HCEC – Forty Magical Years (and counting…)
One day, many years ago, during a conversation with Sydney Banks, Christine Heath got an inspiration. Try as she might, Minnesota winters really did not appeal to her anymore and she was ready to make a move to somewhere beautiful and warm. Hawaii was a place Syd loved and spoke of often, so the idea of moving there and opening up a clinic solely devoted to teaching the 3 Principles sounded exciting and felt like the next step to share this understanding with others. Also, the Hawaiian culture’s focus on aloha (being within everyone) and its values were deeply aligned with the Principles, so it felt like a natural fit. Chris talked three of her girlfriends into moving to Hawaii without a job and without knowing anyone there or anything about life in Hawaii. The three of them became the first members of the Board of Directors, along with Joseph Bailey. Joe was Christine’s business partner in Minnesota, where they had set up the very first traditional mental health clinic based on the 3 Principles, The Minneapolis Institute of Mental Health.
In April 1985, Hawaii Counseling & Education Center was officially incorporated by founding members Christine Heath, Sue Sickora, Karen Miller, Thea West, and Joe Bailey, all of whom had dreams of expanding the reach of Syd’s teachings and making innate health the foundation of all of the clinic’s activities. The Center officially opened the doors to clients in August 1985.
We were very fortunate that Sydney Banks was living on Maui in the late 1980s and 1990s while we were developing the clinic. He spent a lot of time with the staff, providing weekend conferences and mentoring to all of us. He reminded us to keep coming back to the feeling of mental well-being and learning how to keep our bearings as we navigated working with the community and others in the mental health field.
Forty years after its inception, Hawaii Counseling & Education Center now has two offices on Oahu and two offices on Hawaii Island. Because of the wisdom of Sydney Banks and the simple but profound miracle he gave to the world, and the guidance and leadership of Christine Heath, the clinic continues to thrive, always looking for new ways to serve.
This webinar will be the story of the evolution of HCEC from four volunteer staff members to a thriving clinic serving not only the States of Hawaii and Minnesota, but via webinars and workshops, the entire world. Three of the original directors, current long time staff members, and various people that have worked with us at different times and that continue to share their understanding of the Principles will be available to share stories from the early days up to the present. We hope that this might inspire others to have the courage to set up similar centers around the world.
Aloha.
