Nicky Halliday

Bio

Nicky’s interest in nutrition was sparked while travelling the world and experiencing a rich variety of cuisines. After returning to Ireland, she decided to study Nutritional Therapy and developed a strong fascination with the connection between food and overall wellbeing. Finishing her training with distinction, she wanted to bring together her love of cooking and her growing nutritional knowledge. When she came across Bauman College Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts School, she felt a clear pull to continue her studies in Berkeley, California, and made the courageous choice to leave her banking career behind.

In Berkeley, Nicky deepened her understanding of nutrition and learned how to create nourishing meals that support optimal health and healing. These studies became the basis for her own thriving business in the health food sector.

Experience

One of Nicky’s most significant professional achievements was opening the fresh food deli at the renowned Hopsack health food store in Dublin 6, where she served as head chef for four years. Her contribution was acknowledged with a nomination at the Irish Restaurant Awards in 2018.

After her time at Hopsack, Nicky travelled to Central America and worked as head chef at the Farm of Life healing retreat centre in Costa Rica. There, she embraced a different way of living and healing through nature, yoga, and meditation. During this period, she also experienced deep personal transformation through plant medicine, including peyote, ayahuasca, psilocybin, and cacao. Nicky views these as powerful supports for opening the heart, releasing stored emotions and blockages, deepening self-awareness, and awakening a more compassionate and creative self for a harmonious, fulfilling life.

Education & Qualifications

Her further training includes NLP Coaching and Belief Clearing Practitioner work, and she is currently studying Vocal Therapy and Shamanic Trance Dance. She believes these practices can help people reconnect with their inner healer.

Nicky offers individual consultations, ceremonies, and coaching sessions for mind, body, and soul. Her work includes wellness coaching for women dealing with HPV, gut issues, and a difficult relationship with food. Alongside nutritional guidance and menu planning, she shares practices that support women in releasing shame and fear, cultivating self-love and acceptance, and feeling empowered and confident to cook, eat well, and step into their full potential.

She has led cacao ceremonies in many countries around the world and continues to share this medicine with love and respect. Nicky also caters for retreats and hosts her own wellness retreats, workshops, and ceremonies throughout Ireland during the year.

Personal Healing Journey

Nicky has followed many healing paths herself. She transformed her long-standing unhealthy relationship with food and supported the healing of her skin and digestive issues through a self-designed gut-healing diet. She also lived with HPV and cervical dysplasia for 14 years and underwent two hospital procedures in an attempt to remove abnormal cervical cells. In the end, she healed naturally while living in nature at Farm of Life in Costa Rica.

Current Role

Nicky is now in her second year with Inwardbound, having joined the team on more than six retreats.