Get to Know Me Before We Begin

Hey there-I’m Cathy Sharpe,
Founder of Hygiea Health & Wellness and The Institute of Breath.

I’m not your traditional therapist or coach.
I’m a guide-a partner in your healing journey-helping you move from survival to full-body, full-life transformation.

And like so many of my clients, my work was born from pain, purpose, and personal experience.

My Story: From Loss to Living Fully

My journey into this work didn’t begin in a classroom or a training program.

It began with my sister.

My younger sister was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of melanoma when she was barely out of her teens. I was in my early twenties, and suddenly I found myself stepping into a role I never expected-becoming her caregiver, her advocate, her anchor.

When the time came, I made the decision to bring her home under hospice care.

Those months were some of the most heartbreaking and sacred moments of my life. Sitting beside her, caring for her, witnessing both the fragility and the depth of life, it changed me in ways I couldn’t yet put into words.

After she passed, life continued around me. From the outside, it looked like I was holding things together. I had support. I had family and friends. I kept moving forward.

But inside, grief was quietly reshaping everything.

Grief has a way of stripping life down to its core. It quietly asks you:

“How do you move forward when the life you knew no longer exists?”

For a long time, I lived inside that question.

Eventually it led me to begin studying the human mind, trauma, and the science of healing. But more than anything, it led me to become a student of the deeper process of coming back to life after loss.

Through that journey, I discovered something that changed the way I understood healing entirely:

Healing doesn’t just happen in the mind.

It happens in the body.
In the breath.
In the nervous system.
And in the quiet moments where we learn how to reconnect with ourselves again.

That understanding became the foundation of my life’s work.

And it’s exactly why Hygiea exists-to support people in reconnecting with themselves on every level, especially in the moments when life has broken their heart open.

Because healing isn’t about going back to who you were before.

It’s about learning how to live fully again.

My Approach: Science Meets Soul

Here, therapy is not a checkbox. It’s an experience.
It’s where neuroscience, nutrition, breathwork, and somatic regulation meet compassion and intuition.

You’re not a “case.” You’re a whole, complex human being with a story that deserves to be understood-not pathologized.

Together, we’ll:
✨ Regulate your nervous system and release stored tension
✨ Reframe the stories that hold you back
✨ Rebuild confidence and emotional resilience
✨ Restore balance between your body, mind, and spirit

This is the work that changes everything — from how you think, to how you breathe, to how you live.

Why Clients Choose Me

Because I’ve walked it.
I don’t sit across from you as a clinician with a clipboard-I sit beside you as someone who’s been in the dark and found her way out.

Clients often say, “You make healing feel human again.”
That’s because every session is tailored — no templates, no textbook therapy. Just real, integrative healing that works.

Think of me as your Yoda meets Glenda the Good Witch–here to hand you the map, shine the light, and remind you that you already have everything you need inside you.

Credentials & Education (for the Left Brain 😉)

• M.S., Psychology – Southern New Hampshire University

• B.A., Social Psychology – Montana State University

• Certified Trauma & Recovery Practitioner – Harvard Extension School

• Certified Grief & Bereavement Counselor – American Academy of Grief Counseling (AIHCP)

• Certified Integrative Health & Nutrition Coach – Institute for Integrative Nutrition

• Certified Integrative Health Practitioner

• Certificate in Natural & Herbal Medicine

(Over a decade of study and thousands of client hours-all devoted to helping people heal wholly, not halfway.)

What I Stand For

🌿 Personalized, Compassionate Care
Every plan is handcrafted — because your story deserves more than a one-size-fits-all solution.

🌿 Mind-Body Connection
We address what’s happening in your nervous system, your hormones, your gut, and your thoughts — because they all speak the same language.

🌿 Simplicity & Clarity
No overwhelm. No confusion. Just clear, actionable steps that help you feel better, faster.

🌿 A Village of Support
You’ll never be left in the dark here. Together, we’ll create your own “village” of tools, support, and grace to sustain you long after our sessions end.

Life Outside the Office

When I’m not holding space for healing, you’ll probably find me:
🌲 Hiking the New Hampshire trails
🍳 Cooking (and occasionally “Nailing It”)
🎲 Playing games or laughing with my two incredible sons-one a proud U.S. Airman, the other my wild, creative spirit at home.
🐾 Surrounded by a house full of animals, love, and chaos-exactly how I like it.

“Healing is an art. It takes time, it takes practice. It takes love.” — Maza Dohta

And I believe that love — self-love, soul-love, unconditional love — is the medicine that changes everything.

Let’s Begin Your Transformation

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to take the next step.

✨ Schedule your free 30-minute consultation and discover how we can help you move from grief to grounded, from anxious to aligned, from surviving to thriving.