SWIHA Blog

When Jillian Holper first enrolled at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, she kept telling everyone she knew: “‘It’s as if the Universe materialized a school just for me’. I was almost in shock the first couple of months!”

Jillian completed the Mind-Body Transformational Psychology degree program and believes Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy have been the tools with which she’s created the best version of herself.

“It has allowed me to understand the way humans operate on a deeper level than I could've ever realized,” she says, “Most importantly, it’s given me the absolute honor of seeing what incredible things we can do when someone holds the space for us to heal. Miraculous things occur when we connect to our own innate wisdom and healing.”

Sharon Rose lights up any room she enters—and it’s not just an illusion; it’s her signature glitter makeup! She finds her power in feminine energy and leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes. That simple philosophy has become the foundation for her successful coaching business, The Soul Stylist.

“To me Life Coaching is the space where we can finally take full responsibility for how our life turns out,” she says, “The practice opens you up to see the experiences, emotions, people, and life itself from all perspectives. There is no room for blame or shame, only acceptance and forward movement.”

Some people get messages very early in life that they are destined for greatness.  This is the case for Becca Briley.  When she was a little girl about eight years old she had a very powerful and beautiful vision. It was no ordinary dream!  “It felt so real,” recalls Becca tapping into a very vivid and visceral memory.  “Jesus himself appeared to me, at bedside, with the simplest of message: 'You Can Fly.'”

Becca continues: “Even then I knew humans do not fly, yet those three words have served as my life’s marching orders. In the vision, I stepped to my windows ledge and felt the most liberating sense of freedom. I jumped into the wind that carried me to elevations only winged creatures were capable of.”

When asked about their favorite instructors at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, many students exclaim “Linda Bennett!” without hesitation. She’s a prolific Hypnotherapist and, what many don’t realize, a Life Coach as well.

“I had my first experience with Life Coaching back in the early nineties,” says Linda, “The process really helped me when I was developing my own business. I found that my coach asked great questions that I hadn’t thought of. It made a big difference in my business.”

What would happen if the success manual or business guide you chose for 2019 was in titled A Course In Miracles?

It just so happens, there is such a book! It was written, or ‘scribed’, by a woman named Helen Schucman, a self-described skeptic who was resistant to the thought that she would do something as important as delivering Divine ‘insights’.

Can you relate? Have you ever received profound messages during meditation, while journaling, or even during a session with a client? Did you question where this divine intelligence was coming from?

You may have learned to lift weights, run sprints, and do lunges under the guidance of a personal trainer at your local gym… yet where do you go if it is your mind that needs to get in shape? Perhaps to SWIHA Life Coaching Graduate James Patrick, who is serving as a Lifestyle Trainer with a focus on what he calls “personal training—both inside and out.”

Many of you know me as the Copywriter and Editor at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, and part of my job is coordinating/writing our blogs which post on Mondays and Fridays. It is my responsibility to find graduates who are using their SWIHA education and holistic gifts out in the world in incredible ways. January was National Life Coaching Month, and we honored a life coach a day by showcasing them in a blog. Within a few weeks of each other, both KC Miller (SWIHA founder) and Richard Seaman (head of the Life Coaching department) mentioned an Elaine Glass. I followed my usual protocol of a “hello-and-congratulations” email stating that she was a #GreatGraduate who we’d love to feature on the SWIHA Blog page, if she’d be willing to fill out the attached questionnaire. She graciously accepted my proposal to work with me and requested to meet in person for an informal interview to go over the questions. At the time I didn’t think anything about it, yet as I reflect back, I remember us both saying we were glad we met in person. I enjoy putting a face with a name, and it allows me to write with a more dynamic and connected tone when I can see the energy and raw emotion of a person as they talk about their process to SWIHA, their educational journey, and the love for their work. I’ll never forget the day I met Elaine Glass.

Over ten years ago, Juan Te Daily remembers hearing about Life Coaching on one of her favorite TV shows and how coaches help their clients navigate through life’s many challenges. She grew up in her own challenges of South Central, Los Angeles, watching friends and family deal with drug addictions and financial trouble. However, she remained motivated to stay on a more responsible and healthy path. Seeing her older brother strung out lying in the streets saddened her, and Juan Te attributes much of her empathetic nature to these memories. So when she heard there was a profession of supporting people in a way that enriches their lives, she thought she’d look into it. She found Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) online and even wrote down the information on life coaching. It was more than ten years later that she happened to come across that piece of paper, and after many challenges with work and scheduling, she found herself in the Transformational Life Coaching program at SWIHA.

Niki Meadows was at a point in her life that she knew she no longer wanted to climb the corporate ladder. She wanted to step into work that fulfilled her so she could use her talents and gifts. “I felt drawn to life coaching even though I didn't know exactly what it was. I did some online research and the more I discovered the more my heart raced. After being disappointed with the program at another facility, I decided to pursue another option. I knew SWIHA was a match for me after a phone conversation with an admissions advisor. I enrolled for the upcoming session and have been coaching ever since I completed the course this past summer.” 

Stephanie Parejamaas decided to have a shift in her career field from Marriage and Family Therapy to Life Coaching. She wanted to create a different space to work with her clients in, based on their goals in creating the life they want. “I wanted to focus on their future looking at what they can do today, in order to truly achieve their goals. When I found the Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner Program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) I knew it was what I was looking for.” It spoke to her on all levels and she was thrilled to feel the shift in her career. Now she has been providing Life Coaching services through her Live Happy Wellness practice since 2015.

The life coaching tool that Stephanie values most is a powerful follow-up question. “I think a great question can really open up the thought process for a client and allow them to dive into themselves and discover what they may have been overlooking before. This can lead to change or embracing their self-discovery.”