We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ssanyu Birigwa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ssanyu thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
Learning to grieve an unrealized vision through profound physical, emotional and spiritual transformation … In 2008, my sister and I co-founded the Peace and Happiness Foundation, focusing on providing safe water and maternal-child healthcare to women and children in Uganda. During this time, we also discovered the unique Nilotica Shea butter in Uganda, sourced from the region where the Nile enters the country. Our journey took us to the northwest corner of Uganda, where we met with Shea nut gatherers, predominantly women who had to become self-reliant due to the conflicts, such as those during the Kony 2012 crisis.
Impressed by their resilience, we decided to bring Nilotica Shea butter to the global beauty market, becoming pioneers in introducing this product. By winter 2010, after moving to New York City, we were gaining traction in the beauty industry, engaging in discussions with major companies like LVMH and Fresh Cosmetics. The wholesale business did not work so we pivoted, and created Azuru Apothecary.
I remember we were interviewed by the Grio and and one day, before I had moved to New York City from Boston my sister called and said she saw our interview while riding in a yellow cab. I felt the excitement of being recognized for the work we were doing both from a social entrepreneur lens and also a family business.
Despite the excitement and openings of opportunities to realize our vision and expand the business , my relationship with my sister and our paths began to diverge, leading us to eventually part ways in our business venture. I had to come to terms with not fully realizing this dream we both had. That was challenging and I had to learn how to grieve and let go of a vision I had and wanted to see completely through – not knowing that the ending of one thing would create space for something else.
When I experienced deep anxiety and a health scare, my partner and his spiritual father provided immense support, guiding me through prayers and mentoring that sparked a profound journey of health and healing. This path was unlike anything I had previously imagined, especially when I regained use of my right arm three months later. This miraculous recovery opened my eyes to the rich lineage of healers in my family, including shamans, whose wisdom and practices had shaped their lives and now mine.
This period of darkness not only tested me but also illuminated the importance of ancestral connections and the transformative power of hardship into love. I learned that there are multiple paths in life, and by embracing the guidance of ancestors and spiritual insights, we can navigate these roads with purpose and strength.
In 2014, I embarked on a journey into the emerging field of narrative medicine, inspired by Dr. Rita Charon’s pioneering work. I was deeply moved by its practice, which encouraged slowing down and observing the dynamics of human interaction. To me, this clinical practice was also a spiritual practice. During my studies, I developed the Pause3™ method, an integrative approach combining narrative medicine, spirituality, and indigenous practices to guide individuals towards holistic healing.
The Pause3 method, established in 2013, is a groundbreaking integrative ethnology designed to address individuals’ narrative health from within. Rooted in the belief that we possess inherent healing power and that healing is multidimensional, the Pause3 framework serves as a gateway to establishing a robust healing foundation.
At its core are three pillars known as the GIF: Gratitude, Intention, and Forgiveness. Whether we engage in breathwork, intuitive body and bone healing, or participate in the practitioner training program, the Pause3 framework is deeply ingrained in our process. Complementing this foundation are narrative medicine tools and indigenous healing modalities tailored to each individual’s healing journey.
Through the Pause3 method, we facilitate a process of slowing down and releasing, enabling the ignition of divine energy, the clearing of personal stories of pain and suffering, and the discovery of meaning in ineffable experiences.
Guiding principles include:
Our stories are our medicine: Our narratives, often stored in our bones, can manifest as physical discomfort, emotional suffering, spiritual numbness, and burnout. With dedication and curiosity, we can heal these stories and restore balance and wholeness.
We are all self-healers: We possess everything we need within ourselves. While I serve as a teacher and guide, the healing journey is deeply personal and unique to each individual.
Healing is multi-dimensional: True healing transcends traditional silos and requires the integration of spirituality and health, drawing from Eastern philosophies and indigenous wisdom.
We have the power to extend healing outward: Healing ourselves has a ripple effect, transforming communities, breaking generational trauma, and fostering healthy, resilient organizations.
In 2017, I founded Narrative Bridge, an innovative communications and culture firm dedicated to bringing sustainable Narrative Medicine training to education, healthcare, and other mission-driven organizations. As Columbia-trained Narrative Medicine facilitators and strategic advisors, we utilize story-led tools and research-driven analysis to address employee stress and burnout, develop authentic leadership teams, facilitate social change, promote workplace diversity, and foster staff healing.
