Carey Shannon

Carey Shannon, DHM, DFM, PhD

Keynote Speaker | Author | Functional Wellness and Joyful Living Educator | Board Certified Functional Practitioner | Autoimmune Warrior

Educating. Empowering. Inspiring. Transforming.

For more than 30 years, I have helped individuals, families, educators, and communities turn complex ideas into practical strategies that create meaningful change.

My work brings together education, allied healthcare, functional wellness, family engagement, emotional resilience, and joyful living. Whether I am speaking from a stage, guiding a wellness journey, developing a school program, or writing a book, my mission is the same: to help people build stronger foundations and move forward with greater clarity, confidence, connection, and joy.

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Carey's Books

Explore Carey’s Work

Speaking and Professional Development

Engaging keynotes, workshops, and professional learning experiences for schools, districts, universities, conferences, churches, organizations, and corporate wellness events.

Carolina Sunshine Wellness

Compassionate coaching, courses, wellness programs, community experiences, and practical lifestyle education designed to support whole person well-being.

Rooted Health Labs

Functional wellness assessments, personalized education, Rooted Wellness Blueprints, and focused support for those ready to look deeper.

The Healthy Family Initiative and Raising Well

Practical programs that help children, families, educators, schools, and communities cultivate healthy habits, emotional resilience, and meaningful connections.

Books and Educational Resources

Discover The Sugar Break Up, the Journey to Wellness Series, Raising Well: The Mindful Child Method, and the Traveling Tazi children’s book series.

My Story: The Why Behind My Journey

How My Autoimmune Diagnosis Inspired a Rooted, Whole Person Approach to Wellness

Years ago, I accepted a new full-time position teaching first grade in my community. It was an especially demanding year, and I had no idea at the time how deeply the prolonged stress was affecting my body.

I made it through the school year, but shortly after summer arrived, I became ill. I began experiencing extreme fatigue, joint pain, a swollen hip, and rashes on my face and breast. The doctor visits began, but answers were difficult to find. At one point, there was even concern that I might have inflammatory breast cancer. After multiple appointments, different treatments, and an extended course of high-dose steroids, I was ultimately diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder.

But my search did not end with a diagnosis.

That experience became a turning point. I wanted to understand what had contributed to the changes in my health and what I could do to feel like myself again. I began researching the powerful connections between nutrition, movement, faith, meditation, sleep, stress, and overall well-being.

As I began changing my daily habits, I noticed meaningful changes in how I felt. The more consistently I supported the foundations of my health, the more energy, strength, and hope I began to reclaim. Functional wellness principles and lifestyle changes truly gave me my life back.

Over the years, I continued learning, experimenting, and building healthier habits. Then, several years later, I became less intentional about my nutrition, stress, sleep, and daily routines. Gradually, many of the symptoms I had experienced before began to return. Once again, I found myself searching for answers.

That was when I fully understood that this could not be a temporary plan. It needed to become a sustainable way of life for me and my family.

I was all in.

It was time to clean out the pantry, create a plan, choose more supportive foods, prepare ahead, and begin our family’s journey toward lasting wellness.

As I continued to learn, I began sharing practical strategies with friends and family. I saw how powerful education, encouragement, and small, consistent changes could be. Those experiences inspired me to create Carolina Sunshine Wellness.

Today, I use my education, professional experience, and personal journey to help others better understand their bodies, explore potential contributors to how they are feeling, and create a personalized path forward.

I know what it feels like to search for answers. I also know the hope that comes when you finally feel empowered to take an active role in your own well-being.

If something in my story feels familiar, you do not have to navigate your journey alone. I would be honored to help you discover your next step.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

3 John 1:2 NIV

With you all the way,

Carey Shannon

Career

A Life Rooted in Education, Wellness, and Service

Carey Shannon, DHM, DFM, PhD, is a Keynote Speaker, Author, Functional Wellness and Joyful Living Educator, Board Certified Functional Practitioner, Coach, Registered Medical Assistant, and Autoimmune Warrior.

