Healing Together: Visualizing the Power of Community in Holistic Healing

Academic Mentor | Catalina Alzate
Community Partner | Urbana Acupuncture

Project Description
This project builds on the foundation that strong communities are critical and indispensable to improve people's well-being. This project aims to develop graphic materials that describe the role of community in the healing journey of a group of patients from Urbana Acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a safe, gentle and effective way to relieve pain, tension, and stress, and promote good health. Urbana Acupuncture is acommunity-healthcare setting, where people receive the treatment in a group, and pay using a sliding scale, which ensures affordability and frequency of treatments. Acupuncture patients have built a social network by sharing about the clinic in their communities and referring others to the service.

Urbana Acupuncture is partnering in this research project to design creative sessions with patients, where they will use visual means to describe the ways that engaging in a community space contributes to their healing journeys and experience of holistic medicine. The sessions will be supported by visual and sensory exercises and storytelling. These interactions will lead to graphic design outcomes, to be displayed in the clinic and other relevant local venues.

Role of the Community-Academic Scholar
The scholar will play an integral role in every phase of the project and:

• Conduct primary research on Urbana Acupuncture’s archives and community initiativess and secondary research to understand the history and practice of community acupuncture in the United States
• Collaborate with the academic mentor and community partner to design and co-facilitate participatory sessions, helping guide patients through visual storytelling and creative exercises
• During these sessions, the scholar will assist in preparing materials, fostering a collaborative environment, and documenting insights
• Contribute to developing the final graphic materials, ensuring they are culturally relevant and reflective of the patients’ collective experiences