The Holistic Healing Source for Marginalized Society (est. February 2025) is an online repository of wellness tools for those of disadvantaged backgrounds on topics such as spiritual care, mental health, legal system reform, and education equity. With a focus on multifaceted progress at the individual, community and systemic levels, they offer comprehensive complimentary resources ranging from advocacy & education content, a virtual support group, professional trainings based on peer-reviewed scientific research, a directory of helpful organizations, and more! The woman at the head of this is 29-year-old Dr. Calynn Lawrence, triple board-certified trauma specialist and credentialed neurocriminology & neuropsychotherapy professional. The decorated entrepreneur and humanitarian turned social scientist set the world record with its launch, marking her the youngest ever to found a free minority resource center that passed global accreditation (obtained through the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine accreditation board). Her work is now chronicled in history within The Global Book of Records, run by Grace Ladies Global Academy, the multinational women’s organization registered in the United Nations Civil Society. This interview walks us through her journey to accomplishing this feat and her plans for the future.
This clearly did not happen overnight. Can you walk us through the start of it all and what gave you the inspiration to do this?
It certainly wasn’t a fast or easy process! You are most definitely correct. One thing that makes the work that we do with The Holistic Healing Source for Marginalized Society close to the chest for me is that our main goal is contributing to the overall advancement of humanity, especially for those populations that have been disenfranchised and underserved. My identity is intersectionally marginalized being black, a woman, born and raised in a low-income area on the Southside of Chicago, and having a recognized disability that I combat daily (Major Depressive Disorder). And, most of the people close to me have intersectionally marginalized identities as well, meaning we fight oppression from numerous angles at all times. Thus, my own lived experiences and those of my family, friends, coworkers, and exes alike all put a fire under my feet to do what I can to make a difference and foster progressive change. While my vision for what that looks like has shifted over the many years of my community service and digital activism, the heart of it has remained the same. Eventually, I had the epiphany that a free virtual resource center with evidence-backed content that was for the people and by the people (myself and all of our beloved contributors) would be my vessel.
Wow! What did it take for you to launch The Holistic Healing Source for Marginalized Society? Achieving worldwide accreditation for your content must have been an immeasurable task.
Well, I first had to become qualified to even spearhead an initiative like this. It was very important to me to have my academic accomplishments speak for themselves. So, I spent 7.5 years in college, graduate school, and seminary while also balancing a busy career and a demanding personal life. Eventually, I completed my 4 degrees – an Associates focused on Business & Humanities, a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies & Social Science (Honors Society + summa cum laude), a Master of Science in Management & Leadership (Honors Society), and a doctorate in Pastoral Counseling. After which, I went on to earn my board certifications and field credentials, as well as becoming inducted as a registered member of The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.
Then, I went through the lengthy process of compiling and expanding all of my research in the areas of social science and human behavior into engaging yet informative presentations, educational pieces and professional trainings. My mother, Dawn, who has her Master’s in Psychology and is a nationally board certified holistic mental health specialist through the AANWP, was a critical contributor to that. Also, her sister (my aunt) who is a seasoned nursing leader, Dr. Thomas, was instrumental in me passing my board certifications on the first try which sped up the process dramatically. After seemingly endless years of work, I applied for global accreditation through IPHM and luckily got approved the first go round. Once we got the news, we went live!
The road was long, yet the reward was plentiful. Clearly, the path to launching The Holistic Healing Source required a ton of sweat equity. But, what about financial investment? How expensive was it to pull this off?
Amen to that! It was very difficult and expensive, but I wouldn’t change a thing. My schooling cost me about $45,000 total minus scholarships and grants, which actually isn’t bad for 4 degrees. Then, the business costs for web, creative, marcom, paying contractors etc. was another couple grand. Lastly, the accreditation costs totaled a few hundred.
That sums up to roughly $50,000. If it cost so much to get this started, why would you make it free?
Because the goal of The Holistic Healing Source was never to be some huge income generator. It’d be amazing if that could happen, but it’s also not what drives us. I’ve built a pretty successful career in marketing & media since I was 15 years old, mostly within the human services, that pays the bills and self-funds a lot of my pro bono work and yearly donations to numerous organizations. The only things we currently charge for at The Holistic Healing Source are board certification and the annual virtual summit because those involve a heavy administrative burden and are intended to cover the costs of maintaining our accreditation. Every other resource is open and accessible to anyone with the hope that as many people who can benefit as possible will use them. I won’t allow financial barriers to restrict the people we’re designed to serve from receiving the help they need. I wouldn’t be here on this Earth if I wasn’t a recipient of low cost or subsidized services myself throughout my life. So, the moral obligation to “send it on” isn’t lost on me.
That is remarkably benevolent! Shattering glass ceilings in your 20’s must come with an incredible level of stress. In closing, we would be curious to know what you do for fun?
Thank you so much! Your coverage means a lot to me. I am definitely an obsessive workaholic who could stand to loosen up a little more. However, when I do have free time I love to travel. I’ve been to 9 foreign nations and about 20 states and US territories. I nerd out on comic books and superheroes. I live for the thrills of good horror movies. And, I am a fiend for live entertainment of any kind – plays, concerts, art shows, comedy clubs etc. I love being immersed in the experience! Whether it’s a swanky Broadway play downtown, a groovy music festival, an urban indie film showcase, or a comical night out with local event companies like Elephant n Da Room by Tony Strong or Riddles by Damon Williams, it all brings me the relief I need to carry on as a dedicated revolutionary in a society currently built against me.
Learn more about The Holistic Healing Source for Marginalized Society’s impact at www.holistichealingsource.org.
