Institute for Spirituality and Health

What Institute for Spirituality and Health does

The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center (ISH) is an independent, interfaith nonprofit founded in 1955 as a founding member of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. The organization operates four Centers of Excellence (Center for Aging and End of Life, Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind, and Center for Faith and Public Health) that collectively deliver mind-body medicine programs, continuing education conferences, support groups, yoga teacher training, and faith-based public health initiatives. Core program methodology comprises evidence-based self-care skills — soft-belly breathing, movement, drawing, writing, biofeedback, and guided imagery — delivered through trained facilitators and partner organizations across Greater Houston.

The Institute serves a diversified set of stakeholders: healthcare professionals seeking continuing education and burnout relief, faith communities and clergy engaged in health ministry, individuals seeking wellness and grief support, veterans and military families, and at-risk populations targeted for diabetes and chronic disease prevention. Major sub-brands and initiatives include the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative (disaster and trauma response), Cities for Better Health-Houston (chronic disease prevention), the Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition (lay chaplaincy training), and The Yoga Institute at ISH (51-year-old teacher training program with Yoga Alliance and NACYT registration). The organization produces four annual continuing education conferences (Conference on Medicine and Religion, Collective Soul Symposium, Spirituality in Nursing Conference, Psychotherapy and Faith Conference) and co-sponsors programs with the Texas Medical Center's major hospitals.

ISH is funded through a mix of individual donations, foundation and corporate grants (including a $2.4M three-year Novo Nordisk grant for Cities for Better Health), conference registration fees, yoga teacher training tuition, and program sponsorships. The operating model is hybrid, combining in-person conferences, workshops, and yoga training with virtual support groups delivered via Zoom. With 1-10 employees and an extended network of 120 trained facilitators and 100+ partner organizations, ISH operates as a lean convener and content-credible intermediary rather than a service-delivery scale operator.

Name

Institute for Spirituality and Health

Legal name

Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center

Website

https://spiritualityandhealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Spirituality and Health is a Houston-based interfaith nonprofit at the Texas Medical Center that delivers mind-body medicine programs, continuing education conferences, support groups, and faith-based public health initiatives for healthcare professionals, faith communities, veterans, and at-risk populations, funded by donations, grants, and program fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spiritual Health and Wellness Education

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices) (EDAAAHAH)

Keywords

• Mind-body medicine programs
• Interfaith spiritual care
• Continuing medical education conferences
• Yoga teacher certification
• Faith-based health initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Institute relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors to fund programs. They mention legacy giving options and direct donation appeals through their website.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Annual continuing education conferences (Conference on Medicine and Religion, Collective Soul Symposium, Psychotherapy and Faith Conference, Nursing Conference) generate revenue through registration fees. CME/CE credits are available.
3. Yoga Teacher Training Certification: Revenue from yoga teacher training courses providing national certification. Programs include 200-hour and 300-hour certification courses with registration fees.
4. Program Sponsorships: Corporate and foundation sponsors fund specific programs and initiatives, such as the Cities for Better Health program funded by Novo Nordisk ($2.4M grant in 2022).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Institute for Spirituality and Health is an independent, interfaith nonprofit that delivers mind-body medicine programs, evidence-based support groups, continuing education conferences for clinicians, yoga teacher training, and faith-based public health initiatives through four Centers of Excellence (Aging & End of Life, Healthcare Professionals, Body/Spirit/Mind, Faith & Public Health). It also operates collaborative networks such as the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition, and Cities for Better Health-Houston.

Product overview

The Institute for Spirituality and Health is an independent, interfaith nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of programs and services organized around four Centers of Excellence (Center for Aging and End of Life, Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, Center for Body Spirit and Mind, and Center for Faith and Public Health). Core offerings include virtual support groups (Mind-Body Skills Group, Midweek Meditation, Grief Support Groups), annual continuing education conferences (Conference on Medicine and Religion, Collective Soul Symposium, Spirituality in Nursing Conference, Psychotherapy and Faith Conference), and training programs including Yoga Teacher Training through The Yoga Institute. The Institute also runs initiatives including the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition, and Cities for Better Health-Houston, providing community education, spiritual care volunteer training, and faith-based health programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cities for Better Health - Houston: Program focused on chronic disease prevention through faith-based health initiatives
• Greater Houston Healing Collaborative
• Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition
• The Yoga Institute at ISH
• Collective Soul Symposium
• Conference on Medicine and Religion
• Annual Spirituality in Nursing Conference
• Psychotherapy and Faith Conference

