Meet Sonny Miles | Integrative and Palliative Medicine Physician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sonny Miles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sonny, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my career in medicine as a hospitalist (taking care of people sick enough to be in the hospital). Over time I felt saddened (and sometimes defeated) by what I called the revolving door of the hospital. We would get people well enough to go home and then it was often only a matter of time before they came back, often because they don’t have the skills or knowledge or access to the things that would help keep them out of the hospital (diet, movement, stress management, etc). One of the aspects of care that I most enjoyed was really being honest with patients about what our care and interventions in the hospital could and could not achieve so that they could decide what they wanted and whether they wanted to go through interventions that had a low risk of helping them get better. These conversations, often difficult, were very meaningful to me. I also found it very meaningful to care for people at the endf of life and so I went back and did training in palliative medicine and hospice. I moved to Colorado at that point and practiced palliative medicine in Northern Colorado. I find it so incredibly meaningful to accompany patients on their journey with serious illness (which sometimes leads to end of life care and hospice). I felt limited by both the environment of conventional medicine (where I’m told how long I have to see patients and how many people I’m supposed to see each day) and the conventional medical toolbox. I believe that so much healing can happen using both the science and power of conventional medicine but also by engaging deeply in the emotional journey of illness and healing and by using other tools (like movement, meditation, nutrition, herbs, etc.). I started by practice because I wanted to be able to show up for my patients as the best healer and person I can be, and I wanted to be able to use whatever tool works for the person coming to me.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I recently started an integrative and palliative medicine practice in Loveland, Colorado. I believe that the environments in which we practice and give care matter. I believe that community is important for healing. I believe that the patient should be in charge of their care. I believe that reconnecting to our own intuitive wisdom is vital for healing. I also believe that serious illness can be a spiritual journey as much as a physical journey. My vision is to provide a healing space for people who are facing serious or chronic illness where I can support them during their journey, help tap into their own wisdom for healing, and use whatever conventional or complementary tools facilitate feeling better. In addition to working with individuals, my vision is to create a healing community by offering workshops and support groups so that we have the opportunity to be together in person, learn from one another, and show up for another.

I most definitely have not overcome all the challenges yet as my practice is still in its infancy. However, the biggest challenges thus far are in my own mind: believing that I can learn to be an entrepreneur, believing that this work matters, believing that even when aspects are difficult or don’t seem to be working, that I can do that.

The image of the labyrinth resonates with me as a metaphor for the healing journey…I am deep in the labyrinth on my own entrepreneurial journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My idea of a lovely day or two with a friend in Loveland involves slowing down and being in nature. I love to treat myself to coffee or tea at either Dark Heart Coffee Bar or Feellove Coffee (both in Loveland). I would then head out for a hike at one of the many amazing places nearby. The two places I go hike most often are Devil’s backbone and Bobcat Ridge. When I’m at Devil’s backbone, I love to find a place to sit and just appreciate the rocks. I love rocks – their strength and the feeling that they’re solid and can support us when we need a little extra support. I would finish the day either enjoying a glass of wine at Sweetheart Winery (the outside space is beautiful when the weather is nice) or enjoying delicious food at Rosa’s Cantina in Longmont (I almost always order the enmoladas). I love the beautiful display of Mexican culture and the rich flavors in the cuisine.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have so many amazing teachers and mentors along the way who have helped me become who I am today. Most importantly though are the amazing patients I have had the honor of learning from and caring for during their moments of crisis and difficulty. I have been witness to their grief, their courage, their reflection, their growth. I am here, in my own practice, because of them.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t give gratitude to my husband, Sal, for his support and love and my two beautiful boys, Alex and Josh, who inspire me to try live what matters to me, to work to show up the way that I want to more often than not, and to strive to be a better person in the world.

Website: www.healingwithintentionim.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healingwithintentionim/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healingwithintentionintegrativemedicine

Image Credits
Photos of me credits to Dear Kate Studios, Loveland, CO