our beginnings
looking back in time
The NJ Center for the Healing Arts began as a grassroots community mental health center in the mid-1980s when alongside the prosperity of the conservative era lay serious social concerns.
In that period of history, community mental health centers were closely aligned with social issues and social change. Crossing boundaries between the social, medical, and psychological domains were issues that included the AIDS pandemic, abortion, gay rights, women’s rights, child abuse, drug abuse, and issues of adult children of alcoholics. These issues and their accompanying social concerns became the fertile ground on which psychology and social action could meet.
It was during this period of social change that the concept of the NJ Center for the Healing Arts was conceived.
our approach now
Social context and collective struggles propelled the evolution of the organization as it shape-shifted from a community mental health center to a holistic healing center to the integrative mental health center it is today.
We saw a need to bring healing, art, and community together in one harmonious center with various traditional and alternative health practitioners and educators who share a vision. Always placing purpose over organizational form, NJCHA has been shaped by, and intended to belong to, community.
Now, over 30 years later, NJCHA has been distinguished as being one of the first outpatient integrative mental health centers in the country.
“community is where community happens.”
— Martin Buber
OUR SPACE
The spaces here at the NJCHA are designed to invite choice-making. Our waiting areas include a reading corner, an art/play room, a quiet area, and a social interaction area. The practitioners, staff, and students walk through these areas to greet their patients and to get to the front office. This decision was made with intention to reduce hierarchy between staff, practitioners and patients.
Clinical rooms, a sand tray room, and administrative offices are on the first floor. Four additional clinical rooms, a classroom for mind-body-practices, workshops and community events, and a conference suite for education and training are located on the second floor.
Many forms of art decorate the walls and floors of our space. This includes paintings, photographs, quilts, sculptures, and inspirational quotes. The artwork is frequently rearranged and changed to represent what is non-static, liminal, and transformative. This action is meant to evoke transient personal experiences that can be shared in the spirit of community.