Products and services

• Mind-Body Skills Group for Togetherness

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ Houstonians served through community programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMBM, which has delivered population-wide healing programs worldwide for 30 years, partnered with GHHC to train 120 physicians, nurses, counselors, educators, and spiritual leaders in mind-body practices after Hurricane Harvey.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner supporting the GHHC collaboration to relieve community-wide stress and trauma caused by Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center - Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation & Integrative MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the annual Collective Soul Symposium, providing virtual continuing education for community-based hospital chaplains, ministers, and healthcare professionals on spiritual care for patients with advanced illness.
• Baylor College of Medicine (McGovern Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner in the Psychotherapy and Faith Conference for over two decades, providing continuing education for mental health professionals and faith community leaders.
• National Association of Certified Yoga Teachers (NACYT)coreTechnology or IntegrationYoga Teacher Training and National Certification Courses are registered with NACYT for both 200-hour and 300-hour programs, enabling graduates to receive national certification.
• Yoga AlliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationYoga Teacher Training and National Certification Courses are registered with Yoga Alliance for both 200-hour and 300-hour programs, qualifying graduates to register as RYT-200.
• Hope CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHope Clinic leads the Bite of HOPE program, transforming food access in Alief and Aldine through the Food Rx Program, culinary medicine curriculum, and community outreach initiatives.
• Cities for Better Health (Global)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBH-Houston anchors a global network working to accelerate impactful action in cities to reduce chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
• IANDS at the Texas Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNear-Death Experiences research and support network meeting at the Texas Medical Center.
• Easter Seals of Greater HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for veteran mind-body skills groups and daily integration of mind-body skills with veterans and their families.
• Catholic CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in serving veterans through mind-body skills programs and integration of practices with staff and veterans.
• Impact a HerocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for veteran support and mind-body skills programming.
• Camp ShieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for veteran programs and collaborative workshops during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Houston Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Bite of HOPE's Food Rx Program to improve health outcomes and reduce food insecurity among patients with uncontrolled diabetes.
• Greater Houston flood relief organizationsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGHHC was formed in partnership with six regional organizations to respond to Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery.
• Conference on Medicine and Religion Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board of clinicians and scholars organizing the annual Conference on Medicine and Religion, with representation from Baylor Ethics Initiative, Darul Qasim, Duke University, Harvard University, Loma Linda Health, Ohio State, Saint Louis University, and others.
• Texas Medical Center Nursing DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNursing departments from all major Texas Medical Center hospitals (Houston Methodist, MD Anderson, Memorial Hermann, Texas Children's, UTHealth, UTMB) jointly plan the annual Nursing Conference.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Integrative Medicine for the Underserved: Professional community advancing integrative medicine (including mind-body practices) in underserved settings; overlaps with ISH's Cities for Better Health-Houston chronic-disease work in low-income communities.
• Interfaith America (formerly Interfaith Youth Core): National interfaith nonprofit building interfaith cooperation across sectors including health; comparable interfaith convener identity to ISH but operates at a much larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Spiritual Care Association: National membership organization for spiritual care professionals and chaplains in healthcare settings; overlaps directly with ISH's Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition volunteer training and Continuing Soul Symposium palliative care programming.
• Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM): Global nonprofit training healthcare professionals and community leaders in mind-body medicine; explicit training partner with ISH's Greater Houston Healing Collaborative and uses the same evidence-based self-care modalities (breathing, imagery, movement) ISH teaches.
• George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish): Academic institute focused on integrating spirituality into healthcare practice, education, and research; comparable mission to ISH's Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals and shares ISH's CME/CE conference model.
• Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE): Standard-setting body for clinical pastoral education and spiritual care training in healthcare; addresses the same chaplaincy and spiritual-care-in-clinical-settings need that ISH's Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition serves.
• The Balm In Gilead: Faith-based nonprofit working at the intersection of religion and public health (HIV, cancer, diabetes) through Black church networks; comparable faith-community health-promotion model to ISH's Center for Faith and Public Health.
• Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding: Interfaith nonprofit promoting religious understanding, including a health-care program that trains healthcare professionals to deliver religiously-competent care; aligned with ISH's interfaith convener identity and CME-accredited training mission.

Broad incumbents

• Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine: Hospital-embedded (Mass General) mind-body medicine program offering stress-reduction, meditation, and yoga; competes for the same clinician-training and patient-wellness audience but operates from a major academic medical center rather than as an interfaith nonprofit.
• Mind & Life Institute: Long-standing institute fostering dialogue and research between contemplative traditions and science; overlaps with ISH's Conference on Medicine and Religion audience and its mind-body/mindfulness programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ishtmc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ishtmc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ishtmc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Spirituality and Health