Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abigail Kochunas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Abigail , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

By trade I’m an artist (performing and visual), and it has been my life’s work to use art and the creative process to help humanity. To lift others up and empower them. I think because I grew up in a spiritually and religiously diverse home (we practiced Pagan, Buddhist and Christian traditions), I found the artistic process to be much more of a spiritual practice, divine expression and sacred ritual. The creation of my Frequency Shifting Art during the pandemic turned into the birth of my business, Sacred Healing Art. I call it Frequency Shifting Art because these three-dimensional mixed media paintings are a synergy between color therapy, crystal healing, and [in some pieces] totem animal medicine that is essentially a functional healing art piece.

It wasn’t long before I expanded the business into offering trauma-informed Reiki, sound healing, animal communication, holistic products like custom aromatherapy, and more. It was a natural progression into the field of the healing arts as there’s an inherent creativity to setting and holding a space for a client-whether human or animal. It’s like an intuitive dance and very much involves accessing the same part of the brain that we use when we make art. Also, all the art, products and services I offer were things that were hugely beneficial to me in my own healing after a significant period of trauma. I wanted to be able to share that with others and be of service in a deep way.

As such, Sacred Healing Art was the name that best encompassed the full scope of work that I do. The act of creating Art is both Sacred and Healing. Art can be Healing for its audience. To offer Healing to others is both an Art and Sacred work. It has been so deeply rewarding and exciting to have this comprehensive holistic platform that provides such a variety of support to others in their healing journeys.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Having gone from trauma “survivor to thriver” I understand the delicate nature and importance of both trauma recovery and spiritual awakenings at a human scale – having the wisdom of that lived-in experience. And through my own journey I found the importance of utilizing holistic and spiritual approaches alongside mental health care like traditional talk therapy and EMDR. For me, the two approaches really complemented and enhanced each other. By incorporating energy work, shamanic practices, meditation, aromatherapy and sound healing, I was able to create a healing protocol on my own terms that truly felt “right” to me. We all have such unique needs [and nervous systems] that I wanted to be able to support others in their journey who, like me, might be looking for more.

I created Sacred Healing Art from a deep desire to be of service and share the tools that were integral in my own healing. Through this holistic platform, I offer a comprehensive approach to healing with products, trauma-informed services and Frequency Shifting Art to support others in their healing, awakening to their life’s purpose, spiritual growth and transformation all within a safe, ethical environment where their consent, boundaries and sense of personal agency are honored.

Whether it’s an energy work/sound session or an art piece that brings the healing frequencies of color and crystals into their space, or even a Reiki/animal communication session with their animal family, my goal is always to support and empower the client to be their own healer and live a life of wholeness, alignment and harmony.

The spiritual and personal growth industry is largely unregulated. It can be really difficult for people to navigate and find someone who is trained, skilled and ethical, especially because this type of work can be so sensitive and vulnerable. I offer a soft space where clients are encouraged to speak up and share what makes them feel safe and comfortable. Feedback is always welcome. After all, this work is very much a collaborative effort between practitioner and client. As the practitioner we aren’t the savior or the healer. The client is equally responsible for their healing. We’re working together as a team.

And a quick note on working with animals: it has been in my experience that they are our teachers. I’ve had hundreds of sessions with cats, dogs, chickens, cows, horses, goats and more [even a snake], and many times what comes up in session -whether we’re addressing a behavioral or physical health issue – ends up offering healing to the animal’s guardian as well. The human changes their energy and methods with the animal. The animal feels heard and understand, then it changes. Stress and frustration dissolve. Understanding grows. The bond deepens. The love expands. I’ve even been schooled, quite hilariously, a few times by animals! Whether it’s a client or volunteer work with animals, it is has become one of the most rewarding elements of my life. They are always speaking to us. We just have to learn to listen. It is my hope that more of us learn their language and in turn become greater advocates and stewards to these precious beings.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The founding of my business was a huge lesson in resilience. I was a few months out of a traumatic experience and deep in my own recovery journey. I was diagnosed with PTSD and really struggling in life. Somehow I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, letting my heart guide me and I landed here. It was challenging in the beginning to maintain consistency in terms of “doing something for my business each day.” I had a lot of physical symptoms that required me to build my business slowly and at my own pace. Sometimes I even had to take a month off. It was very much two steps forward, one step back. I had to get over my “hustle” mentality and extend a lot of patience, grace and compassion to myself during that time. It required unlearning a lot of old mental and emotional patterns. And had it not been for the support of my family, friends, clients, and the practitioners and professionals I worked with, I would not be where I am today.

I also know that if I had not committed to doing the [sometimes very difficult] work of healing myself, I wouldn’t be in a position to help others. I wouldn’t have the emotional and mental bandwidth nor the compassion to meet others where they’re at with what they need. When our lived-in experience of trauma becomes wisdom, we can then guide others.

Resilience is such a beautiful gift. It’s this recognition and self-validating acknowledgement of how powerful we are. I don’t think we know in the moment of challenge or hardship that we are building resilience, but once we’re on the other side of it – wow. And we don’t celebrate ourselves enough in this – and we should. It’s a huge accomplishment. I’m so proud of myself now, both personally and professionally for persevering and following my vision of what I wanted to create with this business. It was from great pain and loss, but with great love, joy and hope that I built it. I’ve learned that maintaining my sense of self-love and knowing my own resilience has given me the strength to navigate being an entrepreneur and artist.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Do good work. Trust my gut. Lead from my heart. Stay creative, curious and inspired. Be a good person.

For me it’s all about the quality of work I do and products I make before anything else. I hand make all my products using ethically-sourced, high quality, organic ingredients. The subtleties and little details make a difference and people notice it, even if it’s on a subconscious level. It’s like when people eat a home-cooked meal made with love, it’s the best meal they’ve ever had! So it really is about the love and energy behind the products and artwork I’m creating.

And in my work with clients, again, it’s still “Do good work.” Part of that is building a relationship with them that’s personal and not just all business, so it feels like home. The other part is, again, understanding the way subtle details-like lighting, sound, smell, temperature, etc-can enhance a session for the them. There’s a lot of emotional attunement as well so I can show up for them how and where they uniquely need it.

Do a good job. Be honest and kind. I mean who couldn’t use more of that, especially in our world right now? I want to be able to do this work forever, so I’m careful not to overload my calendar or overcommit (and take time off when needed), so that I can show up fully for the business and my clients. Thankfully, so far, it’s led to a healthy amount of referrals.

These things are more important to me than any logo, branding, marketing, advertising, etc. Because when you touch someone’s heart, when you share a deep experience with them, when you show up in earnest to help another, people feel it and they remember it. And that is the most valuable asset or equity any person or business can have. Period.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sacredhealingartla.com
• Instagram: @sacredhealing_art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigailkochunas
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sacred-healing-art-los-angeles-3
• Other: https://abigailkochunas.substack.com/

Image Credits
Headshot & Dog shot by Paul Smith Photography (LA)