Our History
Spectrum Center opened its doors in Houston, Texas in June of 1988. The Houston economy had crashed and had not yet recovered. People who had flooded into Houston to “make it big” in the oil industry were fleeing the city. A number of spiritual centers were closing their doors. Yoga was considered a strange, “flower child” activity, meditation was looked upon with suspicion and, if you were a massage therapist, you had to fight for respectability . The body-mind connection was truly a revolutionary thought and there were only a tiny handful of difficult to find health food stores providing alternative approaches to healthcare. Books on astrology, goddess worship or Buddhism could only be found in a few remote bookstores where dusty treasures were hidden, only to be discovered by those willing to search through badly lit stacks.
This was the cusp of the great mainstreaming of what was soon to be called “New Age” thought – remember that? Those attracted to that paradigm shift in health and spiritual perspective had no idea how quickly acceptance would arrive for what had long been considered edgy and weird. This was the beginning of what we have now – a yoga studio on every corner, meditation prescribed by physicians and bodywork as a respected and sought out profession.
At this time a vision was born of a Center where state licensed professionals would practice next to those skilled in the metaphysical arts. We imagined a place where astrology could be taught next door to a seminar for continuing education credits for CPA’s, where a psychologist could office next to an energy worker. This diverse, inclusive and exciting vision became Spectrum Center.
In February 1988, Rosa Glenn Reilly and her husband Tom Reilly, rented a large house in Montrose on a wide, tree-lined street called Audubon Place. This was to be Spectrum Center. The rent was cheap because the house was uninhabitable. Driven by an infectious dream, a community of volunteers showed up for months to paint, sand floors, re-wire, landscape and otherwise transform this neglected home into a beacon of light. Our fundamental purpose was to create a place where everyone would be welcome. Participation was not limited by the rigors of dogma, whether traditional or non-traditional.
That June the inaugural events held in the two meeting rooms at Spectrum Center on Audubon were an American Indian Pipe Ceremony and a financial planning seminar, clearly reflecting the dream of a “full spectrum”. Rosa sat happily in the kitchen that was situated between the two workshop rooms and watched as the groups mingled and exchanged curious questions during their breaks. That first year Spectrum Center also sponsored Houston’s first HIV support group led by the soulful, heart-centered Michael Wilson. Every Tuesday night Michael’s beautiful voice could be heard among the laughter, tears and joyful songs that poured out the windows and onto that Montrose street as a beacon of community and hope.
In 1991 Spectrum Center moved from the house in Montrose to a larger space in a two-story office building inside the Loop near the Galleria. Spectrum continued to expand, sponsoring internationally recognized teachers such as Shakti Gawain, Gabrielle Roth, Lucia Cappichione, Ron Kurtz, Frank Natale, Wayne Muller and Gordy Ryan.
Three 2-year professional trainings in Hakomi Body Centered Psychotherapy, a pioneer modality of mind/body science, were held at Spectrum. Gabrielle Roth, the originator of the ecstatic dance movement in America, brought her workshops to Houston after a 10-year sabbatical, spawning a new national wave of expressive dance work. The Houston workshops birthed a dance community called “Sweat Your Prayers” which has been duplicated across the U.S. and Europe.
The sponsorship of workshops by globally recognized teachers began to slow in the late 1990’s as these teachers and their work became accepted internationally. In 2001, Tom Reilly, Rosa’s husband and Co-Director, died after a long illness. A period of grieving and re-grouping began.
In 2016 the Westheimer building was demolished and a new home for Spectrum was found at 610 and TC Jester, near the Heights, Timberlawn, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest. At the new location, the Center continues to offer a wide range of services from psychotherapy to skilled and focused bodywork, Naturapathy, Acupressure, energy medicine, Homeopathy, Christian and non-denominational spiritual counseling, holistic health consultation and executive coaching.
Many of the best Houston teachers have brought their work to Spectrum Center and led participants in exploring metaphysics, health and personal care, transformation and the choice to live consciously. There is also an active creative writing community through the Spectrum Center’s partnership with Max Regan and Hollowdeckpress LLC
