In.Harmony: Heal, Learn, & Grow in the Western Algarve

Our Concept:

Founded by Sonia Scholz and Amanda Dawes, the In Harmony concept will bring to the Western Algarve a much-needed space in which individuals and families can receive truly holistic and integrated health care. Learn more about Sonia Schulz and Amanda Dawes below.

Our Principles:

Our founding principles are clinical quality, continuous learning and development, and a community-centered approach.

Our Vision:

Our vision is to create a warm, welcoming sanctuary for health and well-being in the Western Algarve, where complementary therapies join education and groupwork to nurture body, mind, and spirit through all life stages and phases. We want to support all individuals to be as well as possible, as often as possible, whatever they are experiencing.

Our Areas of Work:

Our team of compassionate practitioners will work together to address a broad variety of health and wellbeing needs, with a focus on hormonal health, fertility, pre-and-post natal wellbeing, relationships changes and intimacy, sexual and reproductive health, gynecological health, sexual dysfunction, and chronic health issues like migraine, auto-immune conditions, inflammatory illnesses, and more.

Our Model:

Our model has three prongs.

Our clinical services will centre on acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but will also include therapeutic massage, psychotherapy, osteopathy, pelvic-floor physiotherapy, pediatric physiotherapy, psychotherapy, reflexology, couples coaching, somatic bodywork, natural aesthetics, 1:1 sexual health advice and STI testing, and nutritional guidance.

Our education and learning sessions will be offered as both one-off events and longer-lasting courses and will cover: pre-and-post natal preparation, hypnobirthing, sexual health awareness, female pleasure, body changes and intimacy, maintaining well-being in relationships, contraceptive awareness, menopause, sexual health for young people, sexual orientation and gender identity, and how to access local services.

Our group space will host regular classes and one-off workshops, with a focus on gentle healing practices like yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound baths, and healing support circles.

Why We’re Asking for Support:

We need €45,000 to to make this vision a reality. We have about 2/3 of this. We need your help with the next 1/3! Your donations will go towards:

Giving Back:

10% of all funds we raise will be re-directed towards our low-income offer: heavily discounted or free services for individuals who cannot afford to pay for the help, support, and healing they need. It is critically important to us that everyone has access to In Harmony.

Your support is critical to enabling us to bring together communities, practitioners, and individuals to create a much-needed healing that will benefit all individuals living in, or with a connection to, the Algarve. Thank you for helping us plant these seeds.

About Amanda Dawes

Amanda Dawes is a health and inequalities consultant who has been working in the field of Sexual & Reproductive Health for over 18 years. With a Bachelor of Arts (hons) in Psychology, Diploma in Intercultural Education & Training, and Masters of Arts in International Health Promotion, she has dedicated her career to creating accessible, compassionate health services and health education opportunities for those who need them most.

Professionally, Amanda has developed holistic sexual & reproductive health services and training across Canada and the UK. The peak of her career (so far!) saw her directing over 17 contracts to deliver a wide range of sexual health education and training across London and South-East England. She has worked closely with young people, people aged 45+, at-risk women, the homeless, individuals who are LGBTQ+, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, people living in poverty, people living with HIV, sex workers, and immigrants & refugees.

She has learned that in order for people to achieve good sexual health, they need to be able to access holistic and trauma-informed services that are non-judgmental and relevant, and that they need to have the right information and education to take care of their own health and wellbeing. Throughout her career, Amanda has also seen that people are the most healthy and the most well when western medicine and alternative medicine work collaboratively, rather than in opposition to one another.

Amanda’s journey to open In Harmony is also deeply personal. Living with PCOS and navigating a near-fatal pregnancy opened her eyes to the gaps and lack of care facing women with reproductive, hormonal, and gynecological issues. She felt firsthand the frustration and isolation that so many women experience—being dismissed, left without answers, and told that debilitating symptoms are “normal.” Support was limited in the UK, and feels almost non-existent in the Algarve- even with the privilege of being able to access private healthcare here. This experience fueled her commitment to change the narrative around women’s health, to ensure others don’t feel the same neglect she did, and to foster an environment in which women (and their partners!) are listened to, equipped with accurate information and skills, and able to take care of their own health.

In Harmony is her vision come to life: a sanctuary where people are supported and understood, especially through life’s most challenging transitions.

About Sonia Sholz

Sonia Scholz is a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture practitioner specializing in gynecology, hormonal health, fertility, and chronic pain management. Her unique, holistic approach that combines acupuncture, herbal medicine, functional supplementation, lifestyle guidance, manual therapy, moxibustion, electroacupuncture, and cupping. Sonia has spent over a decade helping women, couples, and children achieve balanced health and well-being, and thus far through word-of-mouth only, Sonia has built up a successful clinical practice with an extremely loyal clientele. So many individuals say Sonia has been helped them when no one else has been willing or able to, and her client history shows that she has helped support healing from some of the most diverse health imbalances faced by the modern world.

Like Amanda, Sonia’s journey to, and deep commitment towards, healing began with her own health struggles. In her 20s, she was diagnosed with hidrosalpingite, endometriosis and adenomyosis, the hormonal and inflammatory imbalances of which brought secondary problems such as trigonitis and hashimoto thyroiditis.

For years, ovulation and menstruation left her in severe pain, often unable to sit up or get out of bed. On medical advice, she underwent laparoscopy hoping that it would solve the problem. One month later, she was again in debilitating pain and left with no further treatment options.

Like so many women whose healthcare providers do not take the time to understand female gynecological issues, Sonia was essentially told to “live with” her conditions. She chose a different path. Through years of study, determination, and self-care, Sonia finally found relief and balance through Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, integrative medicine, lifestyle changes, and psycho-emotional and integrative therapies. She then committed her life to studying these practices so that her knowledge could help others.

When Sonia achieved balance again, she decided to specialize in Gynecology, Hormonal Health, Obstetrics and Fertility (for both men and women). Now, she dedicates her practice to helping women and couples find their way to optimal health, free from pain. Sonia offers more than treatment; she brings understanding, empathy, and the wisdom gained from her own path to wellness. Like Amanda, In Harmony is the culmination of her own health journey and her commitment to helping others overcome similar challenges.