Episode Details

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In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Sarah Dawkins about moving from traditional nursing to a career in holistic healing. Dawkins is based in Spain. Sarah shares the powerful story of how questioning established medical norms led her to an identity transformation and inspired her to help others heal naturally. Listeners will learn about the inner conflict of leaving a medical system she once cherished and the personal healing journey that changed her perspective.

Sarah Dawkins is a Holistic Health and Healing Coach, International Speaker, the Author of HEAL YOURSELF and the host of the popular health-focused podcast Heal Yourself with Sarah Dawkins. As a former Registered Nurse with over twenty years of medical experience, Sarah brings a unique, integrative perspective to her work. Sarah’s expertise spans from self-healing multiple chronic health issues to supporting clients in uncovering and addressing the root causes of their symptoms, empowering them to achieve vibrant, lasting health and transformative wellness.

Main Topics Covered:

1. How questioning professional norms in nursing led to a profound personal and professional transformation.
2. The influence of geographic moves (UK to US to Spain) on worldview and healing philosophy.
3. The emotional toll and identity crisis that arises when your values no longer align with your profession.
4. Differentiating traditional Western medicine from holistic and natural healing approaches.
5. The role of diet, lifestyle, and mindfulness in managing and healing chronic physical and mental health conditions.
6. Strategies for helping others tune into their own "innate wisdom" and address root causes instead of only treating symptoms.
7. Building a business around holistic health—transitioning from nurse, to entrepreneur, to holistic health coach.
8. Combining, complementing, and sometimes rejecting aspects of Western medicine for more integrated self-care.

Quote from the Episode: "I just wanted to help people, to have the knowledge to help themselves. …And for me, once I'd learned that, that truly is helping people to help themselves rather than helping them to stay in that medical model, in that western medicine." — Sarah Dawkins

Timestamps:

[00:00:05] Introduction & welcome—Sarah calls Spain home, discusses loving its tranquility

[00:01:20] Why Sarah became a nurse and the UK nursing education process

[00:04:02] Early nursing career and the first major challenge to professional beliefs

[00:05:22] The pivotal coworker conversation about vaccines that sparked months of research

[00:09:22] Expanding research beyond vaccines into pharmaceuticals, nutrition, and natural healing

[00:13:44] Applying new knowledge to personal health: overcoming chronic illnesses through lifestyle changes

[00:16:32] Living two lives: Integrating holistic habits at home and following protocols at work

[00:18:00] Attempt to practice Reiki in nursing, and the professional limitations encountered

[00:20:27] Specific patient interactions that deepened the co