The vision for creating a Healing Space emerged through many ideas offered by many people.   Rev. Amy  Snow introduced the value of “sanctuary” and Rev. Ed Goode suggesting establishing a Holistic Healing practice in the Manse.  Fifteen holistic healers toured the Manse and shared their perceptions of its potential for transformation into a Healing Space.

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We searched the web for benchmarks.  Our goal was to identify  an organization that:  (1)  dedicated a building to holistic healing, (2) used space as the primary healing modality, (3) embraced the spiritual dimension of holistic healing, and (4) used an interdisciplinary team to offer diverse services.   But we didn’t find any benchmark organizations.

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So we set out on a journey to explore the possibilities.  A pivotal transition developed when a church member expressed interest in creating an endowment dedicated to repurposing the Manse for use as a place dedicated to serving the common good.  The Presbyterian Church of Wyoming requested proposals.

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Our first task was to create an Advisory Board.  Five church members worked for 3 years to develop the vision.   Another “key player” was Rod Sidley, who took the lead as both our architect and church president.  The rest is history, involving many other key players who volunteered their specialized skills in areas such as law, accounting and insurance.

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Preliminary strategic planning for creating The Healing Space of Cincinnati was welcomed with unanimous support by both the church’s governing board and the City Council of Wyoming.   We negotiated a period of one year to recruit practitioners and develop programming.  But a greater power had different plans.

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The Healing Space’s vision and mission attracted a diverse team of exceptionally well trained and experienced Holistic Practitioners.  Without active recruiting, the practitioner team filled and started working collaboratively 2 months before remodeling was complete.  There has been a waiting list for additional practitioners interested in volunteering at The Healing Space for its entire operation.