Joanne Tala Farris

My passion for health and well-being has been the driving force throughout my entire career, long before holistic health became mainstream. I attended Clayton College of Natural Health back in 2004 because I was always interested in natural and holistic health, and I've always looked at it as part of a way of life. I entered the military in the late 80s, and it was a very different time - women didn't train with men, it was totally separate. When I went to officer training, it was totally combined, and there were only four women in my class, which ended with just one - me. I made the rank of colonel, which was definitely a big deal, and I retired from the military in 2021. During my military career, I watched the progressive growth of how holistic approaches became more accepted, moving from hardcore training to incorporating better nutrition, rest, and resilience programs. I am a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). After my military service, I worked at the Veterans Administration where I won numerous awards for being innovative with the way I conducted recreation therapy and healthcare, and I was involved with Whole Health, putting a lot of Whole Health into recreation therapy. We combined nursing with recreation therapy, which really isn't very common, and I had great mentors who helped make it all work. Today, my main expertise is in therapeutic sound and how it affects us, and the engagement with people around that therapeutic sound that leads to an overall better quality of life. I'm also an iridologist, so I use iridology in working with people to help in the assessment to make a more comprehensive review. I just got admitted into Alisa Nobriga's School for Coaching Mastery and started last week, which I'm excited about. I feel really blessed that I get to do what I enjoy, as my hobbies and interests - music, wellness, exercise, working out, and movement - are the same things I love to do professionally.