I established this organization to expand the reach of narrative medicine across industries and to provide opportunities for colleagues outside of clinical roles, recognizing that the clinical field is predominantly occupied by healthcare professionals and clinicians.
Some key challenges in setting up my own office/practice included navigating the complexities of integrating various healing modalities, establishing a client base, managing administrative tasks, and ensuring financial stability. Additionally, balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with maintaining my own well-being and personal growth was a significant challenge.
Looking back, knowing what I know now, I might have focused more on building a solid foundation of business skills and seeking mentorship or guidance from experienced entrepreneurs in other fields of consulting as I was the first to do what I was doing. Developing a clear business plan, understanding financial management, and investing in marketing strategies early on could have helped streamline the process and alleviate some of the initial challenges.
For a young professional considering starting their own practice, my advice would be:
Educate Yourself: Invest time in learning about business management, marketing, and financial planning. Take courses, attend workshops, or seek mentorship from seasoned professionals.
Define Your Niche: Identify your unique strengths, passions, and areas of expertise. Clarify your target audience and the specific services you want to offer.
Build Your Network: Connect with other professionals in your field, attend networking events, and build relationships with potential clients and collaborators. Networking can provide valuable support, guidance, and opportunities for collaboration.
Start Small, Dream Big: Begin with manageable goals and gradually scale up as your practice grows. Stay focused on your long-term vision while taking practical steps to build momentum and establish credibility.
Embrace Continuous Learning: Stay open to feedback, seek opportunities for professional development, and continuously refine your skills and knowledge. Adapt to changes in the industry and be willing to evolve your practice to meet the needs of your clients.
Prioritize Self-Care: Running your own practice can be demanding, both physically and emotionally. Prioritize self-care practices to maintain balance, prevent burnout, and sustain your passion for your work.
Trust you intuition!! And lead with curiosity and Joy.
By embracing these principles and staying committed to your vision, you can navigate the challenges of starting your own practice and create a fulfilling and successful career path.
Ssanyu, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was gifted with healing hands and I am an empath. I am the proud descendant of Ugandan bone healers dating back more than 80 generations. Alongside this gift of attunement, and centuries of indigenous healing practices, my ancestors passed down something just as potent: The belief that our stories are our medicine, and we are our own best healers. I grew up between the U.S. and East Africa, traveling between Newton, Massachusetts and Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.
As I saw family members in Uganda die from illnesses that would be considered treatable here in the U.S., I gained deep respect for the clinical perspective. And yet I witnessed a country full of people suffering here in the States, disconnected from their internal resources, spirituality and their own ancestral knowledge.
After a health scare left me partially paralyzed, and the death of my uncle and surrogate father, I started asking questions that ultimately sat at the intersection of health and spirituality: How do we listen to our bodies to understand the truth of our emotions? How do we heal our physical pain by accessing the trapped stories that live within us? How do we access our spirituality and build innovative and creative solutions into our healing approach?
I have manifested collaborations with brands I once only dreamed of partnering with. I have successfully closed deals with companies I envisioned working alongside. I have let go of long-held relationships and healed familial connections. Challenges with my partner have been alchemized into love, fostering raw communication, kindness, harmony, awareness, and patience, where our union is filled with opportunities for growth, and imperfections are even more attractive.
I have cultivated new supportive relationships and rapidly healed a pulled meniscus in my knee. I have also developed a disciplined routine of movement and found a tribe where we hold each other accountable and support one another in keeping up with our daily movement practice. A special shout-out to @saltdrop and @Dinomalvone for their inspiration and support.
The Ssanyu Birigwa Brand:
Expertise in Narrative Medicine: I am recognized expert in Narrative Medicine, with extensive experience as a clinician, educator, and advocate in the field. My knowledge and insights have positioned me as a thought leader in the intersection of storytelling, healthcare, and spirituality.
Innovative Healing Modalities: I integrate indigenous healing modalities and my own Pause3 method to facilitate holistic healing journeys. My approach is multidimensional, addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of well-being.
Commitment to Community Building: Through my work with Narrative Bridge, I am dedicated to building healthier communities and cultures by providing organizations with tools for active listening, open communication, and psychological safety. She fosters environments where individuals can thrive and connect authentically with one another.
Transformative Results: My clients experience transformative results, including healing from physical ailments, improving relationships, and achieving personal and professional growth. My dedication to empowering individuals to heal themselves through storytelling and self-awareness sets me apart in the field.
