From Law to Breathwork and Beyond

Alicia Snijders

Featuring Alicia Snijders – From Law to Breathwork and Beyond

Alicia Snijders is a former corporate lawyer who spent a decade in the legal profession before shifting paths entirely.

In 2020, her world was shattered when she was raped. At 33, she believed she had life figured out, thriving in Sydney - only to have everything she knew about herself and the world upended.

The aftermath was filled with darkness - self-doubt, isolation and a struggle to find her place. Despite her legal background, Alicia found herself navigating systems meant to support survivors that instead failed her - society's silence around sexual violence, a workplace culture that did little to foster healing and a justice system that routinely lets survivors down. These systems, designed to protect, instead deepened the struggle.

The Power of Breathwork and Metabolic Wellbeing

Therapy was a crucial part of Alicia’s journey, but it was breathwork that truly helped her recalibrate her nervous system and reconnect with herself. Through conscious connected breathing, she discovered a way to heal beyond traditional methods.

This didn’t happen overnight - it required time, effort and a shift in mindset. Alicia learned that real recovery meant detaching from toxic environments, finding a new community and embracing a holistic approach to wellbeing. Rest, nourishment and aligning with her true purpose became the foundation of her new life.

Today, Alicia is a holistic health coach and breathwork facilitator, working with individuals to shift out of survival mode and reconnect with themselves, and with organisations to foster human-centered, wellness-focused workplaces. She uses breath, evidence-based tools and a grounded, compassionate approach to help people manage stress, regulate their nervous systems and find resilience in the face of adversity.

Her story is not just one of survival, but of using trauma as a catalyst for change.

🎧 Tune in to hear an honest conversation about healing, agency and what

Chapters

• 0:57 Who is Alicia Snijders? I am .....
• 1:00 I am a Canadian / Australian, was a corporate Lawyer now a holistic health coach and breathwork expert
• 1:47 I decided to study Law with the ambition to make a difference
• 3:00 In 2020 I was raped !!!!
• 5:05 At the age of 33, I thought I had my 'Shite' together, finally feeling I was adding value to my life, loving life in Sydney
• 6:10 My Life before and after being raped
• 6:50 The law - There is NO duty to report Rape
• 7:30 As a Lawyer I was / am aware of the law, the impact and choices to make. Defending my livelihood, my finances and my wellbeing
• 8:55 I didn't know how to fit in. I was in a dark place, and considered taking my own life
• 9:52 The coping mechanism included drug usage and alcohol
• 10:50 Masking - and not feeling I could ask for help
• 11:20 Rape is stigmatised in our culture - the culture of silence. Rape and sexual violence
• 12:10 Being hypersensitive in local area / Vicinity
• 13:21 Receiving help and therapy. But the toxic work culture plus personal trauma / rape - I was struggling to know myself
• 14:30 Therapy has it's place but breathwork is incredible especially for central nervous system / stress levels
• 16:20 Types of breathwork - the Conscious connected
• 19:50 Quick fixes don't work - it takes time
• 21:30 Being a type A person, but in a unhealthy way
• 22:10 Rest is so valuable
• 23:55 Removing and detaching from the environment - essential for healing and new beginnings
• 25:30 Finding a new community - and its impact on my health
• 26:58 Spiritual wellbeing - what it means to me and its impact
• 28:20 Pursue what sets your soul alight
• 30:00 Metabolic wellbeing - it is my energy, emotions, spirit and accountability
• 31:00 My work now involves corporate workshops on breathwork