanie Koulouris

Great Graduate, Robert Pruett shares his story of high highs and low lows that ultimately led him to Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. Robert asserts, “Mine is a story of extremes - I came from a place of trauma, abuse, and resulting depression - to being very successful and actualized.” After some very turbulent times, Robert encountered some very unlikely teachers that ultimately changed the course of his life. Robert apprenticed under a yoga master and learned musical theory, as well as guitar from two notable musicians. Robert explains, “I was a software developer, and unfulfilled. I felt like I had missed my calling. I kept encountering the word ‘Reiki’ and I didn't know what it meant. One day at a party some of my friends were talking about a Reiki program at SWIHA and I perked up. The next day I saw an admissions counselor. I quit my job and enrolled that very day.”

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Topics: Sound Healing, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Life Coaching, myofascial, Massage Therapy, Great Graduate, SWIHA, massage, Myotherapy, Reiki, Ayurveda, yoga, Arizona, Tempe, LMT, Non-Profit, Lumi Lumi, Lumi, Deep Tissue, Ayurvedic Massage

A New Career by Next Year? Why You Should Train to Be a Massage Therapist Now

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 2/11/21 4:00 PM

Are you feeling ready for a change? Do you desire to positively influence the lives of others? If lifelong learning, human connection and steady employment are appealing to you, you may be perfect for a career in Massage Therapy.

In just eleven months, you could be on your way to a fun and fulfilling career through our Massage Therapy program, beginning on March 1st (AM schedule) and April 5th (PM schedule). Southwest Institute of Healing Arts offers the flexibility to choose what works best for YOU, with a wide range of electives and diverse scheduling options.

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Topics: Massage Therapy, massage, Our Success Center, Career Statistics, Gainful Employment

How a Massage Therapy Career Supports Personal & Professional Happiness

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 5/21/20 4:00 PM

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts found its humble beginning as a Massage Therapy school wanting to do things a little differently. Our dream has grown, our campus has expanded, and Massage Therapy is still one of the amazing programs we offer. Over the years, we have graduated hundreds of well-rounded, talented healers that are thriving as stand-outs in this booming industry.

A recent survey of massage therapists revealed that 88% report being satisfied in their career. Considering that the average job satisfaction rate among Americans is 51%, today we are going to analyze the many reasons why massage therapists LOVE what they do!

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Topics: Great Graduates, Massage, Massage Therapy, massage therapist, Massage Therapy CEUs, Wellness Industry, Career Outlook

Melissa Richardson Grew Her Massage Practice into a Wellness Center

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 5/7/20 4:00 PM

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, we dedicate ourselves daily to our mission of inspiring individuals to discover their gifts and graces and support them as they share their talents with the world in a loving and profitable way. It was this idea that resonated with SWIHA graduate, Melissa Richardson:  “I didn't want to work for anyone else,” she says, “I wanted to make my own way and chart my own course. I had my own ideas of how I wanted to participate and give to the world.”

Melissa is a licensed Massage Therapist in Buffalo, New York. She loves what she does and one day realized that, while she was making a difference for her clients, she felt she was only helping them temporarily and in a physical way.

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Topics: Great Graduates, Holistic Nutrition, Massage Therapy, Mind Body Wellness, Swiha Online

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