SWIHA Blog

Bill Gisclair- Sullivan was searching for a program that matched the journey he found himself on. He really wanted to discover one that offered a holistic approach to health and wellness. “After reviewing what Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) had to offer and speaking with a few people, I felt it was the perfect match.” Bill enrolled and went on to graduate with an Associates Degree in Mind-Body Transformational Psychology.

During his time at SWIHA, Bill found so many classes that he loved. “The one I liked the most was HY 401 Hypnotherapy Advanced Techniques. It really brought everything together! It was challenging and a great way to finish the hypnotherapy program. I especially liked the final project. It was tough, but well worth it.”  He has used his final project presentation in his business, and it has been very well received.

Linda Bennett, SWIHA’s Hypnotherapy program director, had a profound effect on Bill. She instructed seven of the courses he took, so there was a long progression of working with her. “The feedback she gave me and every other student, was very engaging. I enjoyed listening to her constructive criticism and support and, what I felt, was genuine excitement for what she read each week.”  Bill said it was apparent that her whole heart was in this work and her passion is what made the learning so enjoyable.

“I think what I learned most was to trust the journey we are all on. The program was very spiritual to me. Most importantly, I learned to trust in what I have to offer.”

The passion Bill had for his program of study grew with each class that he took. “I expected a mental connection with the work, yet I wasn't expecting that the subject would touch my heart and soul. With every lesson and every interaction, I felt that the course was written specifically for me; I connected on every level. I won't say the work was easy, by any means, yet I looked forward to the time I spent in each class. It was grounding and thought provoking work.”  Bill was simultaneously building a practice alongside his Hypnotherapy program, so he had the opportunity to use what he was learning, first-hand. This clientele is now his business: Coach Bill for Life. He offers his services as a Transformational Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Motivational Speaker, and Mindfulness Practitioner. His business is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has an office in his condo: “It's very peaceful and has a view over the water. I can watch boats drift by. I do workshops and seminars on sites where I am hired, and I also see clients at The Fort Lauderdale Center for Spiritual Living.”

Bill offers life coaching services that are based around mindfulness and living in the present. It is this type of focus that helps his clients reach their goals or overcome fears, phobias, and addictions. He also supports people with life transitions (divorce, separation, job loss, grief, etc.), does couples coaching, and works with health and wellness issues. “I combine hypnotherapy into my coaching sessions, as well. I work as a motivational speaker and, again, the focus is on mindful practices. I also offer nutrition and fitness coaching or any other type of coaching that matches up with the mind, body, spirit journey we are all on.”

Clients will experience an openhearted connection with me that is honest and caring. “I am very passionate about what I do and it is felt from the very moment someone speaks to me. I bring this passion into every session with the intention that I am a vessel for my clients to use, so that they may find the answers within, to realize the transformation they want.” He describes his clients as everyday people who are dealing with stress. They are looking for direction in their personal lives and/or business. They might be dealing with addictions or lack of motivation, or they are unsure how to deal with the relationships in their lives that are not working. “I like to say we all go through transitions in our lives and sometimes we need a little help to get through them. I offer my services to help them locate their direction.”

In order to grow his business, Bill focuses his efforts on networking. He feels that face-to-face contact is the best way to build his practice. “I take every opportunity to speak in front of groups and offer free seminars and discussions. I have seen amazing results from it. From each meeting, I may get two or three clients who usually book a number of sessions.” Besides building his practice, he is also focused on writing. He is hopeful that his book will be available soon.

Bill’s personal transformation is what inspired him to pursue SWIHA and become an entrepreneur. Back in 2010, he felt stuck working in corporate management. Even though it paid well, it was taking up 60-70 hours a week. It required many nights, weekends, and holidays. He had no quality time and vacations were tough to take. He had a health scare that year, due to stress. “I decided it was time for a change. First, I focused on my health. Then, I found a great coach and my life started to change. I passionately devoted myself to healthy practices and everyone was amazed at my transformation. I was constantly asked for advice, so I decided it was time to share my experience and start my own business. It started out with a certification in personal training and I just decided to learn all I could about health and wellness. My business direction transformed along with everything I learned.”

Bill has found such a passion for his education from SWIHA. He shares this knowledge with as many people as we can. “Sharing what I’ve learned feels amazing! What good is knowledge if you don't share it? I use it with every interaction I have.”

In all honesty, Bill admits to being skeptical of some of the work at first. However, he claims that after choosing to open his mind, he saw the benefit in everything he was taught. He found that the deep, mind-body connection had reached his spirit, and this brought a new perspective on his future.

Once he launched his business, Bill discovered that, for him, the most challenging part was getting his message out. “You have to really work at it and be willing to do things for free, at first, just to get people to listen.” He said the easiest and most rewarding aspect was working with people and watching them transform their lives. He had a client who came to him, who is an artist. The client had hit a roadblock in his life and in his work. “Going through a lot of personal drama had blocked his creative process. I worked with him as a coach and hypnotherapist. After a couple of hypnotherapy sessions his work came alive, and from then on, he was able to project his sessions on to canvas. It has been such an amazing thing for us both. I was able to see what our sessions looked like through the eyes of an artist and he got his creative energy flowing again. This boosted his sales tremendously.” (Shown are some of his paintings that were done after these sessions.)

We asked Bill if he had a message to give other SWIHA students and graduates looking to follow in his footsteps. He had this to say:

“Open your hearts and your minds. There are some amazing instructors who bring their own experiences into the courses offered. This program shaped my spiritual journey. If you allow it to, it can truly change your life, like it did mine. What better way to make a living, than sharing your passion?”

You can learn more about Bill and his services here:

CoachBillForLife.com -Facebook