Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Dunne.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
At a young age, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, an autoimmune condition of the digestive tract. Throughout my childhood, I was in and out of remission, on multiple medications, but never truly had regained my quality of life to what it was before. I had always felt different because of the identity of chronic illness and felt weighed down by being tied to that label forever. I fell into the victim “why me” mentality and just accepted there wasn’t much I could do. As I got older, I essentially went through the motions to try to be like everyone else and feel “normal.” I was active in performing arts, ate the Standard American Diet (SAD), pushed myself academically – I wanted to create this sense of control in any area of my life I could because, truly, I felt like I had no control over my health and circumstances.
It wasn’t until I was in college, fell out of remission, and was at the lowest point with my mental health, that I started to shift my lifestyle. At the time, there was more conversation around using diet to heal, meditation for anxiety, and the impacts of stress on the body. I became so curious and started researching and learning as much as I could. I found personal experiences of people turning their lives around and healing from chronic illness and used that as motivation that I could do the same! As I learned about the power of nutrition, using food as medicine, I transitioned to a whole foods diet – focusing on fruits, vegetables, animal protein, and healthy fats – really looking at what worked for my body rather than what others were doing. I started meditating every morning to ease anxiety, practiced gratitude, and created a personal spiritual practice. I was so determined to feel healthy that I did anything I could while assuring these changes were sustainable. I was done with quick fixes and band-aids, I was cultivating a new LIFESTYLE. Much of the work started from the inside and began changing my outer world.
It’s been a few years of living a holistic lifestyle and I have never been healthier or more content with my life. I’m in remission from multiple chronic illnesses, manage my mental health every day, and truly have an appreciation for my journey. There has been so much growth on physical, mental, and spiritual levels. Looking back at my younger self, everything was so black and white – I had a negative relationship with myself, my body, food, was distant from others, had high anxiety, and felt hopeless. Now, I have created a healthy relationship with myself, my body, food, my mind, my higher power, and other people. I have inner peace, trust, and confidence in myself that was never there before.
I am so passionate about holistic health from my own healing journey, that is why I’ve become a Holistic Health Coach! In my 23 years of life, I have been through so many healing diets, mental and physical conditions, an eating disorder, trauma, and neglecting a relationship with myself. Through lived/learned experiences I have gained the knowledge and confidence to share and assist others on their journey to live their healthiest lives. My emphasis on holistic health is taking a mind, body, soul approach. I firmly believe we can make changes to our outside world (food, exercise, social circle, etc.) but the real change happens within our inner world and mind. When we have inner peace and regulation, we’re better able to show up in our outer world, make changes, and take action to live the life we wish.
One thing I love about coaching and having my own business is that I can include my many passions! I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I love understanding people, their behaviors, conditioning, and mindset. I’m passionate about nutrition and understanding the healing power of the food we consume. I’m a Reiki Practitioner to aid in promoting our body’s natural healing ability. I’m also a certified yoga and meditation instructor which has helped heal relationships with the body and exercise while also reducing stress.
I believe that my struggles were in my life at such a young age to act as a catalyst for this journey to serve others. My role as a health coach is to help others navigate their healing journey in whatever capacity they may need. Whether they want to learn how to love themselves, create sustainable healthy habits, live more intentionally, or simply transition into a healthier lifestyle. My goal is to be the person I wish I had growing up during the difficult times, to act as a guide and motivation for the hope of a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I mentioned this more in detail in the previous question but here is a bullet list of struggles that have shaped me: – chronic illness
– anxiety
– depression
– eating disorders
– trauma
– releasing victim mindset (finding purpose in the struggles, creating a spiritual connection to a higher power, etc.)
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a Holistic Health Coach that helps with many areas of life. I have many passions and my business encompasses that as I help others with nutrition, mindset, self-love, spirituality, lifestyle changes, etc. My practice is unique because it’s based on everything I have learned and experienced in my personal healing journey through the years. I create a safe space for others to express themselves, reflect, and connect with their inner world so that they can create lasting, fulfilling changes to their outer world/lives.
I am most proud that this brand is truly a reflection of who I am as a person. Authenticity is very important to me so I make it a priority to be authentic in every aspect of my work and what I share. My brand is meant to evolve with myself, my interests, and my journey. There are times I may be very interested in nutrition so that is what I focus on, other times I may be feeling more pulled to sharing about Reiki, energy work, and spirituality so that is where my concentration will shift. My goal is to continue to learn and grow while sharing and helping others do the same! I work with all age groups and those at various stages of their life – it’s never too late to make shifts in our journey.
Currently, I offer 1:1 health coaching programs (3-month and 6-month options), distant reiki, and oracle card readings – all virtual. I also have created a number of guided journals to help others connect with themselves on a deeper level. I have some exciting things in the works that will build on my current offerings! Information and applications are found on my website (erinmdunne.com) or through direct contact to my email (hello@erinmdunne.com)
What are your plans for the future?
I am looking forward to seeing how my business will evolve. I don’t have any official plans but rather like focusing on where I am now, enjoying it, and seeing what comes. The possibilities to create and serve are endless and that’s what excited me the most! One thing I think would be very cool is to collaborate or lead a retreat. Community is so essential and I would love to bring like-minded people together!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.erinmdunne.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_erinmdunne_/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@erinmdunne