With more than 30 years of experience spanning education, allied healthcare, program leadership, and whole person wellness, Carey brings a unique combination of academic knowledge, practical experience, personal understanding, and compassionate leadership to her work.

From the Classroom to Allied Healthcare

An educator at heart, Carey began her career teaching children in kindergarten through second grade. Those early years cultivated her passion for helping others learn, grow, and recognize their own potential.

She later became a Registered Medical Assistant and gained experience in pediatric healthcare settings. Combining her love of teaching with her healthcare background, Carey went on to teach high school Allied Health and Medical Technologies, preparing students for careers in healthcare and helping them connect classroom learning with real world application.

Carey later served as a college professor, program manager, and Allied Health program director. In these roles, she helped develop and lead a successful Allied Health program while supporting students, faculty, and future healthcare professionals.

Today, Carey continues to teach and support Allied Health students while consulting on curriculum development, professional learning, student engagement, educator well-being, and health education pathways.

Education and Professional Credentials

Carey holds doctoral credentials in Holistic and Functional Medicine and is a Board Certified Functional Practitioner and Registered Medical Assistant.

She also holds a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree in education, a Career Technical Education credential in Health and Medical Technologies, and a Certificate in Health and Wellness. Her studies and professional training include anatomy, nutrition, pharmacology, functional wellness principles, telehealth, and blended learning.

Her experience across elementary education, career technical education, college instruction, allied healthcare, and functional wellness gives Carey the ability to translate complex information into clear, practical strategies that people can understand and use.

Functional Wellness and Joyful Living

Carey’s professional work is deeply connected to her personal experience as an Autoimmune Warrior. Her own search for answers inspired her to explore how nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, faith, mindset, connection, and environmental influences can shape how we feel.

As the founder of Carolina Sunshine Wellness, Carey provides coaching, courses, wellness programs, and practical lifestyle education designed to help individuals and families create healthier, more sustainable habits.

Through Rooted Health Labs, she offers selected functional wellness assessments, personalized education, Rooted Wellness Blueprints, and focused support for individuals who are ready to look deeper and gain greater insight into patterns that may warrant further exploration.

Speaking, Professional Development, and Community Leadership

Carey is an engaging keynote speaker and facilitator who brings together education, wellness, storytelling, science informed perspectives, and immediately applicable strategies.

She speaks to schools, districts, universities, conferences, churches, community organizations, and professional groups on topics including functional wellness, joyful living, educator well-being, family engagement, student wellness, emotional resilience, healthy habits, and sustainable behavior change.

Carey also provides professional development and customized programming for educators, school leaders, healthcare students, organizations, and communities. Her presentations are designed to do more than inform. They encourage reflection, create connection, and inspire meaningful action.

As the founder of The Healthy Family Initiative and founder and executive director of Raising Well, Carey works to expand access to wellness education, social emotional learning, family engagement, educator support, and practical programs that strengthen children, families, schools, and communities.

Author and Creator

Carey is the author of The Sugar Break Up, the Journey to Wellness Series, and Raising Well: The Mindful Child Method: Building a Strong Foundation with Healthy Eating, Movement, and Positivity. She is also the creator of the Traveling Tazi children’s book series.

Her books, programs, workshops, and presentations are inspired by real life experience and a lifelong belief in the power of education to create meaningful and lasting change.

Whether Carey is guiding a client, teaching a class, presenting on stage, developing a program, or serving her community, her mission remains the same: to educate, empower, inspire, and help others move forward with greater clarity, confidence, connection, and joy.

Carey’s work is rooted in science, guided by nature, strengthened by faith, and centered on the belief that small, intentional shifts can create a meaningful impact.

Please note: Carey Shannon is a Board Certified Functional Practitioner and holds a Doctorate in Holistic and Functional Medicine. However, she is not a medical doctor. Carey does not diagnose, treat, prescribe, or manage medications. Her services focus on wellness education and prevention minded lifestyle support. They are designed to explore functional patterns and potential contributing factors, support informed lifestyle choices, and complement, not replace, the care of a licensed healthcare provider.