Global Impact: My influence extends beyond borders, with speaking engagements and workshops conducted on international platforms. I am committed to sharing her knowledge and expertise to inspire positive change and foster healing on a global scale.
Authenticity and Empathy: Central to the Ssanyu Birigwa brand is authenticity and empathy.I approach my work with compassion, understanding, and a genuine desire to support others on their healing journeys. My ability to connect with clients and audiences on a personal level is a hallmark of my brand.
I left fifteen years of building healthier communities in the nonprofit space to explore the merging of these healing paradigms, ultimately leading me to Columbia’s Narrative Medicine program.
Now, I am an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and speak at universities and conferences around the world about the key role storytelling and spirituality play in healing, especially in healthcare settings. I also work with people in my private practice who want to incorporate narrative medicine and indigenous healing modalities into their own work. And i am a full spectrum birth and post-partum doula.
In Luganda, my father’s tongue, my name means “happiness, joy.” It is the energy that I bring to this work, to the people I am so fortunate to serve and to this radiant life.
I am Ssanyu Birigwa, a Narrative Medicine Clinician, Indigenous Bone Healer, and Adjunct Professor for the Master of Science Narrative Medicine program at Columbia University. With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership focused on building healthier communities, I am the co-founder of Narrative Bridge, an innovative communications & culture firm dedicated to bringing narrative medicine training to organizations worldwide. I am recognized as a leading expert at the intersection of health and spirituality.
Driven by the belief that we possess the innate ability to heal ourselves through multidimensional approaches, I empower individuals to harness the power of storytelling, indigenous healing modalities, and my integrative Pause3 method to facilitate healing journeys. My work extends beyond individuals, fostering healthier communities and cultures by equipping organizations with tools for active listening, open communication, and psychological safety within groups and teams.
Recipient of the prestigious 2016-2017 Columbia University Narrative Medicine Fellowship, I am a sought-after speaker on global platforms, advocating for the transformative role of storytelling and spirituality in healing, particularly within healthcare settings. My engagements include lectures at international conferences such as the International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society at Sorbonne Université Paris, John Hopkins Interprofessional Telemedicine Education Symposium, and the Saint Luke’s SLUHN Diabetes Symposium.
My dedication to healing extends beyond borders, having led Narrative Medicine courses for SocMed and the Soros Foundation in Uganda and Rwanda. I have facilitated Narrative Medicine Rounds at Columbia University and conducted workshops at esteemed institutions including Kripalu, NYU, and within the Boston school system.
In my practice, I work with clients to address pain patterns and energy systems in the body, fostering greater self-expression, authenticity in relationships, and abundance in work and career. I specialize in supporting the clearing of old stories entrenched in the nervous system and bones, connecting individuals to ancestral energy, knowledge, and wisdom. My transformative work has yielded remarkable results, including self-healing of longstanding physical ailments such as herpes, fibroids, and multiple fractures of a broken wrist, as well as supporting clients in achieving pregnancy and realizing their big dreams in life.
testimonies: “Through our collaboration, I gained invaluable practice, experience, and understanding of the power and wisdom inherent in my body. This realization wasn’t just personal; it has deeply influenced the work I do in the world. Our work together was truly life-changing, ushering me into a practice of softness, deep listening, and attunement to my body and spirit.
While we didn’t always use spiritual language, I remember a pivotal moment in our first conversation when you shared your perspective on letting go and letting love, which resonated deeply with me. This notion of embracing love as the essence of all things divine became a guiding principle in our work. – Sarah G.
“When I reflect on the transformation you facilitated in my life, a particular moment stands out vividly. I remember starting our sessions feeling drained, almost dragging myself to my laptop, each action feeling like a monumental effort. Yet, as our sessions progressed, I found myself leaving with renewed vigor, sliding across the kitchen floor on a wave of energy, curiosity, and joy.” – Nieve T
“As my pregnancy unfolded, I faced unexpected challenges, but Ssanyu’s expertise and encouragement empowered me to advocate for myself and create a meaningful birth experience. On delivery day, I entered the OR grounded by the Kakassas (mantras) Ssanyu had prepared, along with music and aromatherapy. Her guidance was instrumental in managing anxiety and emotions as our son was born. In the following weeks, Ssanyu’s at-home doula care allowed my husband and me to feel supported and rested.
