Meet Leah Joiner of Wholistic Wellness by Leah Joiner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Joiner.

Hi Leah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After finishing my Senior year of College at the University of London and returning to the U.S. to get a job with my Political Science degree, I set my sites on Washington D.C. and got a job at a Fortune 500 Company in the lobbying arm of their corporation. I’ve always been a hard worker, but didn’t take into account issues of personal values, political opinions, long hours, office politics…all the things that are not listed in the job description and are the hardest to navigate.
After burning the candle at both ends, learning a new city, dating and drinking copious amounts of coffee to keep it all going, my physical body started to show signs of struggle. My bad skin, rapid weight gain, awful PMS, depression, anxiety and general milase brought on by late nights and spiritual bankruptcy, I was barely able to get out of bed in the morning and it was showing through in my progress reports and the need to sleep in my car on my lunch hour. It was only a matter of time before feeling paralyzed and empty was my normal status. After seeing several doctors of all types and trying desperately to feel better, I sat and cried on my apartment steps when a neighbor (an Angel) came by to ask if I was okay. I replied that at 27 years old, I felt like I was dying. His advice was to “clean everything out” and cleanse my body. I had no idea what he was saying, but it was the glimmer of hope I needed to put one foot in front of the other and seek out a place to go to address my nervous system and ultimately my entire body.
My adventure into holistic medicine was done with skepticism and impatience. I started with a juice cleanse at a place far away from all my troubles and problems. I didn’t respond well at first to just juicing, and it was suggested I get a treatment called a Colonic (Colon Hydrotherapy) to support my detox pathways so that my body could cleanse and heal. I was a hard no to that treatment as it seemed to daunting to get a little tube in my tush and call it healing, no thanks. Yet, I couldn’t deny that my body was holding onto fluid and inflammation that wouldn’t budge no matter what I did or didn’t eat.
So, I relented and did the suggested treatment and even after one treatment I could feel how much control and fear I held in my belly. The insight I gained in that one appointment was inspiring and after a few more sessions, the weight (waste) was gone, my skin glowed, I started to sleep through the night, bloating diminished and I felt calm for the first time in my entire young life.
With a new lease on life, I quit my job and moved back home to use the time to further heal and learn how to down-regulate a nervous system that had never had a moment of peace. I stopped all my medications and talk therapy appointments and instead began automatic writing, meditating and learning to breathe.
It would take me another 8 years of exploring other cultures and backpacking around the world to understand how many cultures already have holistic modalities as part of their everyday life and understanding.
Now, 30 years later, I have been supporting other people (mostly women) in their health and wellness from a holistic perspective and doing Colonics on each one to start the process of detoxification so they can also experience the feeling of a down regulated nervous system, sometimes for the first time in their life too. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to see others heal and I was meant to do healing work the whole time, but I had to find out the hard way first. Thank God that was the path I stepped on, very grateful for all of it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
After investing time, money and energy into the direction of my original career in the political arena, no one told me how to pivot and change my path at 27 years old. Everything I had been taught about finding a company and staying in the name of loyalty, was behind me when I moved back home to restructure and re-evaluate my life choices. I knew I wanted to start working in the holistic field but had no idea where to start, only having faith and determination were to be my guiding light and my ignorance was helpful so I didn’t panic too hard when I couldn’t pay my bills for a while. That’s the price of choosing a new path and starting from scratch. All the challenges that come from being guided by an inner compass taught me the lessons I would need to weather the storms while building a clientele.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I provide impacting detoxification services to women looking for radiant health. My clients are young, driven, healthy, savvy, strong and curious ladies that have digestive issues that haven’t been addressed by the Medical Field. I offer a service called Colon Hydrotherapy in which the large Intestine is cleared with warm, clean water in order for the detox pathway to drain and help the body find balance. The treatment is indicated for hydration and constipation, although my clients report many other benefits. I teach each of my clients how the body works and how each organ intersects with the whole system. I love teaching and hold the highest credentials for my modality as well as teaching aspiring new therapists in my field. My business is on the West side of LA, it’s typical demographic being healthy young people. My clients shop at Erewhon and do “all the right things” for their health. I help them understand that their Enteric Nervous System rules the gut and it has everything to do with the Fight or Flight response, which impacts their gut and can give symptoms when this is out of balance. They are always amazing and grateful to feel better.
I have a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology, which helps me tie in how life issues impact the physical, Mental and Emotional body.
I am a gentle and Empathic Therapist and happy to support anyone looking to feel better!

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My industry is small and it’s important that we support each other, although we are actually competitors. We find the balance between support and being respectful about another’s business. I believe networking groups are helpful and sharing with other business owners to seek advice has been the route I take when I need a mentor.

Pricing:

• $175 for a Colon Hydrotherapy Treatment
• $175 Lymphatic Drainage
• $175 Nutritional Counseling

Contact Info:

• Website: https://leahjoiner.com
• Instagram: @leahjoinerwellness
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wholistic-wellness-by-leah-joiner-los-angeles?osq=Wholistic+Wellness+by+Leah+Joiner