Institute for Spirituality and Health

Ready, set... give!

Please join us this Friday for the Institute's very first annual Day of Giving!

We are aiming to end our fiscal year with the momentum needed to launch straight into next year's purposeful, community-centered programming. Your generosity funds the workshops, education, and advocacy that make a tangible difference.

We are incredibly grateful for your partnership on this journey as we work together to bring heart and humanity into healthcare.

Did You Know?

Managing a chronic illness takes more than just medicine—it takes a village. Our Diabetes and Healthy Living Peer Support groups offer a vital space for individuals to share experiences, build community, and learn together.

In partnership with Cities for Better Health - Houston, we bring these life-changing peer support networks directly to at-risk communities, offering guidance in a diverse range of languages and cultures.

Help us keep these vital support groups free and accessible by supporting our mission on our Day of Giving on Friday, June 26!

Did You Know?

The Institute acts as a vital meeting ground for 5+ major coalitions and networks tackling the unique public health challenges of our time.

From Cities for Better Health - Houston and the Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition to our Diabetes and Healthy Living Peer Support groups, we meet communities exactly where they are. In fact, through our Greater Houston Healing Collaborative alone, we have partnered with over 100 local organizations to bring evidence-based mind-body healing to over 40,000 Houstonians in multiple languages and cultures.

We can't sustain this deep, collaborative work alone. Mark your calendars for our Day of Giving on Friday, June 26, to help us keep these vital networks and free support groups accessible!

Did you know?

The Greater Houston Healing Collaborative (GHHC) doesn't just respond to crises—they build long-term community resilience from the ground up. By using evidence-based mind-body practices, they help individuals and communities deeply heal from trauma.

When a crisis hits, the human spirit needs just as much care as our physical surroundings. The GHHC actively coordinates vital initiatives like the Central Texas Disaster Support Response and serves as an anchor program for the Center for Body, Mind, and Spirit.

Their recent work following the Central Texas floods is a prime example of this impact: they provided crucial emotional support to over 500 survivors and first responders, while simultaneously training local leaders to sustain that healing for the long haul.

Consider supporting our mission this month by participating in our Day of Giving on Friday, June 26! Your generosity fuels our ability to respond when Houston and our surrounding communities need us most.

Are you called to be a spiritual care volunteer? Apply to be a trained volunteer with the Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition at the Institute today!

The next training session is Saturday, August 1, 2026
Learn more and sign up at www.spiritualityandhealth.org/iscc

The Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition (ISCC) at the Institute trains Houston area volunteers to provide spiritual care where traditional chaplaincy is unavailable, such as nursing homes or hospice care facilities.

Our volunteers support those who may feel isolated or are near the end of their lives, offering compassionate conversations about purpose, meaning, and faith, or just a listening ear. Through our program, they develop skills to create meaningful connections in challenging times.

Did you know?

The Institute has recently engaged Rice Medical Humanities students to collaborate on program evaluation research for the DSMES program:

"We have observed the importance of culturally competent health-based education as a means of improving disease management. The roles of self-advocacy, faith, spirituality, and comprehensible information can help underserved or marginalized communities reclaim their autonomy while implementing healthier lifestyle changes for themselves and their families for generations. Additionally, the peer support network built can continue to improve the mental, social, and physical well-being of community members, helping combat the frustration and isolation that may accompany diabetes and its management."

As part of our Cities for Better Health-Houston initiative, the Faith and Diabetes Initiative provides Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) programs to engage leaders within communities of faith on diabetes awareness, prevention, and treatment.

Consider supporting our mission this month by participating in our Day of Giving on Friday, June 26! Your support helps us to continue to provide life-changing health education, foster vital community networks, and empower individuals across Houston to reclaim their health and well-being.

Did You Know?

Since 2021, the Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition has trained over 100 volunteers from across the spectrum of the diverse Houston community. Begun by the Institute in 2021, active volunteers give of their time and love to residents in 25 area assisted living or memory care facilities. The pandemic had forced all visits, including families, to cease. Many ongoing support programs from Houston faith groups also ceased, and many of those programs have failed to regain traction.

The ISCC spiritual care volunteers are connecting with the lives of many people who are adjusting to living in a place other than their homes. The relationships being built are absolutely remarkable.

ISCC–making a difference one life at a time. Your donations to the Institute sustain the invaluable work of our wonderful ISCC program and volunteers.

Consider supporting our mission this month by participating in our Day of Giving on Friday, June 26!

Transform your practice, deepen your connection, and guide others. The Yoga Teacher Training and National Certification Course with the Yoga Institute at ISH is designed to do more than teach poses; it cultivates community and inner peace.

The next training begins July 25!

Limited spaces available. Register now to secure your spot in this immersive journey!

Click the link below to learn more and begin your path.
https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/theyogainstitute

Did you know?

Bite of Hope seminars, led by the HOPE Clinic, help participants understand how nutrition can support the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease through practical, culturally relevant education. By combining nutrition knowledge with live culinary demonstrations, participants learn simple, affordable ways to prepare nutritious and flavorful meals using ingredients commonly available in their communities, making healthy eating more accessible and sustainable.

These seminars are part of the larger Cities for Better Health-Houston initiative at the Institute. By donating to the Institute, you help support these workshops, keeping them free and accessible to the communities that need them most.

Consider supporting our mission this month by participating in our Day of Giving on Friday, June 26!

Did you know?

The Institute hosts four conferences annually, serving over 5,000 clinicians, faith leaders, and scholars each year. But it’s about far more than just numbers—it’s about changing the culture of healthcare.

Through our signature annual events, we actively bridge the gap between scientific medicine and spiritual care:

👉 Conference on Medicine & Religion: Reimagining the pursuit of healing through the lens of diverse faith traditions.

👉 Collective Soul Symposium: Partnering with MD Anderson Cancer Center to explain how Palliative Care Teams can enhance the human spirit and relieve patients’ suffering.

👉 Psychotherapy & Faith Conference: Merging mental health practices with spiritual insights to contribute to growth and healing.

👉 Spirituality in Nursing Conference: Supporting frontline nurses to honor patient spirituality while preventing burnout.

Together, these events serve as critical meeting grounds where clinical science, mental health practices, and diverse spiritual traditions actively intersect to improve patient care and caregiver well-being.

Consider supporting our mission this month by participating in our Day of Giving on Friday, June 26!