When healing found her
Erin Sharwood is a woman who feels life deeply – someone whose intuition and curiosity have quietly shaped the work she does today. Her path into healing wasn’t planned; it unfolded naturally once she allowed herself to explore what she’d always sensed.
Tell us a little about yourself and where you call home.
I’ve lived in Bathurst almost my whole life. My parents moved here when I was two, and I grew up through Kelso Public, Bathurst Public and Bathurst High. This town has held every version of me – the little girl, the teenager, the young mum, the woman I’m becoming now. Bathurst feels familiar in a way that’s stitched into my bones. It’s not just where I live; it’s the place that raised me.
How would you describe your life in the region right now?
Right now, I feel really connected to Bathurst. Through my work I’m meeting more women, building relationships, and feeling the closeness of a community where you still say hi to people you went to school with. There’s something comforting about that – like the town itself remembers you.
What do you want women in this region to know about you that they might not see from the outside?
I’m a very deep person. I love connection, sisterhood, support, healing, energy – all the things that help us feel more human and less alone. I try to stay positive about this beautiful life, but I’m human too. I feel things deeply. I’m spiritual and intuitive, and that part of me really came alive seven years ago when I was attuned in Reiki.
And I want women to know that spirituality doesn’t always look mystical or dramatic. It’s not all crystals and incense. Sometimes it looks like a woman doing the school run, trusting her intuition, and quietly healing herself while she helps others heal too.
What drew you to the work you do – and how did you find your way into it?
I’m an energy healer and psychic intuitive, and I create candles, mists and oils to support people on their healing journey. But I didn’t arrive here in a straight line.
When I turned 40, I realised I’d lost myself in roles – motherhood, work, expectations, being everything for everyone. I started doing my own healing work, and that cracked something open. I joined an MLM, which I actually loved for the connection and the chance to hold space for women, but I quickly realised it wasn’t aligned with me.
I created my own coaching and wellness brand, tried different modalities – NLP, EFT, weight‑loss psychology – searching for the thing that felt like home. When I found Reiki, everything shifted. My intuition came online in a way I never expected. My work deepened. I felt like I’d finally landed in the place I was meant to be.
“When I found Reiki, everything changed – my intuition came online and I finally felt like I’d found my place.”
What’s it like building a career like yours in a regional area?
It’s definitely slower in a regional town, especially with a business like mine. Not everyone understands energy healing or knows how to justify it. I built my client base gradually – partly because I was scared to put myself out there. I worried people wouldn’t want what I offered.
But as I’ve stepped forward more openly, I’ve found so many women are seeking healing, support and connection. They want to feel held. They want to feel seen. And they’re ready for this kind of work.
Who has supported or influenced you most?
I’m surrounded by women who understand what it means to build something from scratch. I have a close relationship with another facilitator, and together we hold sacred sister circles four times a year. These circles give women a space to feel held, supported and not alone – a few hours where they can breathe, connect, and remember themselves.
Through these circles and my group healings, I’ve seen how deeply women want connection. They want to know they’re not the only one navigating life. And when they find each other, something shifts.
“Women want connection – they want to know they’re not the only one navigating life, and these circles give them a space to feel held, supported and not alone.”
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start?
I wish I hadn’t been so scared to put myself out there. I had this fear that people wouldn’t want what I offer, but now that I’m sharing more openly, I’m realising how many people are actually seeking energy work, connection and sisterhood. If you don’t talk about what you do, people don’t know it exists.
What does success look like to you right now?
Success used to be about numbers and growth. Now it’s about holding space for people – helping them feel safe, connected, confident and supported. It’s returning clients, women who tell others about me, people who love my products and feel the impact of my work.
Success is watching women find each other – and themselves – through the spaces I create. It’s knowing I’m doing something meaningful, even if it’s small and slow and gentle.
What does a typical week actually look like for you?
I’ve gone back to full‑time work as an early childhood educator, which I originally saw as a failure. But now I see it as stability – something that supports me and my family in this financial climate. I also get to share mindfulness practices with the children I work with, which feels like a quiet gift.
Saturdays are for energy healing sessions in my studio. One weekend a month is for group sound healing. And four times a year I co‑host our sacred sister circles. It’s a full life, but a meaningful one.
Anything else you want to share?
I just want to say how much I love what you’re creating with Chi. Connects. It’s been hard to know what’s happening in our community or what services exist, and this space is bringing all of that into the light. It’s important, and it’s needed, and I’m grateful it’s here.
Erin is Founder and CEO of Inner Light Collective, based in Bathurst. Find out more on her website at innerlightcollective.com.au, or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.
