Sponsored by Kenton Family Wellness
Corri Rekart and Evelyn Cusson have been welcomed to the Kenton
neighborhood twice—the first time they opened a practice on North McClellan Street, and the second time last month, when they reopened
as the Kenton Family Wellness Center in a larger space around the
corner. Now visible to passersby on North Denver Avenue, the new
storefront location has attracted a lot of attention in this tight
knit North Portland neighborhood. “People come in and say ‘welcome to
the neighborhood!” says Rekart with a smile.
The expansion of the Kenton Family Wellness Center can be measured in
both feet and services. The new space is nearly four times the size of
the former office and the number of practitioners grew from four to
eleven. Services now include acupuncture, massage therapy,
naturopathic medicine, chiropractic care, counseling, skin care and
yoga. “It really is an organic collection of people,” says Cusson.
“We’ve come together through personal connections.”
A patient is prepared for her treatment by Acupuncturist Angela Selseth. Affordable Community Acupuncture and Massage is offered every Thursday from 3-7 p.m. The practitioners want to make sure all members of the community have the opportunity to benefit from holistic preventive care.
Investing in the Health of the Kenton Neighborhood
The friendly Kenton community is the main reason Rekart and Cusson
opened their practice there nearly five years ago. At first it was just
the two practitioners—Rekart is a licensed massage therapist
specializing in massage for pregnancy and labor, and Reflexology, and
Cusson is a naturopathic physician and midwife—but by 2009 they were
nearly bursting out of their 750-square-foot space and eager to have a
more prominent community presence.
They didn’t need to look any further than a 100-year-old low-rise
building around the corner to find just the right place to expand. In
May, construction started on the building interior and by the first
week of July they were moving their offices into the newly renovated
space and preparing for an August opening. The business partners say
they only closed their practice for two days during that time. “We
were working on the new office and still seeing our clients in the old
one,” says Rekart.
The new location on North Denver Avenue is in the heart of Kenton where a new streetscape was completed last spring. More improvements mean a street closure until the end of October 2010 but it's business as usual for stores, restaurants
On a warm evening, Neighborhood Notes visited the newly opened
Kenton Family Wellness Center to meet the practitioners and learn more
about the kinds of services they offer. Even at dusk, the interior was
bright, warm and comfortable. The bamboo
flooring that was used throughout the center, (except in the
practitioner’s rooms) gives off a golden glow. Architectural details like the storefront
window and some original cabinetry as well as vintage doors (converted
into kitchen cabinets) add ambiance that only exists in the
architectural beauties of the early 20th century.
The reception area is shared with Solabee Flowers and Botanicals,
which ensures a year-round flora feast for the senses, and on the
walls of the community room/yoga studio are works by local artists.
The art is rotated each month in time for the Third Thursday art walk,
when the Kenton Family Wellness Center stays open late into the
evening to invite the community in for a glass of wine and a chance to
meet the practitioners.
Solabee Flowers and Botanicals shares the reception area, which features comfortable window seats with a view of Paul Bunyan.
Although they come from a range of backgrounds the practitioners share
several things in common: a belief in the strength of community, a
passion for holistic, preventive healthcare, and a fondness for
Kenton. They consider themselves a collective, each practicing as an
independent yet united in their desire to provide exceptional care to
their community. The unique nature of this collective makes it
possible for practitioners to refer clients to their peers for
complimentary care, bounce ideas off one another or discuss new
preventive healthcare information. And binding this team of healthcare
professionals even closer is their proximity to the Center—all are
North or Northeast Portland residents!
List of Services: Preventative Healthcare Integrated with Progressive Techniques and Therapies
Yoga instructor Joseph Boquiren leads an all-levels restorative Hatha Yoga class on Saturday mornings in the community room. Drop-in is only $10. (left) An acupuncture needle is inserted into a patient's foot. (right)
The list of services at Kenton Family Wellness Center rounds out an
exceptional preventive healthcare plan, but we learned the
practitioners integrate quite a few progressive and interesting
techniques and therapies. For example, clients can receive a barefoot
massage, a bamboo massage, (a technique that uses stalks of bamboo in
varying lengths for deep tissue work), and a combined light therapy
and acupuncture treatment. Chiropractic care may include the Kinesio
Taping Technique for muscle pain and postural support, and yoga
practitioners can balance their Chakras in a one-hour class offered
every Saturday morning.
We were also introduced to Bowen therapy, a type of neuromuscular
re-education that helps reduce muscle spasms and inflammation, and
Spacial Dynamics, a type of Movement therapy that teaches awareness of
one’s personal space. (Both are optional therapies provided by
Evelyn Cusson.)
Licensed Massage Therapist Ellie Higgins provides shoulder relief for a patient during the Community Acupuncture and Massage hours held every Thursday in the community room. All practitioners offer private sessions and accept health insurance.
Community Acupuncture and Massage
Committed to making their services available for all, the Kenton Family Wellness Center opens their doors for Community Acupuncture and Massage every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. For a mere $20 clients receive a chair treatment (fully clothed) in a group setting. What better way to kick off the weekend with friends?
Classes and Workshops
And in preparation for the change of seasons and holiday madness, the
Center will be offering a variety of workshops and classes. For
starters, a 6-week weight-loss program beginning in mid-October will
include classes that cover stress, hormones, depression and unhealthy
food choices—all contributors to weight gain.
To learn more about the practitioners, services, yoga class, and upcoming workshops and programs at Kenton Family
Wellness Center, visit the web site or call 503.285.6227. The Center will
conduct business as usual throughout the reconstruction of North Denver
Avenue and walk-ins are always welcome.
--Allison Milionis
Community acupuncture is now also available on Tuesday's from 10AM to 2PM.