Sarah LaRowe’s journey to holistic health advocacy wasn’t charted on maps or marked with milestones. It was a path defined by profound personal experiences. Having spent seven years within the American health system, five as an Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse, Sarah’s resilience was continually tested. Her time navigating the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic provided a brutal view of human suffering and revealed the inadequacies of reactive medicine.
When Sarah was a teenager, her grandfather was diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer, which brought the harsh realities of hospice and home care to her family’s doorstep. Grappling with the confusion and complexity of medical jargon and methods left her family overwhelmed and baffled, an experience she wished no other family would have to endure. This challenge is what initially spurred her into the nursing field.
Her grief, complex and pervasive, began manifesting physically, evolving into fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder triggered by stress and emotional trauma. Yet, this disorder led to a discovery that changed the trajectory of her life. It was only when Sarah managed to find equilibrium in her emotional and mental health that her body began to heal. This insight validated for her the importance of the mind-body connection.
Combining her personal and professional experiences, Sarah has gleaned a greater understanding of the flaws in a system that often prioritizes treatment over prevention. A yearning for change began stirring within her as she watched the damaged caused by Covid on her community. Largely preventable diseases were leading to high fatality rates. She wanted to educate and empower others to change their mindsets and take accountability for their health, thus preventing chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure. This deepened desire led her to pivot from merely treating the consequences of ill health to promoting its prevention.
Sarah understood the magnitude of the problem: to truly change people’s health, she needed to help change their mindsets. She began to see how the intricate tapestry of emotional, mental, and physical health was often neglected in the pursuit of symptom management. It was this insight that steered her toward a more holistic approach to health and wellness. Driven by this hunger for change, Sarah began her quest to redefine healthcare, focusing on prevention rather than cure. She became a tireless advocate for holistic health, determined to enlighten individuals about the power of perspective.
God, she believed, had brought key people into her life, nudging her in this direction and empowering her to effect change in the world. One key person was her partner, Jimmy. Together, they created Abundance Life Coaching. An initiative born out of adversity, steadfast faith, and an unyielding passion to help others, Abundance Life Coaching aimed to rebalance the four main pillars of individuals’ lives: the physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional.
A cornerstone of their approach is the Discovery Session. In the Discovery Session, coaches help individuals identify strengths and weaknesses in their health for each area. Clients then score their overall health in each category on a scale of ten. There are seven probing questions, identifying specific patterns in their lifestyles and mentalities, thus laying the groundwork for holistic transformation.
Sarah’s journey from ICU nurse to holistic health advocate exemplifies her belief that true healthcare reform lies in empowerment—enabling people to take charge of their own health and well-being. Her personal experiences have shaped her approach, encouraging a shift from a system that often bandages symptoms to one that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit, fostering resilience and genuine health.
