Healer of the Year - Contender

FIRE Escape Healing LLC

Public Name: FIRE Escape Healing LLC
Location: Coupeville, WA, USA

Public Name: FIRE Escape Healing LLC
Website / Social: https://linktr.ee/FIREescapehealing
About The Contestant: My Story of Sound Healing ❤️‍

Sometimes the thing that changes your life begins with someone simply saying, “Let me help.”

My journey with sound healing actually began in 2018, long before I ever imagined I would become a sound healing practitioner.

My son injured his ankle on the soccer field, and another soccer mom told me about a healing treatment she offered. She invited me to sit in on a few of his sessions, and I will always be grateful that she shared her gift with us. Janie Helmer Keilwitz

After three sessions, my son seemed to recover much faster than we expected—and what surprised me most was that he actually begged me to take him back because he loved how relaxed he felt afterward.

I never forgot that experience.

Then, around 2019–2020, my own body began sending me some pretty loud messages.

I was experiencing significant pain, swelling in my ankles after long days on my feet, burning in my legs when I walked too quickly, and even pain when my skin was touched. I went through testing for MS, but that wasn’t the answer.

Then, without any obvious injury, the tendons in both of my ankles ruptured. I eventually needed surgery on one ankle.

At the same time, I was dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome and a herniated disc in my neck. My neck pain became severe enough that a surgeon recommended spinal fusion.

And I remember thinking…

“My body is falling apart—and I’m barely 40.”

My regular bloodwork was coming back “normal,” but I knew something wasn’t right. I trusted that little voice inside me telling me to keep looking for answers.

I began exploring different approaches to wellness. A naturopath helped me understand that inflammation could be an important piece of the puzzle. I changed my diet, including eliminating dairy, which had been a huge part of what I ate, and I began paying much more attention to nutrition, sugar, alcohol, and how I was fueling my body.

I also began working with an Ayurvedic practitioner who introduced me to meditation, affirmations, emotional-release practices, and the idea of looking at healing from a much more holistic perspective. Her words “You can heal yourself”.

She encouraged me to purchase a set of Tibetan bowls.

And that’s when something clicked.

I remembered my son’s experience with sound healing.

I went back to the woman who had introduced us to it and began receiving sessions myself. She used tuning forks and sound bowls, and I experienced something that was difficult to explain but deeply meaningful to me.

I felt like I was finally able to access and release emotions and tension that I had been carrying for a very long time.

Over time, and alongside the changes I was making with nutrition, movement, stress management, meditation, and other forms of care, I began to feel better.

My neck and shoulder pain gradually decreased. I felt more connected to my body. And I became increasingly fascinated by the way sound could create such a profound sense of relaxation and inner peace.

I also continued working with conventional medical providers and made my own decisions about surgery based on how I was feeling and the guidance I received.

For me, healing became less about finding one magic answer and more about learning to listen to my body and explore the different tools available to me. ❤️‍

And then came the crystal bowls. ✨

I became completely drawn to them.

I started practicing with friends and family, eventually offering a soundbath at a retreat. The response was so beautiful that I knew this was something I wanted to continue exploring.

I became certified through Life Changing Energy Academy, and what started as a personal healing journey slowly became something I could share with other people.

For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of sharing sound healing with my community.

And honestly?

It has changed me in ways I never expected.

Sound healing became part of a much bigger journey of learning to regulate my nervous system, slow down, reconnect with myself, and become more compassionate toward my own body.

I had taken ADHD medication for about 10 years and had become very dependent on it to help me function. Eventually, through many changes in my life and wellness practices—including sound healing—I found that I no longer needed it.

I don’t share that as a promise that sound healing will have the same effect on anyone else. Every person’s experience is different, and there are no guarantees.

I share it because this is my story.

Sound healing didn’t become my passion because I thought I had all the answers.

It became my passion because I was searching for answers for myself—and along the way, I discovered something beautiful that I wanted to share with others.

Today, through FIRE Escape Healing, my hope is simply to create a space where people can pause, breathe, relax, reset, and nourish their body and soul for a little while.

Maybe you’ll experience deep relaxation.

Maybe you’ll feel emotional.

Maybe you’ll fall asleep.

Maybe you’ll simply enjoy lying still for an hour and letting someone else hold the space for you.

Whatever your experience is, I believe there is value in giving ourselves permission to slow down and listen inward.

Thank you for listening to my TED Talk.

And thank you for allowing me to share a little piece of the story behind FIRE Escape Healing. ✨
Skills: Certified Sound Healing Practitioner, Certified Emotion Code Practitioner, Reiki Certified Practitioner
What makes you the healer of the year?: What makes me the Healer of the Year?

My journey into sound healing began unexpectedly, through my own family.

In 2018, my son was injured on the soccer field, and another soccer mom introduced me to sound and energy healing. She generously allowed me to sit in on several sessions, and I witnessed something that stayed with me. I saw how sound could create a space for the body, mind, and spirit to slow down, reconnect, and heal.

That experience planted a seed in me.

Years later, that seed became FIRE Escape Healing, my sound and energy healing practice here on Whidbey Island, Washington. My intention is simple: to create a safe, welcoming space where people can step away from the fires of everyday life for a while—to relax, reset, release, and nourish their body and soul.

I work with crystal singing bowls, Tibetan bowls, gong, ocean drum, rain stick, chimes, and other therapeutic instruments to create immersive sound experiences. I offer group soundbaths, private sessions, community events, retreats, and collaborations with other wellness practitioners.

But for me, this work has never been just about the instruments.

It is about people.

I believe healing looks different for everyone. I don’t promise to “fix” anyone, and I don’t believe there is one right way to heal. Instead, I offer sound as an invitation—to pause, breathe, feel, release, rest, and listen inward.

My heart is especially drawn to people who may feel like they don’t quite fit into traditional spaces. My own spiritual journey has taught me the importance of creating spaces where people can come exactly as they are, without judgment. My soundbaths welcome people of different backgrounds, beliefs, ages, and life experiences.

What makes this calling meaningful to me is witnessing the little moments: someone taking their first deep breath in what feels like forever, someone allowing themselves to cry and release emotion, someone discovering a new sense of peace, or simply someone saying, “I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”

I also believe healing shouldn’t be reserved for those who can afford expensive wellness experiences. I have intentionally created opportunities for community soundbaths, collaborative events, and accessible offerings because I want sound healing to reach people where they are.

I am not here because I believe I have all the answers.

I am here because I have experienced the power of being held, supported, and given permission to slow down—and I want to offer that same gift to others.

FIRE Escape Healing is my way of helping people escape the fires of life’s stressors for a little while and remember what it feels like to simply be.

If being a healer means creating a space where someone feels safe enough to breathe, release, reconnect, and begin again, then I am honored to step into that calling.