Integrative Touch for Kids™ is working to revolutionize the way we think about health and wellness for children and families. We work with children with special health needs and their families to create healing experiences and to create integrated communities. Integrative Touch for Kids directly supports children, families, and communities and collaboratively supports pediatric facilities that serve children with special health needs nationally and internationally. We provide programs and services, research support, training, education, information, evaluation and consultation.
Integrative Touch for Kids is committed to creating a state of the art Healing Retreat Center that will offer the best available healing therapies from around the world in a safe and nurturing environment where children with special health needs and their families can come to rest, rejuvenate and heal. Integrative Touch for Kids broadly defines special needs to include children with genetic conditions, developmental disabilities, cancers, and other chronic and life limiting illnesses.
The intention is to provide families with a healing program that utilizes a "whole systems" approach that supports each family member's physical, emotional and spiritual needs including family dynamics and interpersonal relationships.
This unique Whole Child, Whole Family, Whole Community Philosophy is what sets Integrative Touch for Kids apart from other programs available to children.
The vision for Integrative Touch for Kids started with one little girl going into surgery feeling very frightened and one woman who recognized that fear and wanted to do something to make it better. In 2000, Shay Beider saw a young girl going for surgery at a children’s hospital in Los Angeles and knew her life was forever changed. Shay understood in that moment that healing is more than “fixing” and that to reach the whole child they must be cared for in mind, body and spirit.
Integrative Touch for Kids (ITK) was created in honor of that one little girl and the need to address all aspects of the healing process when caring for a child with special medical needs. Since its incorporation, ITK has grown from a hospital-focused organization that worked in conjunction with existing programs to becoming a pioneer in the development a new model of healthcare.
Integrative Touch for Kids™ integrative healing services reflect several of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices described by the National Center for Complementary Medicine (NCCAM). CAM practices are often grouped into broad categories, such as natural products, mind-body medicine, and manipulative and body based practices. Although these categories are not formally defined, they are useful for purposes of discussion. Some CAM practices may fit into more than one category.
Integrative Touch for Kids™ is dedicated to modeling and contributing to an experience of integrative healing for children, families, and communities.
Our underlying philosophy is to come from a place of love and service and to attune to a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of care that embraces holistic healing and compassionate practice.
Core values:
Logan's Story
When we first met Logan, he was a shy thirteen year old dealing with the challenges of a rare liver and kidney disease. He joined us for the first Healing Retreat Program in 2009, along with his mother, father and sixteen year old brother. During their stay, Logan and his famiy had the opportunity to receive new healing therapies in an environment that was safe, understanding and nurturing.
Click here to hear Logan talk about his experience.
Thank You from Taylor
Thank you to all of you for supporting this amazing organization. The transformation that is possible for every family member who will be abe to experience the ITK healing retreat because of your generous donations is truly remarkable.
- Taylor C., Healing Retreat Participant 2010