Irene Sullivan, The Heart of a Healer
Manage episode 387881554 series 3471400
In this episode of the Awakening Doctor podcast, we meet the extraordinary Irene F. Sullivan, a trauma nurse practitioner with a multifaceted career spanning art, medicine, theology, philosophy, and cultural anthropology.
Her story takes us from the hustle of an inner-city hospital in the United States to the vast expanses of remote Alaska, and from the rural landscapes of Boulder, Colorado, to an artist’s studio in Marnay-sur-Seine, France. We learn about her evolution from the confines of patriarchal religion to a personal spirituality rooted in goddess theology, and her transition from fervent social rights activism to measured climate justice advocacy and eco-keening.
Along the way, Irene engages with indigenous communities, learns from shamanic healers, takes on the priesthood, falls in love with a Roman Catholic priest, reclaims her Irish heritage, and even meets with an Episcopal bishop in a red-light district. Her passionate protests against ecocide and climate devastation finally land her in an ICU with a broken heart.
Today, as a Bean Chaointe or Keening Woman artist whose work is dedicated to creating spaces for eco-memory, eco-grief, and eco-care, Irene has transformed the duty of care that is at the heart of the nursing profession into a palliative medicine for the planet.
Join us for a powerful conversation with a trailblazing health professional whose journey is an embodied reminder of our collective duty to care – for each other and for the environment.
Learn more about Irene F. Sullivan here: https://www.irenefsullivan.com.
Credits:
Hosted by Dr Maria Christodoulou
Produced and edited by Amy Kaye
Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor
Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast
Thank you for listening!
Chapters
1. Introduction (00:00:00)
2. Medical Industry Failures and Personal Trauma (00:12:51)
3. Nurse Practitioner, Trauma, Environmental Activism (00:17:25)
4. Environmental Work and Personal Transformation (00:26:11)
5. Art, Healing, and Shamanic Journey (00:40:15)
6. Women Shamanism, Keening, and Healing (00:47:41)
7. Relinquishing Religious Orders (00:59:02)
8. Healing, Art, and Environmental Awareness (01:12:19)
9. Awakening Doctor Podcast With Dr. Christodoulou (01:19:55)
12 episodes