Talibah Young Veverly always knew she was meant to be a healer. When she was a child, her deep connection to the wide-open starry skies of Missouri nights made her feel like she was a part of something much greater. The vast forests around her home also echoed this sentiment. As an adult, she’s had countless synchronicities that have reminded her that she was indeed meant to be a healer. There was the time in 2002 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento when a lady began shouting to her across the room, “You’re a healer!” She hurriedly came over to Talibah, put her hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes, and said “I’m a minister’s wife and I can see Jesus in your face. You’re meant to do healing work.” Then she just walked away, leaving Talibah in shock! Then one time she had an astrological reading, where …
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Layne Nyberg is one sweet sugar mama! As a professional aesthetician and business owner who runs two waxing salons in Scottsdale, Arizona she has always had a deep desire to help people and found her passion and purpose was in the skin industry. Earlier on, while preparing for nursing school, she found herself being drawn to serve in the aesthetic industry. As she entertained the idea of becoming a licensed aesthetician, she began to recognize the many ways the industry significantly contributes to changing people’s overall well-being. She states, “When a woman feels better about herself, she’s a better mother, wife, sister, and friend – the same goes for men in their respective roles and confidence. When we feel better and look better, it truly changes our attitude, attracting similar positivity in other areas of life.” Intuitively knowing that she was to follow her love for skincare, she researched multiple …
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Courtney Long’s journey to SWIHA was, well, long. Her journey began back in 2002, while she was working as a social worker in Michigan. She was helping adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia, serious mental illnesses, developmental disabilities and traumatic injuries. While she loved to help people, the job was mentally and spiritually exhausting, and never quite felt like her true calling. While in Michigan Courtney starting hearing of this new thing called Life Coaching, yet the timing wasn’t ever quite right to do anything about it. Learning the importance of listening to our guts or inner knowing, not just with our minds, was a crucial lesson for me.” ~ Courtney Long

As a fashion design graduate and stay-at-home mom of two boys, Nickole Swensen thought feeling lackluster and exhausted was normal. She realized she had taken advantage of her health and let herself go for too long. With my poor self-care and health habits she started to not fit into her clothes, she had issues with swelling in her body, was constantly tired and was unable to get help from my family physician. Once he decided to make her health a priority she found her energy again, felt rejuvenated, and became a happier woman and mom. Nickole became hooked on this new healthier, happier lifestyle and decided to pursue a career in wellness. In her journey to heal herself, she found her true passion and purpose was in helping others heal themselves heal from the inside out, just the way her healed herself. Once Nickole discovered her gifts and knew she …
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SWIHA is excited to announce the arrival of Shelley Tom as our Dean of Students, on-campus. In this newly created role, Shelley will be hold the mantle of responsibility as the Student Advocate & Success Coach, charged with ‘holding space’ for student’s academic, spiritual and personal growth, building a strong on-campus community, and leading our wonderful Student Services team. Many of you may be familiar with the Hero’s Journey, as it is included in much of the curricula at SWIHA. A large part of Shelley’s personal Hero’s Journey started many years ago, at SWIM, Southwest Institute of Myotherapy, the name of the school as it was founded 23 years ago. In fact, Shelley was in the very first massage class the college offered. At the time, 200 hours was all that was required to be licensed as a massage therapist in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her life was forever influenced, as she …
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The moment you step foot inside Sugar Sugar salon in Scottsdale, AZ, you are in for a sweet treat. One can expect to be greeted by a jovial and genuine staff member – oftentimes the owner herself, Aimee, or one of two graduates from the Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics (SWINA), Tarah Hunter or Lacey Storm. Lacey and Tarah find themselves happily employed as licensed aestheticians for a growing franchise due to their enrollment at SWINA. Lacey recalls her initial decision to attend the award-winning college, stating “I’ve always had a deep desire to help other people – even stemming as far back as when my sister struggled with skin concerns and the bullying that came with it. Nurturing her and others has always made me feel purposeful. I placed quite a bit of pressure on myself to find my ideal path and when a close friend highly recommended becoming …
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Alexis Holland (who also goes by her soul name Wayah) is a soul that’s wise beyond her years. As a graduate from SWIHA’s 800 hour Yoga Teacher Training, Life Coaching and Polarity programs, she recently launched herself (and her amazingly adorable coyote/husky pup Kiya!) on an adventerous sound–healing tour, bouncing around to various yoga studios throughout the Southwest, camping out wherever there were tall trees and a patch of Mama Earth to hold them both. In our interview, Alexis shared her journey pre- and- post SWIHA, what inspires her, and how she moved through things like fear, doubt and resistance while following her dreams. Tell us a little bit about your journey to SWIHA. What led you here, and what did you end up graduating with? Surprisingly enough, my journey to SWIHA began with love. An emmense love for myself, and a true love I stumbled upon along a cross …
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Laura Moore, owner of LaTouch Wellness, is a highly-seasoned and equally high-spirited practitioner who began her massage therapist practice in Michigan over 15 years ago, where she worked in spa settings and the local YMCA. One of her most memorable experiences was working at Ora Oxygen Spa, located inside the Detroit Metropolitan International Airport, was where she offered massage therapy, manicure and pedicure services to travelers. Laura expresses her gratitude for this specific experience, as she really enjoyed meeting people from all around the world, and having the opportunity to witness the similarities in all of us. Honored to have her as one of SWIHA’s #GreatGraduates, Laura shares that her continued education with SWIHA has “offered a different approach to my healing practice”. Upon relocating to Arizona, she discovered SWIHA and occasionally attended the monthly “Gifts & Graces” event, where SWIHA opens their doors to the public and features guest …
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Jill Roig, founder of Southwest Life Coaching, displays an ideal balance between corporate knowledge and spiritual wisdom as a coach. She combines her skills from each respective experience to better serve her clients that are interested in aligning their professional goals with their spiritual intentions. Jill deeply believes in the power of human potential and the expression of our core selves. Her professional skills play a vital role in supporting her client’s goals and dreams. She connects with this message and offers it as the foundation of her sessions: As a businesswoman who has always taken an intuitive and active approach to her own personal development, Jill attended Spirit of Yoga (a sister school of SWIHA) beginning in 2008. As she implemented yoga philosophy into her everyday life, Jill became aware of her natural gifts and graces – listening to others and empowering them to share their truth. Jill then …
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Aandra Bohlen is a tough, yet tender, six-figure entrepreneur, business consultant and certified empowerment coach whose straightforward approach to personal and professional growth has launched her into her passion and purpose.  Dedicated to helping business owners cultivate grit, clarify their ideas and bust limiting beliefs, Aandra is now serving hundreds of entrepreneurs in a loving and profitable way, while acknowledging SWIHA as one of the many experiences that helped her get where she is today. Always having had a no-nonsense approach to her own endeavors, Aandra found herself easily coaching others through questions they had about their paths – be it personal or professional.  Knowing that this was her calling, Aandra launched her coaching business in June 2008.  She found herself effortlessly researching and sharing relevant and timeless strategies with others to help them grow their own businesses. Aandra’s coaching business encompasses marketing, self-promotion, creative selling and strategic positioning – whatever she …
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