Joy Lane Healing Center Spreads its Wings:
A Conversation with Founder Carol Marcy, PhD
By Pilar G. Dea
Many women I’ve met here in St. Mary’s County seem to know about your beautiful oasis, Joy Lane Healing Center. Can you tell me a bit about what brought you here?
I came to Maryland in 1984 to work as a psychologist for the Montgomery County Police Department, directing their Office of Stress Management. I had just completed my post-doctoral work with the LAPD and I was very glad to be moving back east. Soon thereafter, I began to visit colleagues in St. Mary’s County every weekend to participate in Native American teachings and ceremonies.
After a while they suggested that I move here. This idea appealed to me greatly because I really liked the rural feel of St Mary’s. By 1993 I was ready to buy my own house and begin my private practice; the real estate agent took me immediately to a beautiful piece of property in the woods at the end of Joy Lane. I fell in love with the steep ravines, the magnificent trees and fluted song of the Wood Thrush.
It sounds as though you were very much attuned to the spirit of this place.
Well, this is going to sound “hokey” to some, but I attribute my successes to the fact that I am working in partnership with the land.
How did the idea develop for you to begin Joy Lane Healing Center?
It grew over the years. I have always believed in the efficacy of holistic healing modalities that include body, mind and spirit for my clients. The Holistic Healers Guild, which worked with a variety of modalities, began to meet here. As we worked together, we educated each other and the community. More recently practitioners have gathered here to practice and teach yoga, qigong, massage, intuitive development and reflexology, making it even easier for clients to have access to these important methods of treatment.
It sounds as though the Center has come into its own!
It truly has. This early fall saw the purchase of additional acreage, bringing the total to 62 and the dream has blossomed. A very talented Executive Director was hired, and we are on our way to becoming a nonprofit retreat center. Now we offer an even larger array of workshops, classes and retreats. What makes us different is our strong spiritual base and established partnership with nature. We see Joy Lane Healing Center as an opportunity for the community to get to know a variety of holistic healing and spiritual paths. I invite everyone to visit us at Joy Lane or online, and see which paths call to you!
