People use names to help them understand meaning and purpose. It has much to do with how our brain works. The names we use shape how we think about the world around us. Names also create connections. When establishing a private practice, we thought about how we would communicate what we do. We needed a name with conceptual salience that would embody our values, and help clients visualize their journey towards renewal and healing. Thus, the name “meristem” emerged.

“Meristem” is a term in biology that refers to a plant’s top growth, as well as the growing tips of a plant’s root system. It is the region of the plant that is actively growing and dividing. This area is where the plant will form new tissue. Meristems form anew from other cells in injured tissues and are responsible for wound healing.  As we thought about this essential part of a plant’s survival, the idea emerged that as the meristem creates new growth and stimulates healing, so does the “meristem” of the human brain.

New growth and healing produces new beginnings. It is here, in the human “meristem”, where change happens and hope is renewed in each individual. Together with other “meristems”, a therapeutic community is created and maintained through therapy and support groups. New relationships are formed and old ones are restored.

This is the heart of this practice: to encourage individuals, couples and families to grow, heal, and create new spaces in which to become more connected with themselves and others around them. Connection creates healthy relationships, and healthy relationships provide us the freedom to be and to grow.