Irene Sullivan, The Heart of a Healer

Awakening Doctor

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.

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Credits:
Hosted by Dr Maria Christodoulou
Produced and edited by Amy Kaye
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Kapitler

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)