In the realm of holistic healing, few stories are as compelling as that of Cathy Gabrielsen. Her journey from life-threatening illness to spiritual awakening and professional success is a testament to resilience, passion and an unwavering commitment to helping others. As the founder of The Gabrielsen Healing Center, Cathleen has turned personal trials into a thriving practice dedicated to guiding individuals toward true health, happiness, and balance.
Gabrielsen’s path was forever altered following a near-death experience caused by a severe battle with sepsis. This moment, which she describes as a profound spiritual awakening, clarified her life’s mission. “I knew I had to learn to heal myself emotionally, spiritually, and physically so I could use the gifts of healing I received,” she recalls. That mission became the foundation for The Gabrielsen Healing Center, a sanctuary for those seeking holistic and alternative approaches to health and well-being.
Years before founding her practice, Gabrielsen faced another transformative experience: a cancer diagnosis at the age of 32 while raising two young children. Determined to recover and prevent recurrence, she explored holistic health practices, including chakra healing, which became a cornerstone of her personal journey. “I realized I needed to learn how to heal myself when I couldn’t find the same support I had in prior years,” she explains. “That journey profoundly shaped who I am today.”
Gabrielsen’s passion lies in helping others find peace and balance in their lives. “Seeing someone’s eyes light up after a healing session, witnessing their clarity and soul alignment—it’s not about pride but an honor,” she says. Her work integrates energy healing, chakra balancing and holistic education to address her clients’ unique needs.
Through The Gabrielsen Healing Center, Gabrielsen’s mission extends beyond individual sessions. She has authored a bestselling memoir, developed courses in energy healing and collaborated with industry leaders. Her vision for the future includes international retreats, community-building initiatives and expanding her offerings to educate and inspire others.
Gabrielsen’s journey was not without its obstacles. From battling physical illnesses such as cancer, Lyme disease and thyroid issues to overcoming anxiety, PTSD and the pressures of overextending herself, she has faced significant personal challenges. “I had to learn to prioritize self-care and embrace my worthiness as a healer,” she reflects. “Once I let go of fear and resistance, my business became an extension of my own healing journey.”
Gabrielsen believes that these experiences have deepened her empathy and strengthened her resolve to share her story. “Our challenges help shape us and allow us to connect with others in meaningful ways,” she says. “I’ve found that sharing my journey inspires others to embark on their own healing path.”
Gabrielsen envisions the practice as a hub for healing, education and community. Her plans include partnering with influential leaders, hosting retreats and developing advanced courses to empower others in their healing journeys. “I believe my work is just beginning, and there’s so much more to come,” she
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says. Gabrielsen is committed to building a legacy that not only heals, but also uplifts and transforms lives.
For those seeking to build a business driven by passion, Gabrielsen offers heartfelt advice: “Trust. Trust yourself, trust the process, and trust your vision. Work from your heart, where energy flows abundantly and freely. And always remember—you are never alone. You are divinely guided.”
Through The Gabrielsen Healing Center, Gabrielsen has touched countless lives, demonstrating that even the greatest challenges can lead to profound transformation. Her work stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration for anyone seeking healing, balance and purpose.
The Gabrielsen Healing Center is located at 325 Chestnut St., Philadelphia. For more information or to make an appointment, email GabrielsenHealingCenter@gmail.com or visit www.CathyGabrielsen.com
Behind the dynamic growth of Philadelphia’s health and wellness scene stands a powerhouse partnership: Danielle Massi and Alexandra Janelli. Both originally from New York, these trailblazers have firmly rooted themselves in the City of Brotherly Love, bringing with them a shared mission to elevate holistic health and healing for all.
Massi, the visionary founder of the SELF(ISH)philly events brand, has redefined wellness experiences in the region. Known for her ability to unite like-minded organizations, she creates large-scale events that inspire and uplift. Her upcoming ventures showcase this collaborative spirit: She’s co-hosting “Be SELF(ISH) at Dry Vibes Philly” at Location 15 on January 18. This innovative event will be a sober-curious celebration encouraging attendees to explore wellness and self-care in an alcohol-free space while connecting with like-minded individuals. Then on January 30, Massi will join forces with Wooder Ice, Alchemy X, Paris Fit and members of the Philadelphia 76ers for a fitness class on the court at the Wells Fargo Center followed by a 76ers game. These events highlight her passion for creating opportunities that bring people together to prioritize their well-being.
