Explore the world of holistic healing with Sarah Dawkins, a renowned Holistic Health and Healing Coach, Keynote Speaker, and Author of “HEAL YOURSELF.” Formerly a Registered Nurse for twenty years, Sarah seamlessly integrates conventional medical expertise with personal victories over health challenges. With a BSc., MSc., and AMC certification, she offers insights into her holistic approach during an exclusive interview with Sofia Health. Having been a Registered Nurse, what inspired you to transition into holistic health coaching, and how do you leverage your nursing expertise in your current holistic approach? We were living in America and one of the Nurses I was working with questioned my use of pharmaceuticals for acid reflux. I was taken aback and wondered why she would do this, as a Nurse herself. But I was curious, so started researching alternatives to pharmaceuticals. I found many alternatives and started changing my diet and made small lifestyle adjustments to see what happened. I naturally healed the acid reflux I had. I then went on to heal the psoriasis and eczema. After that, I healed chronic pain, candida, an underactive thyroid, burnt-out adrenal glands, and finally depression with suicidal thoughts. Once I started healing myself, I wanted to help others to see that it was possible too but it was at odds with my role as a Registered Nurse. So I trained as a coach, left my job as a Nurse, and used my knowledge of how illness is treated within the medical model, as well as my healing and knowledge gained from much research to help others to start their journeys to wellness, through natural means. Given your background as a Holistic Health Coach and Registered Nurse, how do you bridge the worlds of holistic healing and conventional medicine in your approach to helping clients find and heal the root cause of their health issues? In my role as a Nurse, I saw that the root cause of people’s symptoms wasn’t addressed. Their symptoms were grouped for a diagnosis and the doctors prescribed medications and interventions based on the diagnosis. Through my own healing, I understand that we need to take account of not just the physical issues within symptoms and disease, but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual issues. Healing needs all of these areas to be addressed, to be holistic, as they are all interconnected. Through conversations with clients, I help them explore why they might need to develop the symptoms and illnesses they have, to find out what need they are serving. And/or what childhood issues have not been resolved, as well as to understand their own beliefs, as they can be unconscious. I do believe conventional medicine has its place, for accidents/trauma and emergencies. Your book, “Heal Yourself,” details your journey and those of 74 others dealing with chronic conditions. Can you share a specific story from the book that highlights the transformative power of holistic healing and finding the root cause? In Chapter 2, Marcia Murphy was diagnosed with chemical and electromagnetic sensitivities, which were causing her; burning, stinging eyes, fatigue, digestive disturbances, bladder pain, hypoglycemia, irregular heartbeat, and food and pollen sensitivities. Marcia found a doctor who had healed herself of the same issues and went to see her. Marcia was given a list of comprehensive protocols to follow and 18 months later, she was still not healed. But, Marcia had not followed one of the protocols, to find and deal with stressors in her life. Marcia booked herself into a health institute and was supported to find her stressors. She identified emotional and spiritual stressors; feelings of rejection and guilt, needing to be perfect, being responsible for others’ happiness, living life from a “should/have to” standpoint, and difficulty in asking for what she wanted/needed, along with a lack of trust in the source. Marcia identified all of these as coming from her childhood and not being loved. With support from the institute, Marcia healed all of these issues, and in doing so, she healed the chemical and electromagnetic sensitivities. What is self-care and why is it important? Self-care is about taking time to do what you want to do, that makes you feel good. It can be something as simple as sitting down with a good book, walking outside, a chat with a friend, a hot bath, meditating, whatever you want it to be, that is meaningful to you. It can be different for many people. Self-care also encompasses; eating nourishing food, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, setting boundaries, having some downtime, understanding your limits, and being mindful. It is important because it helps prevent illness by managing stress and makes you feel good, therefore improving your life. It’s worth noting too, that self-care is not selfish, it is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle. Sofia Health connects you to traditional, integrative, nutritional, holistic, and spiritual healing professionals to help you personalize your healing journey. Self-care is a term often used but sometimes misunderstood. Why do you think there might be a misconception or negative perception about it in our society? Self-care can be negatively perceived as people being lazy, self-indulgent, selfish, or not caring about others. Our modern world today is busy, busy, busy and I believe that some people feel obligated to keep up with the pace of daily life and, therefore are not able to slow down and take time out for themselves. Given your experience in critical care, do you find that there are common patterns or lifestyle factors that contribute to the chronic conditions you encounter, and how does holistic healing address these factors? Yes, I do see common patterns/lifestyle factors. It is so easy to just take a pill, a treatment, or surgery advocated by a doctor and carry on with the same lifestyle that makes people sick. The pills suppress the symptoms and people are deemed “better”. I did this for many years. Taking responsibility for our own health requires effort as we have to make some lifestyle changes and do some inner healing work. The work I do with clients around holistic healing addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of disease and healing because everything is interconnected. Sadly, western medicine has separated the human body into different specialized parts and removed the mind, to be specialized on its own. The term “holistic” often encompasses various aspects of well-being. Can you elaborate on how you approach the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and spiritual health in your coaching practice? I encourage clients to discuss their health issues and work with them to find the root cause. While their symptoms are often physical, the root cause can predominantly be mental (as in a belief they hold, often unconsciously), spiritual (they have lost connection to their inner voice/higher self/Divine/or whatever name they give it), emotional (they haven’t healed their past traumas, whatever that is, that affected them – it’s about their perception of the events) or they can be physical (they don’t nourish/hydrate their bodies, sleep deprivation, the need for movement etc). Our discussions focus on all the holistic aspects, ie. physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional, and the impact of all these aspects on the client’s suffering and health. Once they find the root cause(s) of their issue(s), I then work with them to find their own solutions to heal through all four aspects of holistic healing. You discuss healing without pharmaceutical medications. How do you address the challenges or concerns that clients may have about transitioning away from conventional medical treatments in favor of holistic approaches? Not everyone is consciously aware of their beliefs. The client’s belief system needs to be made conscious and understood, eg. their belief that they need a doctor and medication may have been borrowed from their parents/caregivers when they were young and this belief has run their lives from their subconscious mind. Once they start thinking about it, they can make an informed assessment of their beliefs and make any changes necessary. Plus, my 20 years in nursing and my natural healing helped me to understand their concerns and fears and share a new perspective on them. I also have my book Heal Yourself to share with clients and help them see how others have healed themselves without pharmaceuticals. Seeing others heal reinforces the fact that it is possible to heal ourselves naturally. What are your most helpful tips for optimal health? These are my tips for optimal health and a happier life. PHYSICAL – nourish and hydrate your body with real foods and natural drinks. Move your body every day (walking is great), prioritize sleep, and do some regular deep breathing. MENTAL – be mindful (present) and in the moment (use your senses), meditate, be creative, challenge your mind with puzzles, or learn a new skill. EMOTIONAL – heal your past, be part of a community, and share your problems with good friends. SPIRITUAL – (re)connect with your inner voice (whatever name you give it), meditate, pray (doesn’t have to be religious), join a spiritualist group. More from Sofia Health More from Sofia Health
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