Tucked away in the bustling neighborhood of Golden Hill is a home like no other. Within its walls, the scent of brown rice hangs in the air, yoga mats sit curled neatly on the floor, and women come and go, ebbing and flowing with the activity of a day’s work. This is the home of Shakti Rising, a dynamic and innovative recovery program that assists young women, primarily ages 15 to 25, in overcoming addictions, abuses and disempowerment. Based on a holistic model of well-being and self-transformation, the program at Shakti Rising combines a wide range of therapeutic techniques, including holistic modalities, expressive arts therapies and both individual and group counseling. At Shakti, young women en route to reclaiming their bodies and spirits take part in yoga classes, herbal classes, bodywork sessions and even a live-in apprenticeship option that prepares them to help other young women with similar life challenges. And as any woman who has been through Shakti’s rigorous program will tell you, this unique recipe for recovery, though unconventional, works splendidly.

“For us, it’s about dealing with the entire person who walks through the door,” explains Shannon Thompson, executive director of Shakti Rising, who spoke with the Gay & Lesbian Times by phone. “When people get treated just for their symptoms or their addictions, it simplifies or trivializes what is really a very complex situation. We treat the entire person. And for us, employing a whole range of methods is critical – that way, the women involved are getting really empowered. They are learning a number of natural ways to create change in their lives.”

Thompson, who is completing her joint masters in social work and public health, founded Shakti after years of working with youth left her feeling that there was a huge gap in services when it came to young women, self-esteem and empowerment.

“I would always think, ‘We are only dealing with part of the issue here.’ I saw a gap. And I’m the type of person that, once I see a need or a gap to be filled, I think of ways to fill it,” says Thomson.

At that opportune time, she met a mentor who introduced her to a range of holistic practices (Thomson is now a certified yoga instructor, massage therapist and flower essence practitioner, and has trained in herbalism, nutrition, energetics, aromatherapy and expressive arts therapy), and began privately mentoring a few young people. It wasn’t long before the core curriculum of the program that is now Shakti Rising took shape, and the youth involved in her “alternative” program began to flourish.

“Suddenly, these young people were really changing their lives,” says Thompson.

One such young person was Sarah, who came to Shakti lost, confused and suffering from an eating disorder.

“I was pretty anorexic, extraordinarily terrified, and on my way to developing alcoholism,” explains Sarah, who credits Shakti’s gentle and holistic approach with giving her her life back.

“At Shakti, you look at everything – your family, food and spirituality. And really the most profound part is that it doesn’t go about trying to ‘fix’ you – it just lets you express what you need to express and gives you the tools to do so. It’s open and expansive, but allows you to go to the places you’ve avoided.”

Sarah began her Shakti experience living outside the recovery home, but later transitioned into living at the Golden Hill location, a transition she describes as an “amazing experience.”

“Once you move into the house, you have a family, and with that comes a lot of wonderful things, but it also brings up all your family issues,” explains Sara. “For me, it was absolutely terrifying at first, and I would not have known that I had all that terror had I not moved in and faced it in a supporting way.”

Just how supportive is it to live in a house full of women, when you’re a woman dealing with recovery? Extremely so, claim the women of Shakti.

“First of all, you get to look at yourself a lot, because you see yourself in everyone. And second, it really gives you a chance to step back from the predominant culture and the way women are treated in the mainstream media,” says Sarah. “It allows you to get back the pieces of yourself that have been lost or hidden, and learn to connect with people and form relationships in a whole new way.”

Shakti Rising is just one example of a health care model that falls under the umbrella of holistic treatment. According to the American Holistic Medicine Association (AHMA), holistic medicine is the art and science of healing that addresses care of the whole person – including the participant’s body, mind and spirit. In practice, this means that every person is seen as a unique individual rather than as an example of a particular disease. Disease is understood to be the result of physical, emotional, spiritual, social and environmental imbalance, and therefore healing takes place naturally when these aspects of life are brought into proper balance.

Holistic treatment may include a number of diverse modalities, including massage, acupuncture, chiropractics, nutritional counseling, herbalism and meditation, to name a few. And although skeptics have long dismissed some of these modalities as “outdated” or “scientifically unfounded,” modern scientific research seems to be proving just the opposite.

Dr. Linda Barufaldi, a San Diego based holistic chiropractor, sees this shift at her office, where she receives patient referrals on a daily basis from traditional M.D.s who believe their clients have much to benefit from her services. Many of these clients qualify to have their treatment covered, at least partially, by their health insurance. But, as Barufaldi explains, many patients are shocked to learn that is the case, having no idea that over 80 percent of insurance companies now cover chiropractic treatment.

“Alternative medicine just isn’t so alternative anymore,” explains Barufaldi, who spoke to the Gay & Lesbian Times by phone from her busy Hillcrest clinic, where she also treats women for hormonal and menopause-related health issues. “Now it is referred to as ‘complimentary’ medicine, and it’s become more mainstream.”

