As your community manager, I will be spotlighting agencies who are integrating Trauma-Informed Practices and furthering the mission of ACEs Science. If you would like your agency to be highlighted or if you would like more information on how to integrate ACEs Science into your organization, please contact me directly through Private Message.
Walking up to the La Maida Institute felt like entering a secret garden. The weathered, wooden door surrounded by greenery was simultaneously welcoming and mysterious. As I entered this sacred place, a sense of peace overcame me. I was greeted by one of the Institute’s hosts, Nicholas Bruss, founder of CompassionLA, who was just as welcoming. He guided me on a tour of the Institute, which felt more like a retreat space than a mental health facility. The wooden floors and intricate molding throughout the space allowed for a softness counter to the sterile environments we typically associate with a doctor’s office. He explained that the two larger rooms in the front of what was once a home are used for Trauma Sensitive Yoga, the front desk and waiting room are spaces where interaction is encouraged between individuals. “We want to create a space where wellness and healing are not stigmatized” he explained. Mission accomplished! Dr. Naim and his team developed the Hope Model of Psychiatry. This Integrative Model includes an array of services for those seeking wellness or those needing to heal including yoga, psychiatry, group and individual counseling, and body healing. They go one step further and aim to be a resource for the community, to provide both formal and informal support in offering the facility as a space where community members can congregate and connect. Dr. Naim and I discussed the foundation of his practice and he explained, “The goal of La Maida is to promote the science of consciousness and to move away from symptom management.” The idea behind the wellness approach cannot be exclusive. The loss of community has made us sick. This exclusivity, us vs them, concept of disconnectedness and other is what has perpetuated the status quo that is the medical model.
You can look forward to events hosted by La Maida and learn more about this model and the work being done at the Institute here: http://www.hopepsychiatry.com/
You can learn more about CompassionLA here: http://compassionla.org/
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