‘Living in the now' in Lower Woodstock
Published Wednesday August 6th, 2008
River Valley Wellness Centre takes aim at integrating body, mind and spirit
The mighty oak, which for more than a century towered over River Road in Lower Woodstock, stood as a source of strength and inspiration for Lori McKinney.
For close to 17 years, as the social worker and addictions services counsellor travelled to and from Woodstock, she would stare at the majestic example of nature's wonder. That single tree, which dominated the rural skyline – accompanied by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.'s inspirational poem, The Oak Tree – provided a philosophical and psychological retreat during low points in McKinney's personal and working life.
"I would imagine myself sitting in that tree drawing strength from it," she said.
Just as she used the actual tree for personal strength, she uses the poem to help uncover emotional strength within those she counsels. That tree is now gone, finally succumbing to age and disease, but it continues to fuel McKinney's imagination, inspiration and optimism.
As she stares out the front windows of the relaxation room in her newly established River Valley Wellness Centre, McKinney looks directly at the spot where the mighty tree once stood. While it's now gone, the beautiful awe-inspiring setting – in the centre of which the old oak's deep roots protected it against the elements – remains to be enjoyed.
Because of her love for this small stretch of River Road, McKinney was quick to react when she saw the For Sale sign on a piece of property sitting across the road from where she first saw the old oak. She drove up the paved driveway to find a beautifully restored century-old home sitting in a remarkably landscaped yard. Then she noticed the separate building on the other side of the driveway.
"What would I do with that?" McKinney thought for a moment.
Then it hit her. The building would be the perfect spot to turn her long-held dream into a reality. It would be the focal point of a privately operated wellness centre. In fact, McKinney soon realized the expansive 85-acre property offered almost all the amenities required to fulfill her long-range plan of a wellness retreat. A place where she and her clients could focus on the "integration of mind, body and spirit."
The walkway which leads passed the wellness centre continues up a small hill to a fenced-in, in-ground swimming pool and deck. Directly behind the house sits an empty field, which McKinney hopes will some day soon be home to a small stable of horses. The parcel of land, which stretches from River Road to the Trans Canada Highway, is dotted with a series of ATV trails, which McKinney plans to convert into walking and horse-back riding trails.
Not only did the River Road property offer an ideal setting for McKinney and her two children to launch a new beginning in their personal lives, she knew it offered everything she ever envisioned for her wellness centre.
"It allowed me to be on site," she said. "It sits in a rural setting. It means I don't have to pay rent (for her private counselling operation). It's perfect."
The only drawback was price. The asking price, which McKinney admitted was understandable for such a treasured location, was beyond her means. But she didn't give up. She contacted the owners, Dan and Valerie Barker, and outlined her vision of a wellness centre.
McKinney said the Barkers understood what she was trying to accomplish. They worked with her to make the dream a reality.
"They wanted the property used for a positive purpose," explained McKinney.
The Barkers moved to the Woodstock area when Dan began working with Sabian Cymbals in Meductic. Valerie, a professional dancer, opened a dance studio. The large room on the second floor of the centre, which now serves as McKinney's relaxation or meditation room, once served as Valerie's dance studio. The full-mirrored wall attests to the room's former life.
"There was a lot of laughter in this building," said McKinney.
With the Barkers' help, McKinney can ensure the building continues to deliver a positive influence to the community. She expressed her gratitude for the couple's support.
"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here," McKinney acknowledged.
While admitting the foundation of her business plan is built upon emotion and a desire to provide needed services to Upper Valley residents and families, McKinney said the River Valley Wellness Centre also makes sense from a business point of view.
"There's no established private practice in the Upper Valley," she noted. "In Fredericton there are tons of private practices."
For the most part, she will be providing the facilities to other clinicians who want to operate in the area.
"In a sense," she said, "I'm going to be a broker. I will assign counsellors. It will be one-stop shopping."
She already has one tenant on board, she explained, noting a pair of family-enrichment counsellors are already using the private therapy rooms on the first floor of the wellness centre for couples therapy.
Several other wellness programs will be delivered at the centre, using the variety of facilities available, she explained.
The list is long, including individual and family counselling for clients of all ages. There will be group sessions, including a stress reduction and relaxation program she will personally offer one evening a week. She said groups would be limited to 10 people, noting small groups make it more comfortable for everyone.
She will also conduct meditation and relaxation sessions for groups or individuals. The centre will provide motivational sessions and speaking engagements and court assessments.
The facility will be available for rental hourly, daily or longer. It will be made available for massage therapists, yoga instructors or any professional offering legitimate wellness services.
McKinney plans to continue as a full-time addictions services counsellor for the province, but stressed there will not be a conflict of interest with her private practice. She said the clientele using the River Valley Wellness Centre is different from those using the public service.
"Those using the public service are those who have hit rock bottom," she said.
McKinney said she and the other licensed clinicians using her facility will focus on prevention.
"We're marketing to a group of people not currently serviced in the region," she said. "This is based on prevention, free will and free choice."
McKinney, who was born in Bristol, said she can relate to those she counsels because she's been where they are. She said she has known real hardship in her life and understands the importance of "living in the now."
She offers "life coaching," adding she is "not talking about anything different than what I do in my own life."
McKinney said the success of the River Valley Wellness Centre will not be based on dollars and cents. She and the other clinicians providing service will measure success on the number of people they help.
"When I watch people who are suffering find some measure of peace, that's something no money can buy," she said. "I watch the spark come back into their eyes and watch them find peace."
McKinney said the level of services and opportunities River Valley Health will be able to offer can't be covered in a newspaper article. She urges everyone to come out to the facility's grand opening at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22. In addition to offering a chance to socialize, tour the facility and meet McKinney, visitors can enjoy a night of swimming and listening to the newly formed group Hey Zeus, featuring well-known local entertainers Dean Weeks, Randy Ross, Peter Wood and WHS music teacher Will Davidson.
Anyone wishing to find out more about the River Valley Wellness Centre can call 328-6852.
McKinney is confident people will be impressed with her vision and gain an understanding of meaning behind the final lines of The Oak Tree:
"Until today, I wasn't sure of just how much I could endure
But now I have found with thanks to you, I am stronger than I ever knew."
Français: Lori McKinney, conseillère en service social de Woodstock, a réalisé son rêve en ouvrant le River Valley Wellness Centre.
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