SWIHA Blog

Before discovering Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Marleigh Brown had already embarked on a deep personal healing journey—yet something was missing. She had gained insights and clarity on her own, however, she found herself craving structure, community, and a deeper sense of direction. “I knew I wanted to create space for others to feel safe, seen, and supported in their own healing journeys,” she reflects. That longing led her to SWIHA’s Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner (IHAP) program, with specializations in Advanced Professional Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching.

Before Tammy Barnett found SWIHA, she was navigating a path of uncertainty and deep searching. Having endured a life-altering illness that left her disabled, Tammy found herself lost—physically and spiritually. Her body may have been in recovery, yet her soul was yearning for clarity and purpose. That illness became a turning point, prompting her to ask life’s biggest questions: Who am I really, and what am I meant to do with this life?

Before stepping into her healing journey, Scherrie Blake found herself navigating a season of loss—romantic breakups, family fractures, and friendship fallouts. “I was desperate for answers,” she recalls. “I needed to understand why I had to experience so much pain, even though I was a good person.” That search for meaning led her to shadow work—and eventually to the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner (IHAP) program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA).

Tiffany Grant always felt a deep calling to help others; early on in her spiritual journey, she wasn’t sure how to turn that inner knowing into a tangible path. “I knew I had a calling to help others,” Tiffany shares, “yet I wasn't sure how to move forward.” That all changed when a friend—who happened to be a SWIHA graduate—told her about the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner (IHAP) Online Program.

Before Maha enrolled at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), her life felt like a dark cloud. She was navigating the depths of adrenal burnout and personal heartbreak, trying to find her footing after a difficult breakup. Though she had applied to SWIHA twice before, it was during this emotional low point that she finally said yes to herself—and to a journey that would change everything.

When Desarie Lee first found SWIHA, she wasn’t seeking a certificate—she was seeking spiritual alignment. Already practicing Reiki and deeply connected to the metaphysical world, Desarie had read Journey of Souls and felt called to guide others toward the magic and depth of the spirit realm. After a transformative “life between lives” session with a hypnotherapist who happened to be a SWIHA graduate, Desarie’s path was clear. Spirit said “YES,” and so did she.

I came to spiritual coaching not through a textbook or a plan—rather, through an experience that awakened something deep within me. While working as a massage therapist at a yoga retreat, I found myself surrounded by healing energy. I received Reiki sessions, participated in guided meditations, and experienced powerful hypnotherapy sessions. I didn’t know it at the time, however, something inside me was shifting. I felt myself opening, softening, and connecting more deeply with parts of myself I hadn’t accessed in years.

Before Beth Stratton discovered Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), she was on a quest for purpose. With a business degree and entrepreneurial experience behind her, life took an unexpected turn when she had to close her business. Feeling lost and uncertain, she enrolled in an accelerated nursing program—driven by her deep desire to help others—yet her plans shifted again when she became pregnant. Life, as it often does, paused one dream to make space for another. Beth devoted the next several years to raising her children and embracing the journey of full-time motherhood.

For two decades, Sarah Bundy worked as a dental assistant—committed to the job, yet deeply aware that something was missing. Each day, she felt the toll of showing up to a career that no longer resonated with her. The stress followed her home, impacting her children and dimming the joy in her daily life. Beneath the surface, Sarah knew she was meant for something more—something aligned with healing, growth, and the soul’s deeper purpose.

What if the path to your most aligned, empowered, and meaningful career could begin right where you are… from your living room, a local coffee shop, or even a quiet corner of nature?

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), our Online Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner Diploma is designed to do just that: to help you heal yourself first, and then support others on their healing journeys, all while building a career rooted in purpose, flexibility, and deep fulfillment.