Nestled in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville’s Cathedral District, St. John’s Cathedral has long been caring for its congregation’s spiritual well-being.
With the launch of its new Center for Wellbeing, it is now offering free resources for the community at-large
that focus on wellbeing for mind, body and spirit.
“We are a radically inclusive space and we’re going to meet you where you are,” said Center for Wellbeing Task Force Member Dr. Paige Hakimian.
The Center for Wellbeing opened on March 16. It is a renovated space on the third floor of St. John’s Cathedral House that offers an array of services completely free of charge for the Jacksonville community.
“The space is just beautiful,” said St. John’s Cathedral Dean Kate Moorehead Carroll. “…It’s got this quietness
to it – it’s been renovated and Paige helped us with that. It’s just absolutely beautiful – very light, very light.”
Carroll said this kind of free resource is critically needed, particularly with so many lacking access to
health insurance and benefits.
“It really began with me praying and realizing the world is hurting and also with insurance changing and many people don’t have benefits, that it might be a good idea for a church to begin to offer a place where people could seek wellness and be nurtured regardless of their religious background,” Carroll said.
Enter Hakimian, whom Carroll met by chance at a yoga studio several years ago. Together, the two began envisioning what that could look like for St. John’s Cathedral.
Today, the center offers a full roster of programs, including one-on-one counseling, spiritual direction, contemplative yoga, “Age-ing to Sage-ing,” meditation, walking groups and several support groups, including caregivers’ support, grief support, divorce support and cancer support.
According to the center’s web page, there are still more programs in development, including stress management, nutrition/healthy diets and financial wellbeing.
“Primarily, the clients that we see are those that are motivated for sustained, positive behavior change,” Hakimian added.
In one-on-one sessions, Hakimian said she helps identify a person’s goals, strengths and “the values around their why.”
“Sometimes we get real wrapped up in the ‘how to do something,’ but we don’t take the time to really build that foundation,” she said.
Once those factors are identified, Hakimian crafts a personalized program, typically six to eight weeks long,
for clients coming in for those one-on-one sessions.
“[The center is] this opportunity to build connection at a time when so many people feel disconnected and isolated and really lonely,” Hakimian. “So it’s just become this very synergetic space.”
Alongside Hakimian, the Center for Wellbeing Task Force is comprised of University of Florida Emeritus Professor of Neurology Dr. Louis Russo, PhD Resident Kell Owen, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Jacqueline Stoll and Retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker Patrick Kimball.
Carroll said she hopes the center will fill a hole in services for that part of Jacksonville and people are already taking advantage of the services and programming it offers.
“We are an area where there aren’t a lot of counseling services, in particular, around us, so we hope that this will really provide a need for the community, and right in the immediate vicinity,” Carroll said.
Those interested in learning more about the center, its programming and events can visit www.jaxcathedral.org/center-for-wellbeing.
