GreenSquare Center for the Healing Arts, located on a modern, two-building campus in the heart of Glendale, draws together leading specialists in the integrative healing arts. Most of the practitioners have traditional, western health-care backgrounds, and all are licensed and certified. Most importantly, each of the practitioners at GreenSquare is committed to advancing the effectiveness of complementary and whole-body health therapies through education and the application of the latest techniques in the healing arts.

It is an experienced wellness community that started by chance. Hollie Nankin, who owns the property, says that several years ago, two of the building’s major tenants had moved to their own building. Rather than searching to fill the vacancy, Nankin and her husband decided they needed to find new purpose in their own lives. One practitioner friend had an idea. “She suggested we get a group of professional wellness practitioners all in one location with a central reception area, and she would help make it happen,” says Nankin. “I was already considering the central reception concept for small businesses, so the timing was perfect.”

For Nankin, the concept also was perfect because it combined her personal vision with her business vision. As a real estate developer with 35 years of experience, she sought to attract businesses to lease the space, and as a firm believer in complementary therapies, she was excited about the possibility of educating the public and providing services that would help people grow in mind, body and spirit. The concept also offered an ideal solution for small- to medium-sized practitioners that could benefit from the opportunity to remain unique, while networking as a larger group.

Motivation came from her own personal wellness journey. “For two years, I was very ill, with constant infections,” she explains. “If I got a cut, I would get an infection. I had surgery on my foot and I got an infection. It was never-ending, but I couldn’t find answers.” That is, until she went to Dr. Michelle Reyes, now a GreenSquare practitioner. Reyes tested Nankin for allergies and discovered that she was highly allergic to wheat. She removed gluten from her diet and within six months, she had no re-occurrence of infection. Nankin has now been glutenfree for five years and has never felt better.

The wheels for the creation of the center had been set in motion, but unfortunately, the practitioner leading the charge had to back out. Nankin, though, wasn’t ready to give up. She was determined to give to others what she had been given.

“I told my husband we should do it anyway, so we did,” she says. In June 2009, GreenSquare Center for the Healing Arts was launched on the first floor of the two-story building. Within six months, the space was nearing capacity, so the second floor was opened. Today, more than 30 practitioners offer a variety of wellness options that optimize vitality; restore health naturally; integrate intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual health; and complement traditional medical therapies.

The list of available services and therapies is long (integrative medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, acupuncture, art therapy, chiropractic neurology, Chinese herbs, homeopathy, nutrition therapy, Nia fitness, physical therapy, emotional release, oncology massage, Pilates, Reiki, qigong, yoga and naturopathy), but finding the right provider is simple. The website features a “symptom advisor” that makes it easy for clients to find the appropriate therapies or practitioners, depending on specific needs. The best part is that they are all in one location and often work together for optimal results.

“We believe there isn’t just one way,” explains Nankin. “We believe in working with each other, as well as those in traditional medicine, to create a plan to bring a person back to good health.”

Community-wide classes and educational events designed to engage people in their own wellness are also part of the GreenSquare Center experience. “The response to our classes and events has just been wonderful,” notes Nankin. “People are more likely to try things if they know what they are, so it’s a great feeling.”

GreenSquare Center for the Healing Arts is located at 6789 N. Green Bay Ave., Glendale. For more information, call 414-292-3900 or visit GreenSquareCenter.com.