Beyond her event work, Massi is a bestselling author, international keynote speaker, cancer survivor and co-owner of Modrn Wellness, a brand she shares with her business partner Janelli.
Janelli is a trailblazer in the NYC and Philadelphia alternative wellness scene, renowned for her contributions to holistic health. As the founder of Modrn Sanctuary, she established a transformative wellness hub in NYC in 2016, featuring 15 treatment rooms and a luxurious Himalayan salt room. It quickly gained acclaim as a haven for celebrities and wellness seekers alike. In 2022, she expanded Modrn to Philadelphia, joining forces with Massi. Together, they were honored with Philadelphia magazine’s Best Holistic Hub award in 2024.
As an award-winning hypnotherapist and Best of NYC recipient, Janelli has earned widespread media recognition for her innovative techniques and exceptional results. With 14 years of experience, she identified a critical need for accessible mental health tools that go beyond calming users—they inspire true transformational change. In 2024, Alexandra launched burble, a groundbreaking guided visualization app featuring a five-step, patent-pending process that empowers users to address stress, anxiety and personal growth. Recognizing the value of her expertise in psychotherapy and shadow work, Janelli quickly welcomed her onto the burble team to enhance its transformative mission.
Their partnership is built on a foundation of shared
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values, mutual respect and a commitment to making wellness approachable for all. Massi’s gift for curating transformative, in-person experiences complements Janelli’s trailblazing work in technology and hypnosis, creating a synergy that is unmatched in the wellness industry.
From hosting events like SELF(ISH)philly to co-creating innovative tools like burble, the duo is redefining what it means to lead in the wellness space. Their combined talents and relentless dedication prove that when two powerful minds align, the possibilities for impact are limitless. Together, they’re not just influencing the conversation around health and healing—they’re shaping the future of it in Philadelphia and beyond.
It has been said our eyes are the lens through which we paint meaning. And, for Amy Gillespie Dougherty, creator of Irigenics® Ancestral Eye Reading, this is a fundamental truth.
“Your eyes are the most sacred map of who you are,” says Amy, who first developed Irigenics® as a survival skill for at-risk youth, adoptees and individuals experiencing autism.
Irigenics® identifies unresolved and repeated patterns from ancestral experiences through the eyes and connects them to a person’s personality and life challenges. “For example, I read the eyes of the only woman who survived both Twin Tower bombings. I didn’t know it at that time, but be when I looked at her photos, the first thing I said was, ‘Wow! You’ve had some challenges with escape!’”
“We can see how people have unresolved patterns that keep showing up in their life such as issues with contracts, or getting trapped by a promise,” Amy says, adding, “If it’s weird, bizarre, unique, would-only-happen-to-you or happens to you over and over again, it’s ancestral and your eyes show us that blueprint.”
While this powerful tool can be life altering for anybody, Amy sees it as a game changer for many of today’s youth. “Often these ancestral images show us the many years and experiences it took to make an individual who they are today,” says Amy. “Because we can see both the generational good and the challenging, there’s an opportunity to learn why someone might be struggling with self-esteem issues or suicidal patterns. Imagine how impactful that information could be on a young person’s life. It could positively change their trajectory in immeasurable ways.”
Hardwired with a heart for kids and without ever having traveled abroad or spoken a foreign language, Amy took $150 and the idea that all children deserve the right to keep themselves and their siblings alive and moved to Africa. Over the six years spent in Mozambique, she launched a nonprofit which won the accolades of embassies and aid organizations worldwide and led her to be chosen as a finalist for the much-coveted annual CNN Heroes award. Her amazing experience is captured in one of her bestselling books, a memoir, Six Years in Mozambique, published in 2014.
