Christine Iring, SWIHA graduate and founder of The Wounded Healer, believes wholeheartedly that anything is possible with the right mindset, people and surroundings.
She tells us: “Five years ago, I believe I hit my rock bottom due to divorce, selling my home short sale, and relocating for a job…yeah, many major life changes. That in itself took major adjustment, reflection, and ‘doing the work’,” Christine continues, “SWIHA took a better version of me and provided the tools I needed to create a business with awesome modalities, but more importantly discovering even more of myself, my purpose and enjoying the journey along the way!”
When Christie first moved to Arizona, she got the overwhelming feeling that she was finally in the place where she’d be able to walk her spiritual path. She wasn’t sure how or where, but she knew that she was seeking balance and fulfillment in this new chapter of her life.
“I heard about Southwest Institute of Healing Arts from a friend and decided to check out the campus,” she says, “As soon as I walked in, I felt the peace, serenity, and calmness. It truly took me by surprise and I knew I was meant to come here.“
Christine enrolled in the Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner diploma program where she studied modalities such as Reiki, Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching.
“I am passionate about these modalities because I have experienced their effects myself,” explains Christine, “I’ve seen miracles; healing inward and outwardly. It’s truly powerful when a client has a breakthrough or a realization…that 'Ah-Ha' moment! Witnessing that and being a part of it truly never gets old!"
For Christine, her time at SWIHA opened her up to many new perspectives and showed her how to be more open and accepting.
“I feel I learned more in the year at SWIHA, than I did in years of therapy and other methods of seeking help,” she divulges, “I used to joke in the intensive classes that ‘It’s not a weekend at SWIHA if you didn’t get rid of some baggage’!”
Christine loved that each SWIHA instructor brought their unique perspective: “Richard Seaman and Natalie McGovern [Life Coaching] have totally different personalities, yet so much wisdom and advice and truly give you the best tools and resources. I never got tired of listening to Linda Bennett [Hypnotherapy] lecture because she truly knows her stuff and is so willing to share her knowledge and support you in your career. And James Silva [Holistic Entrepreneurship] has a way of making everything positive and truly wants you to be successful. He gives you expert advice in getting started...SWIHA and the instructors truly want your business to succeed. I can always go back to seek answers, get the help I need, audit a class if I have to to regain knowledge.”
Christine took her SWIHA education and life experiences and created her business, The Wounded Healer, where she primarily focuses on women who have experienced a major shift, whether it be a divorce, relocation, or are seeking to reconnect with their true self.
“As women, we focus so much time and attention on others, we forget about ourselves and may lose ourselves in the process,” explains Christine, “When I was divorcing, I realized that I was no longer a wife after being one for twenty-five years and that my children were grown and didn’t need me the way they used to. I had to rediscover myself, find out who I was, what made me happy, and how I wanted my life to be. There were not that many people who could help me or understood what I was going through. I want to be a person that women in these situations can come to for support and guidance. I know and I get it because I was there. I was one of you.”
The biggest lesson Christine has learned on her journey so far is that she needed to get out of her own way. To future holistic entrepreneurs, she affirms: “You don’t need to know all the answers right now. If you’re coming from a place of love and sincerity, you’re going in the right direction.”
