Discover the origins of S.A.G.E. Holistic Health & Wellness Center as Emily Celis, its founder, shares her transformative journey from corporate life to holistic healing. Guided by personal growth through therapy, exercise, and spiritual development, Emily, an LMFT Reiki Master/Teacher, and her partner established the center in 2017, dedicated to nurturing individuals’ holistic well-being. Find out more in Emily’s exclusive MysticMag interview below.
Can you please share a few details about the beginnings of the S.A.G.E. Holistic Health & Wellness Center and how it was founded?
Being a therapist is my second career. I had a rockstar start in corporate America at a young age and quickly realized it was sucking the life out of me. So I quit back in 2005 and went back to school to become a therapist because, at that point in my life, the most direction and solid shot at happiness I had experienced was through some personal work I did with a therapist in my own work. I found that I loved every class I was taking and not only this, I began experimenting with and gaining even more personal fulfillment when I incorporated exercise and spiritual development courses in addition to the mental health work in my therapy.
My partner was a big part of this journey as he was a Kinesiology professor and was able to bring in that knowledge of the physical body and how exercise and nutrition work in addition to our shared love of spiritual and religious studies. I was blown away at the astronomical level of personal change I was experiencing through all of this and quickly realized that we wanted to open a holistic wellness center dedicated to helping people move from the mundane to the exceptional life that we knew was possible for everyone if they were to take care of themselves in these areas (body, mind, and spirit). As soon as I got licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, S.A.G.E. Holistic Health & Wellness Center was founded and we began the journey of entrepreneurship in this realm officially in 2017. Prior to this, I was practicing therapy at other group practices and also running a business as a Reiki practitioner and teacher (since 2009).
Can you walk me through one of your Reiki sessions?
when a new client comes in for a Reiki session, they would have already had an introductory call with our intake coordinator and had the opportunity to ask questions to bring comfort if this is new. They would have already completed the informed consent and acknowledgments that we ask all clients to complete so they understand all that is entailed. Once in the office, I will ask them if they have any questions and if there is anything they would like to focus on with the Reiki session (I.e. a specific area of personal growth they want to work on or any physical/emotional/mental/spiritual ailments they are experiencing).
Once we have reviewed all of this, I will ask the client to lie down on the massage table face up, remaining clothed. From there, I let them know they are welcome to keep their eyes open if that feels more comfortable to them or close them and that there will not be talking through the receiving Reiki portion of the session due to the deep state of meditation and focus that the practitioner gets into during a session. I ask the client to pay attention to any subtle energy shifts they may feel and give them examples of what Reiki energy can feel like (e.g. tingling, vibration, hot, cold, magnetic pushing/pulling, etc.). Once the Reiki session is complete, I will ask them to move from the table back to the couch, ask them about anything they experienced, share any feedback that I have about what shifted energetically during the session, provide exercises they might to do keep their energy healthy and flowing, and end with discussing what their recommended treatment plan would be moving forward based on what they are seeking help with and their desire to utilize Reiki in their healing journey.
You also offer Reiki training and courses. What can people expect from those?
We love training people how to use Reiki on themselves and also professionally – the world can use more “lightworkers”. The Reiki training courses are 4 different levels, each between 7 to 7.5 hours, and covering a very thorough range of knowledge about what Reiki is, what it can do, how to run a professional session, ethics, caring for yourself, and many many techniques for what you can do with this beautiful healing energy.
What is Holistic Integration?
We believe in Holistic Integration because there are many ways for someone to heal. Often times we will get what’s called a “release of information” signed by our clients who are working with other holistic professionals and we will consult with their other “holistic team members” to ensure the client’s needs are front and center and that we are all aiding the client in the same direction. I have even founded another company, Holistic Healing Collective, where we focus on making strong connections with other holistic healers so we always have the best referrals for clients really wanting to find the healing modalities that will really help them get unstuck and living their lives!
What can you tell me about the part of your work addressing mental health and your approach to it?
Mental health is our main service at S.A.G.E. and we currently have a staff of 6 therapists serving multiple populations from kids, teens, and adults to couples, facilities, and such. We have an eclectic array of personalities and approaches because therapy and healing are not one-size-fits-all. It’s important that the person receiving therapy feels connected to their therapist and as such, we give feedback on who we think would be a good fit and also request feedback if it’s not a great fit. Making sure our clients are getting the care that is meant for them is so important to us.
What’s in store for the Center going forward?
Moving forward we have some exciting things coming up. We plan to continue growing our mental health services and Reiki and we also plan to release a holistic assessment and courses in the soon-ish near future. We are so excited to tell people about what we call The Feel Alive Movement…won’t you join us?
To find out more about Emily and S.A.G.E. Holistic Health & Wellness Center, you can visit www.sagewellnessctr.org
