Cheri Carandanis, an abstract painter and former Air Force critical care nurse, shared her journey from pre-med studies to nursing, driven by her desire to balance career and family. She transitioned to the military, specializing in ICU and CCAT teams, and served in Afghanistan post-9/11. After separating from the military, she pursued hospice nursing and earned a master's degree in nursing. In 2019, she suffered two brain injuries, leading to cognitive and vestibular issues, forcing her to retire her nursing license. Through functional neurology and alternative therapies, she recovered significantly, emphasizing the importance of creativity and mindfulness in healing.
For the transcript and full story go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/cheri-carandanis
Highlights from today's episode include:
When I paint, I don't have a brain injury." – Abstract art and flow state became a powerful part of her neurological and emotional healing after two brain injuries.
"If you've seen one healing, you've seen one healing." – Every healing journey is unique, and creativity, intuition, and somatic work can open paths that conventional medicine alone often can't.
"Nothing's really broken; it's just not communicating how it should." – The body often needs a reset, not a label, and approaches like Bowen and other body-centered work help "reboot" the nervous system so healing can happen.
ABOUT CHERI CARANDANIS:
Cheri Carandanis is an abstract painter, mixed media artist, and former Air Force Critical Care nurse who knows a thing or two about surviving what she never saw coming. After a traumatic brain injury ended her 25-year nursing career, she turned to art…not as a hobby, but as a lifeline.
Now based in Portland, Oregon, Cheri creates raw, emotionally layered work that invites connection and contemplation. Her paintings don't try to explain everything—instead, they hold space for what's been broken, unraveled, and rebuilt. Through texture, color, and bold mark-making, she explores themes of healing, resilience, and the beauty that often shows up after the fall.
Her story is one of reinvention, grit, and choosing creativity when everything else falls away.
Core purpose/passion: My core purpose is to create space for truth, the kind that lives in the body, not just the story. I'm passionate about art as a place where people can slow down, feel what they've been avoiding, and come back to themselves without being fixed or explained. I care about honest healing, not performative healing, and about beauty that holds weight, not escape. My work invites presence, courage, and staying with what's real.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube |
ABOUT MANON BOLLIGER, RBHT, FCAH:
As a retired Naturopath 1992-2021, I saw an average of 150 patients per week and have helped people ranging from rural farmers in Nova Scotia to stressed out CEOs in Toronto to tri-athletes here in Vancouver.
My resolve to educate, empower and engage people to take charge of their own health is evident in my best-selling books: 'What Patients Don't Say if Doctors Don't Ask: The Mindful Patient-Doctor Relationship' and 'A Healer in Every Household: Simple Solutions for Stress'. and What if Your Body is Smarter than You Think? I am the Founder & CEO of The Bowen College Inc. which teaches BowenFirst™ Therapy and holds transformational workshops to achieve these goals.
So, when I share with you that LISTENing to Your body is a game changer in the healing process, I am speaking from expertise and direct experience".
Mission: A Healer in Every Household!
For more great information to go to her weekly blog: http://bowencollege.com/blog.
For tips on health & healing go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/tips
Follow: Manon Bolliger website | Linktr.ee | Rumble | Gettr | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | LinkedIn |
Follow: Bowen College Inc. | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Twitter | Rumble | Locals
ABOUT THE HEALERS CAFE:
Manon's show is the #1 show for medical practitioners and holistic healers to have heart to heart conversations about their day to day lives.
Subscribe and review on your favourite platform:
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Libsyn | iHeartRadio | Gaana | The Healers Cafe | Radio.com | Medioq | Audacy |
Follow The Healers Café on FB: https://www.facebook.com/thehealerscafe
Remember to subscribe if you like our videos. Click the bell if you want to be one of the first people notified of a new release.
* De-Registered, revoked & retired naturopathic physician after 30 years of practice in healthcare. Now resourceful & resolved to share with you all the tools to take care of your health & vitality!