Her healing session was deeply restorative, leaving me feeling cleansed and rejuvenated. Ssanyu also shared valuable insights on maintaining our partnership amid parenthood, encouraging moments of mindfulness and self-care. Her follow-up guide on nourishing the new mother further solidified her commitment to my well-being. Throughout my transformative journey to motherhood, Ssanyu’s unwavering support and wisdom proved invaluable, shaping me into the confident, loving parent I am today.” – Linday H
“An expansive moment that I remember is her telling me that she wanted to attune me to Reiki. Reiki was not something that I was overly familiar with outside of working one-on-one with Ssanyu for the past few months. And, you know, I feel like just her telling me that she wanted me to be attuned to Reiki just started to open up my eyes to my power as a healer. But I would say the most expansive moment that I can remember during our time was our final ceremony after working together through the Reiki one attunements. And that final ceremony where we were sitting under a willow tree, and I was burying some past wounds and words into the earth, releasing that energy, releasing that pain while Ssanyu was holding space over me chanting and clearing over me. And it just, it was so powerful of a moment I can drop back into that moment, if I close my eyes, and I could start to cry. It just, it was such a powerful energetic release. I even saw that energetic release come through on my physical body as I started to bleed very heavily the next day. And that just was the physical form of the energetic release of all the pain and trauma that I had been holding in my womb space. It was really confirming to see that physical release.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
In 2008, my sister and I embarked on a noble journey, co-founding the Peace and Happiness Foundation with a mission to provide safe water and maternal-child healthcare to women and children in Uganda. Along the way, we stumbled upon the remarkable Nilotica Shea butter, sourced from the region where the Nile enters the country. Inspired by the resilience of the Shea nut gatherers, predominantly women facing the aftermath of conflicts like the Kony 2012 crisis, we envisioned bringing this precious resource to the global beauty market.
Our venture gained momentum, and by winter 2010, after relocating to New York City, we found ourselves in discussions with major players in the beauty industry, including LVMH and Fresh Cosmetics. However, despite our efforts, the wholesale business model proved unsustainable. Undeterred, we pivoted and created Azuru Apothecary, carving out our own niche in the market.
The journey was not without its highs. I vividly recall the excitement of seeing our interview on the Grio while riding in a yellow cab, a moment that affirmed our efforts and achievements in the realm of social entrepreneurship and family business.
Yet, amidst the success, I made a difficult decision to part ways in our business venture. It was a painful realization that our shared vision would remain unrealized, a dream left unfulfilled. In the midst of grief and uncertainty, I found solace and guidance from unexpected sources.
During this tumultuous time, I experienced deep anxiety and a health scare, prompting me to seek support from my partner and his spiritual father. Through prayers and mentoring, I embarked on a profound journey of health and healing, one that would ultimately transform my life in unexpected ways.
Miraculously, three months later, I regained full use of my right arm, a testament to the healing power of ancestral wisdom and spiritual guidance. In the darkness, I discovered the rich lineage of healers within my family, including shamans whose teachings and practices had shaped their lives and now mine.
This period of adversity taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, ancestral connections, and the transformative power of hardship. It was a reminder that life offers multiple paths, and by embracing the wisdom of our ancestors and spiritual insights, we can navigate these roads with purpose and strength.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
In addition to training and knowledge, I believe that cultivating empathy and fostering genuine connections with others is crucial for succeeding in my field. Healing and wellness are deeply personal journeys, and clients often seek support not just for their physical ailments, but also for their emotional and spiritual well-being. By empathizing with their experiences, understanding their perspectives, and establishing trust and rapport, I can create a supportive and nurturing environment conducive to healing.
Moreover, I find that maintaining an open mind and a willingness to continuously learn and evolve is essential. . By remaining curious, adaptable, and open to new ideas and approaches i can better serve my clients’ needs.
Additionally, I believe that practicing self-care and prioritizing my own well-being is indispensable. As a Shaman, my energy and presence are integral to the therapeutic process. By taking care of myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I can show up fully for my clients and provide them with the support and guidance they need to thrive.
Ultimately, success in my field is not just about technical expertise, but also about compassion, curiosity, self-care, and a commitment to ongoing growth and learning. These qualities enable me to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and fulfill my purpose as a Shaman and facilitator of narrative medicine.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ssanyubirigwa.com and www.narrativebridge.com
- Instagram: @ssanyubonehealer
- Facebook: @ssanyubonehealershaman
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ssanyubirigwa
- Twitter: @ssanyubirigwa