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.

As a small child, I would often stare up at the sky and ask, “Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing?” Not many children my age were asking questions like that—it’s not exactly a typical childhood thought. Yet there was always a sense of being different, like coming from somewhere else… another planet, perhaps. Big questions about life came naturally, along with a deep sensitivity to the emotions of others.

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.

Stepping into adulthood in 2020 meant navigating a world full of uncertainty. For Makena Doyle, it also meant questioning the traditional paths she once believed she had to follow. When she discovered Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), she found an education that helped her reconnect with her intuition, rediscover her passions, and begin building a life centered around helping others.

Today, as a graduate of the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner (IHAP) program, Makena is using the skills she developed to support families in her community while building a coaching program focused on strengthening connections between parents and children.

Healing journeys rarely begin in perfect circumstances. More often, they start in moments when life asks us to rebuild, rediscover ourselves, and choose a new path forward. For Sabrina Kampmeier, that path led her to Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), where she transformed her own experiences of healing into a calling to support others through spiritual guidance, Reiki, and botanical ceremony work.

After graduating from SWIHA’s Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner program, with a concentration in Spiritual Studies and Healing Botanical Ceremonies, Sabrina now blends her life experiences, spiritual training, and heart-centered approach to support clients on their own healing journeys.

For many students at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), the path to holistic healing begins with a deeply personal journey. For recent graduate Alissa Germond, that journey was shaped by grief, transformation, and a powerful desire to support others during life’s most vulnerable moments.

Today, Alissa is stepping into her calling as an End-of-Life Doula and Spiritual Coach, using the skills she developed through SWIHA’s Integrative Healing Arts program to offer compassionate care to individuals and families navigating difficult transitions.

For many people, the path toward a meaningful career doesn’t begin with certainty—it begins with a quiet feeling that something is missing. For recent graduate Ashley Clements, that feeling eventually led her to a life-changing journey through the programs at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA).

Today, Ashley is stepping into a new chapter as a holistic practitioner, entrepreneur, and advocate for women seeking healing and transformation. Her journey to this work was not conventional.

When Amy Smith began searching for an End-of-Life Doula program in October 2024, she didn’t expect to find a path that would transform every area of her life. What she discovered at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts was more than an education—it was a calling fully realized.

Enrolling in the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner program with the End-of-Life Doula certification, Amy stepped into a journey that would affirm what her heart had known for years.

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, we often say that healing is not a destination—it’s a journey. For recent Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner graduate Anna Laniewski, that journey has been nothing short of life-changing.

Before enrolling at SWIHA, Anna knew one thing for certain: she wanted her life to mean something.

“I have long wanted to do something meaningful with my life. This would have to involve using my past traumas to help others.”