As part of an ongoing commitment to providing Maplewood, South Orange and the surrounding communities with uncompromised alternative and holistic health and wellness services, Wellspring Health Collective announces a six­week series of discussions open to the public on topics that are often ignored in traditional health services. This series, which begins on May 21, is presented free of charge thanks to the generous support of Mark Slade and Lisa Danbrot of Keller Williams Mid­Town Direct, Maplewood. Each event begins at 7pm and will be held at the Wellspring Health Collective, located at 697 Valley Street in Maplewood. Reservations are not needed, but seating is limited. Each talk will include ample time for discussion.

The series will launch on May 21 with Breast Fest! with Wellspring’s own Cheryl Chapman, a massage therapist specializing in patients who’ve had or will undergo a mastectomy. Events will follow each Thursday evening until June 25, when the series will end with Millburn resident Judy Zinnato discussing her very personal experience raising a transgender child.

Other events in the series include:

●          May 28: Surviving Cancer: Why Complementary Medicine Needs to be Part of Your Healing Process, with Susan L. Miller

●          June 4: Attending (the) Dying: What You Need to Know But Are Afraid to Ask, with Dr. Lillian Pliner

●          June 11: Three Simple Steps to Improve Your Metabolism, with Laura Rokosz

●          June 18: The M Word: A Talk about Menopause with Kim Collins, aka DoulaMomma.

Founded in 2012 by Sue Rexford and Lynda Rountree, Wellspring Health Collective brings together accomplished health and wellness practitioners under one roof. In addition to offering discussion and support groups for a wide range of issues, Wellness offers yoga; Reiki; Swedish, deep tissue, and neuromuscular massage; shiatsu; reflexology; and  pre­ and post­natal breast treatments.  “We are thrilled to have the participation of the area’s experts in complementary healing practices, breast health, menopause, palliative care and more,” said Lynda Rountree. “Through the support of Mark Slade and Lisa Danbrot, we are able to bring this valuable information to our very own community, and help our neighbors in their own path to better health and wellness.”

Mark Slade of Keller Williams remarked, “When we were approached with the idea for this series, we knew we wanted to be involved. While Keller Williams is a national real estate company, our roots are in the communities we serve. Maplewood/South Orange and the surrounding areas are unique, and we are thrilled to be able to give back to the members of this amazing community.” And Lisa Danbrot added: “As an active member of this community on many levels, I was struck by how timely and important this series is. The topics are common to all of us, but these talks will allow us to discuss them from a unique and intimate viewpoint with the guidance of some of the area’s most respected experts in their respective fields.”

For more information about all of the events in the series, visit Wellspringhealthnj.com or connect on Facebook at Facebook.com/WellspringHealthCollective. To book appointments, call 973­=996­=2012.