Barufaldi credits this shift to the large amount of scientific research conducted by holistic practitioners to show skeptics how the modalities work from a scientific perspective, and welcomes the challenge whole-heartedly.

“In my opinion, I don’t think we have anything to fear from science,” she says. “We know [this treatment] works. So let’s figure out how it works.”

Acupuncturist and Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) professor Carol Elliott seems to have discovered an intriguing way to describe how “it” works. Citing the well-known acupuncturist Michael Smith, Elliott told the Gay & Lesbian Times, “In acupuncture, we often say that the medicine is in the patient. When I put a needle in, I try to illicit the patient’s body to make its own healing chemicals.”

Elliott and her partner, Colleen Timmons, share an acupuncture practice in Hillcrest, located on Second Avenue. Both teach at PCOM, where Elliot also supervises in the school clinic, and both are dedicated to providing personal, quality care for rates much lower than you’ll find at other acupuncture clinics (the average fee is $50 per session).

For Elliot, the process is about performing the treatments that are going to be most effective for the patient immediately. “I try to make a difference for that patient, right there, that day,” she explains. “I hope that in the first few minutes we are able to address their chief complaint.”

Immediate attention does not necessarily guarantee immediate results, however, and people interested in acupuncture should be sure not to confuse it for the many instantaneous “quick-fix” cures that our culture more than adequately offers. Elliott recommends that new patients schedule at least two acupuncture sessions in a 10-day to two-week period, adding that the second treatment is usually more effective than the first.

Timmons explains that after a few weeks of treatment, a patient should have a pretty good idea whether or not acupuncture will work for them. She also gives new patients a clear idea of what to expect, as well as what not to expect from this ancient modality.

“Often when new patients come in they are scared about the needles, so I explain right from the start that they are really fine needles and that acupuncture, when done correctly, is typically not painful,” she says. “Most patients report feeling a deep sense of relaxation when the needles are in; they may feel heaviness, or distention, or have the sense of something moving where there aren’t any needles. I usually tell the patient that they should expect to feel the benefit sometime within the next 24 hours.”

Timmons also warns patients that acupuncture, although ancient, is not 100-percent foolproof. “Remember: it’s medicine, not magic,” she says. “It’s not going to work on everyone, 100 percent of the time.”

So how should an individual with an interest in holistic health venture into the extensive and often unfamiliar array of treatment options?

“One of the best things you can do is to call the office of an alternative care provider you’re interested in seeing, leave a message, and see if they call you back,” Barufaldi suggests. “If they do take the time to call you back, talk to them and see if you can relate to them, because [in this field] relationship is key. Tell them about your problem, and ask them, ‘What are the parts of the medicine you practice that would address my problem, and how?’”

Barufaldi also suggests that you look into a practitioner’s education and training to explore whether the practitioner received a degree in his or her field from an accredited school or program. Verify how long they have been in practice, with the understanding that someone with at least a few years of direct, clinical experience is probably a safer bet than someone just starting out. Also, look into how much money you are being asked to spend, as rates shouldn’t be astronomically high or suspiciously low.

“And remember, there are good and bad holistic practitioners, just like there are good and bad doctors,” says Barufaldi.

Timmons also advises consumers not to be afraid to blend the best of Eastern and Western modalities, stressing that oftentimes it is this cross-cultural mixture of treatment that assists patients in reaching optimum health.

“I’m absolutely a person who will refer people to doctors, if a combination of treatment is what’s needed,” she says. “And very often we are able to refer patients to Western practitioners who are more sensitive to specific needs” – such as GLBT issues, a history of sexual abuse, or women’s issues, etc.

“Many times, the Western perspective must be involved,” Timmons adds. “But the focus should always remain to put the patient first.”

At Shakti Rising, young women seeking recovery, support and love continue to learn how to put themselves first on a daily basis. At mealtime, they learn to nourish their bodies and minds through healthful food choices. In yoga class, they learn to stretch and breathe, and inhabit their bodies in a whole new way. And in counseling sessions, they learn to look deep into the root of their issues and reclaim themselves.

The message of Shakti does not stop with the self, however. Community outreach and service is an integral part of the Shakti program, and on Sunday, July 26, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., Shakti Rising will hold its Summer Faire, an afternoon of cultural performances, live music, drumming and healthy cuisine, at Redwood Circle in Balboa Park (on Sixth Avenue between Laurel and Quince). All proceeds from the event will support Shakti Rising and its unique mission to transform and enrich women’s lives. All are welcome to attend, support, and take part in the day’s activities.

“I think it’s really important that everyone in the community understands hope,” explains Thompson. “That they understand that there is a possibility for a different way of living, one in which people understand that they are not alone. I think that oftentimes, people feel that they are alone in their struggles and [that] they are never going to make it out. It’s important for people to know that there is a way out, and there are people in the community who are committed to helping.

“Because in the end,” she adds, “everyone deserves to have a rich, authentic life.”