Amy is a widely sought-after speaker who has devoted the last three decades to creating powerfully transformative self-discovery, awareness and life-coaching programs.
Amy continues to offer online readings, travel around the globe to seminars and shows as well as educate others about Irigenics® Ancestral Eye Reading.
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The new year will bring the unveiling of a new, mobile software app which will allow even better access to the process.
“Your eyes hold the answers. By magnifying your ancestral treasure map, you can begin to finally live the life you were born to live.”
For more information about Amy’s work, go to www.Irigenics.com
For Valerie Caraballo, founder of Viva Care Solutions Med Spa, her work is more than a career—it’s a calling. As a Nurse Practitioner with over two decades of experience, including years in the fast-paced environment of an emergency department, Caraballo’s journey has been fueled by an unwavering commitment to helping others.
During the pandemic, she saw an urgent need to bring wellness and healing to her community in a more accessible way. Inspired by this, she launched Viva Care Solutions, a med spa dedicated to holistic wellness and aesthetics. What began as a mobile wellness service offering IV therapies has since grown into a thriving brickand-mortar space in Philadelphia, where clients are treated with expertise, compassion and care.
Caraballo’s mission is deeply rooted in her belief that true beauty comes from within. Her work at Viva Care Solutions bridges the gap between physical health and emotional well-being. “It’s not just about aesthetics,” she explains. “It’s about helping people feel confident, strong and comfortable in their own skin. Seeing the transformation in someone’s self-esteem is the most rewarding part of what I do.” Whether it’s rejuvenating a client’s appearance or boosting their energy through wellness treatments, Caraballo’s dedication to making a positive impact shines in every interaction.
The journey to building her business wasn’t without challenges. Transitioning from bedside care to business ownership meant learning an entirely new skill set, from marketing to financial management. Yet Caraballo embraced these hurdles with resilience and determination. “I didn’t see failure as an end but as an opportunity to find a better solution,” she shares.
Her ability to adapt and grow has not only strengthened her business but also inspired her team to aim higher. Looking ahead, Caraballo envisions expanding into a larger facility with even more cutting-edge treatments. She dreams of creating a space where every client feels seen, heard, and cared for. Her goal is to build a legacy of wellness that uplifts her community, one individual at a time.
For Caraballo, success is measured not by numbers, but by the smiles on her clients’ faces and the confidence they carry out the door. Her work is a testament to the transformative power of compassion, innovation, and the belief that everyone deserves to feel their best. Through her passion and purpose, she’s not just enhancing appearances—she’s changing lives.
Viva Care Solutions Med Spa is located at 1613 Germantown Ave., Ste. 106, Philadelphia. For more information, call 215-681-1295 or visit www.VivaCareSolutions.com
Who knew that a young woman who recovered from a traumatic brain injury two decades ago would discover … not only her own path to healing … but also a way in which to inspire others to full health and well-being.
“We are each a unique and complete expression of creation, here to grow into our fullest capacity and to help others do the same. Our body has its own innate intelligence and biologically, it is designed to thrive. Our breath is the lynch pin to this process,” says Mroz. “Within our breath resides the Source of Life, the omnipresent force that unifies all creation. In many ways, the quality of our life is directly related to the quality of our breath.”
With a degree in recreational therapy, a master’s of science in yoga therapy and her work as a certified fitness trainer, she brings a remarkably vast list of experience and qualifications to each of her clients, students and teams. Yet,
it’s her connection to source energy and her open and joyful willingness to help others find their sacred space of inner resource and resilience that sets her apart from other practitioners.
In addition to working with private clients that primarily face neurological conditions, this dynamo with an upbeat and abiding gladness is an adjunct professor at Widener University working with its athletic department. Mroz is also the CEO of Inspired Athletix which provides teams, coaches and trainers the playbook to optimize mental and physical performance and resilience while cultivating self-leadership and camaraderie.
“Inner balance and vitality are available to each of us,” she adds. And, sometimes we need a special guide to light the way.
For more information, call Melissa Mroz, Inspired Athletix, at 215-378-9983 or visit www.InspiredAthletix.com.
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