Suzanne Snyder L.Ac. 

Healing Clinic Collective - Project Report 2013

 

November 14, 2013 The Healing Clinic was a huge and amazing success! Over the course of the 2-day Clinic we saw/served close to 400 women from the Bay Area and beyond. From my experience and the information on our sign in sheets, we know woman came from Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, Union City, Hayward, Richmond, San Francisco, Santa Rosa and as far as Sacramento; representing the Black, Latino, Arab, Indian, Filipina, API, Native American and White communities; immigrants and undocumented folks from Latin Am., Asian and African countries; from 5-60 yrs old; female and feminine, LGBTQ and transgender; of able mind and body as well as physically/mentally challenged; women from our core target population including previously incarcerated women, survivors of domestic abuse, sexual abuse and street violence, in or post-substance abuse recovery processes, and women who are over-worked, under-resourced and lacking access to holistic care.

 

In addition to having reach the population of women we were aiming to serve and exceeding the number of women we anticipated serving, we also succeeded in our goal to plant the seed of consciousness around a return to the sacred, the ancestral and loving, natural forms of healing, including spiritual healing.

One of the services we offered was an energy/spiritual cleanse referred to as a Limpia in Spanish. Limpias are well outside of what most people know or consider as “alternative medicine”. They come from Latin American indigenous traditions and use prayer and ceremonial instruments to remove negative energy related to traumas and stress. This was the most popular service at the Clinic!

 

People's lives changed at the Women’s Healing Clinic. People who were on the verge of giving up everything or going over the edge had their spirits touched, healed and lifted, leaving with new energy, hope and a desire to continue on with their life and being part of the collective struggle for positive change. Some of the testimonies and exclamations that we heard repeatedly throughout the day include, “Just being here is healing!”, “I have been waiting for something like this for so long”, “I feel like a whole new person”, and most of all, “When is the next Clinic going to be??” There were numerous cries and tears of joy, sighs of relief, and I received hundreds of embraces from total strangers who were overwhelmed with gratitude.Funds and donations given went to the Women who were treated at the clinic and were very much appreciated. These funds were an indispensable part of our project.

 

Since the Clinic we have posted a blog entry on Movement Generation’s website and facebook page, which will soon be up on the Healing Clinic Collective site. You can read the post at:www.movementgeneration.org/blogfacebook.com/movementgeneration We refrained from taking too many photos to respect the privacy of people receiving treatment, as well as out of respect to the ceremonial nature of the space. 

 

The Healing Clinic Collective:  Suzanne Snyder L.Ac.; Carla M. Perez Co-founder of Movement Generation Justice & Ecology Project; Sara Flores CNM, WHNP - reclaimmidwifery.com; Sumyaih Franklin, midwife; Tre Vasquez community organizer; Atava Garcia- Swiecicki, MA,RH Clinical Herbalist – ancestralapothecary.com