Giving Back

Using Education, Wellness, and Speaking to Serve Others

Giving back is woven into every part of my work. I believe education and encouragement can create meaningful change, and I am committed to using my voice, experience, and resources to support people and communities whenever possible.

Through speaking engagements, free community workshops, wellness education, charitable events, and collaborations with mission aligned organizations, I create opportunities for people to access practical tools that support healthier habits, greater confidence, and stronger connections.

Some of this work is connected to Carolina Sunshine Wellness. Some grows from my speaking, teaching, and community partnerships. Each opportunity may look different, but the purpose remains the same: to meet people where they are and use education to create hope, possibility, and positive action.

I am especially passionate about partnering with schools, churches, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and leaders who share a commitment to helping others thrive.

Giving back is not simply part of my business. It is part of who I am and how I choose to live, lead, and serve.

Raising Well and Community Impact

Building Healthier, More Resilient, and More Connected Communities

I believe wellness should not be limited by where a family lives, what a school can afford, or whether an educator has access to the right resources.

That belief inspired me to create The Healthy Family Initiative and to serve as founder and executive director of Raising Well.

The Healthy Family Initiative

The Healthy Family Initiative provides practical wellness education for children, families, educators, schools, and communities. Our programs bring together healthy eating, joyful movement, emotional resilience, positive psychology, family engagement, and meaningful connection.

Through school programs, family wellness nights, educator workshops, community events, and youth leadership experiences, we provide simple tools that can be used in classrooms, homes, and everyday life.

Our goal is to strengthen the whole child, support the whole family, and create a shared language of wellness that helps communities thrive.

Raising Well

Raising Well is a nonprofit organization working alongside The Healthy Family Initiative to expand access to meaningful wellness education and programming.

Through community partnerships, sponsorships, fundraising, and access grants, Raising Well helps schools, nonprofit organizations, educators, families, and communities bring valuable wellness experiences to the people they serve.

Our mission is to empower children, families, educators, and communities to cultivate lifelong emotional resilience, healthy habits, and meaningful connections through practical education, compassionate support, and accessible programming.

Creating Impact Together

Community impact grows when people and organizations come together around a shared purpose.

Schools can bring practical wellness and social emotional learning strategies to students and educators. Families can gain tools that make healthy choices feel manageable. Community organizations can create experiences that build connection, confidence, and resilience. Sponsors and supporters can help ensure that meaningful programming reaches communities with limited resources.

Every partnership helps us move closer to a future where children feel supported, families feel empowered, educators feel valued, and communities grow stronger together.

Education creates possibility. Access creates impact. Together, we are Raising Well.

Explore The Healthy Family Initiative

Support Raising Well

A Glimpse Into Sunshine:

I have been blessed to share over 32 wonderful years of marriage with my amazing husband, Patrick — my greatest adventure partner and constant source of support. Together, we raised two incredible grown children who continue to fill our lives with joy, laughter, and inspiration every single day.

As a family, we have always believed that the best way to truly experience the world is to slow down and become part of it. Rather than passing through as tourists, we have spent extended time living alongside the communities and cultures we visit — learning their rhythms, sharing their tables, and discovering the ways people around the world nurture their health, happiness, and connection. These rich, immersive experiences became the heartbeat behind my wellness adventure travel itineraries, where exploration and whole-person wellness go hand in hand.

When I am not working, you will find me outdoors, staying active, and soaking up the simple joys — long walks, quality time with family and friends, and moments of stillness that restore the spirit. I am a firm believer that joy itself is a wellness practice, and I try to live that truth every day.

Faith, adventure, balance, and gratitude are not just words to me — they are the foundation of how I live, love, and lead. And they are the same values I am honored to carry into every coaching session, workshop, classroom, and conversation I share with the incredible people on this journey with me.

Visit Carolina Sunshine Wellness

Explore Rooted Health Labs

The Healthy Family Initiative

Explore Carey's Books

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