One of the most amazing aspects of Heartwood Center is the collaboration between the practitioners and teachers who have businesses there. I have the utmost respect and admiration for my colleagues, and I’m especially grateful that they inspire me to be better. To improve the quality of care I give my clients. Some of this inspiration and affirmation happens at our monthly community meetings, where we will often have case study presentations and discussions.

As we learn about each other’s work, we have an opportunity to understand our clients from different points of view; I am trained to look at the body from an anatomical standpoint, as well as from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective. The insights I gain from the mental health and spiritual professionals, as well as the movement teachers, is invaluable to the care I can give my clients. This is true for any case presentation under discussion, not just a client of mine; I incorporate what I learn as applicable.

The professionals at Heartwood are here in part because of this community aspect. One of the reasons that I chose to start my business here was the access it gave me to such a diverse group of professionals. Health and wellness care is a team effort, and I believe that the practitioners and teachers here share this philosophy of cooperation.

I am the massage and manual lymphatic drainage therapist for a formal collaboration of Heartwood Center professionals at Sphere Holistic Sports Medicine. We formed Sphere to streamline the collaborative process and get better results for our patients/clients. That doesn’t mean that you need to go through Sphere to have your own health and wellness team.

If you are a client or a student, you can take advantage of this opportunity for cooperation. By giving the different Heartwood professionals you see written permission to collaborate, you enable us to deepen our understanding of your goals, needs, and challenges. You are in control of how much information we share, so be as specific as possible about what we can talk about with your other care providers. You might be surprised at how much more you can get from your individual sessions, and by how much your practitioners and teachers can enhance and support each other’s work.

Many thanks to Marsha Smith, LCSW for her advice and insight into collaborations from a mental health professional’s perspective.