Ubuntu Wellness Expands its Reach, Tapping into Cuyahoga
June 30, 2022 by Kristin Lefber, Geauga Maple Leaf
Opportunities for holistic wellness have deepened in Chagrin Falls now that Ubuntu Wellness has expanded into a second location at 516 E. Washington Street in the Gallery Building.
“We feel like this space and location is a great fit for Ubuntu, as there is already such an established wellness community in the Chagrin area,” said co-owner Jen Emch. “We really wanted to be a part of that and of course, expand our community reach.”
Emch and her business partner, Erin Moore, both licensed professional clinical counselors, opened Ubuntu’s first location on Chardon Square in 2016.
“It’s nice to have small, tight-knit community engagement. I don’t want to be overextended in order to develop relationships” said Moore. “And, it was time to make our way west and reach out to Cuyahoga County, as well.”
Ubuntu provides individual and group clinical service offerings, weekly classes and workshops, bodywork and massage services in addition to wellness programming for families, businesses, schools and the community with an array of healing and support, according to the organization.
The new location, which borders Chagrin, features a small reception area, an airy small group room and three clinical offices for counseling clients of any age. Six of Ubuntu’s 27 staff members will make their home in the South Russell location, offering clinical services to assist in the healing of the mind, body, spirit continuum, the owners said.
“Erin and I had looked at several properties in the Chagrin/Bainbridge area over the last year knowing we wanted to expand, but wanting to find that ‘perfect space,’” said Emch. “We fell in love with this particular space immediately because of the feel of the building. It has this bright and welcoming feel to it from the moment you walk in.”
The new space is a small community of its own, housing a coffee shop, jewelry store and hair salon among other businesses.
““It’s nice to have small, tight-knit community engagement. I don’t want to be overextended in order to develop relationships, and, it was time to make our way west and reach out to Cuyahoga County, as well.””
“Just like Chardon, Chagrin offers so many opportunities for community/business collaborations, which we find to be so beautiful and speaks to the heart of our mission at Ubuntu,” Emch said.
Community is important to both Emch and Moore, as well as the entire Ubuntu team. The area’s need for it at this time is a big part of why Ubuntu expanded — that and their high demand for appointments of all types, they said.
“It has been such a shift over the last 2.5 years with a significant increase in loss, anxiety, depression and trauma,” Emch lamented. “There has been loss of jobs, families, friends — the security that we may have once known. It’s been so interesting that the pandemic has been such a worldwide, collective experience, yet at the same time, also such an isolating and incredibly personal experience that has left a lot of people feeling disconnected.”
Ubuntu is a trauma informed practice and all of their offerings can address “the stories” stored in clients bodies, helping them heal from whatever they carry with them, be it physical, mental or both, the owners said.
“We have many clients who see us for our full array of services, from counseling, participating in our classes and workshops and use of our bodywork services,” Emch said. “We can work through our trauma in many ways, through movement, creative expression and bodywork. It doesn’t have to be only traditional talk therapy.”
For more information about Ubuntu Wellness and to schedule an appointment visit, www.ubuntuwelnessohio.com