The Rhode Island Holistic Healing Association (RIHHA) was co-founded in 2004 by Susanne Dillon and Linda Carney, whose vision was to create a collaborative space for holistic practitioners and wellness advocates across Rhode Island. Since that time, the organization has evolved under three different leaders. Dillon started hosting the health and wellness expos in 2010 and ran them until 2016. Then Jim Standish stepped in to keep the organization going from 2017 to 2021. Before stepping back, he invited Vandana Pitke to take the lead, because he admired her integrity, commitment, collaborative leadership style, youthful energy and fresh thinking.

Pitke took the reins when everyone was two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions had caused many small businesses owned by integrative and holistic health practitioners to shut down temporarily. RIHHA had no funds, and no members had renewed their membership for two years. Pitke’s first major challenge was to attract new members and rebuild the organization’s financial assets. She devised three different levels of membership—general, practitioner and institutional. She also improved the association’s website directory listings and also began offering webinars.

As Pitke began rebuilding the community, Dillon suggested that she bring back the wellness expos. So, Pitke put down her own money and hosted her first expo, growing the membership, reaching a broader community and raising awareness about the organization and letting people know about the many holistic healing practices, old and new, that were open for business in RI.

Pitke personally attended and represented RIHHA at other health fairs around the region.  She embraced technology—launching Instagram and LinkedIn pages, investing in the Canva graphic design platform and setting up a Constant Contact system to manage email campaigns. She established a YouTube channel to advance professional development and to offer holistic health learning to the general public.

Pitke gives a lot of credit to Linda Nugent, who joined her after the 2023 Expo and who supports, guides and helps execute the many activities that have elevated RIHHA to prominence. They revitalized branding to reflect professionalism and trust, and   collaborated with professional teams to build the new website, post on social media and advertise. They have gained followers and continue to expand their community. Many association members are seeing their businesses revive and thrive, while RIHHA becomes ever more visible to new members, vendors, sponsors, speakers and advocates.

The pandemic prompted individual practitioners to pivot and adopt new approaches, focusing more on the mental and emotional well-being of patients and clients in addition to their physical health. This shift highlights the importance of addressing the whole person in health care as patients face increased stress and lifestyle changes. Pitke approached Maria Sorensen, who hosted integrative mental health conferences before the COVID-19 outbreak, and together they put on the New England Integrative Mental Health Conference 2024.

When Sorensen moved to Costa Rica, RIHHA hosted the 2025 conference on its own. There were 100 attendees both years and, in total, 52 and 44 speakers, respectively. Doctors, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and holistic practitioners begun building bridges for the integrative and holistic practices in RI. Speakers and attendees came from other states, putting Rhode Island on the map as a leader for integrative mental health. RIHHA is now able to offer scholarships for its signature events.

“Ultimately, my goal was never just to grow in size,” says Pitke. “It was to grow in impact, relevance and respect—to help holistic healing be recognized, trusted and valued within today’s evolving wellness landscape.”

Regarding Expo 2026, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on  March 22 at the Crowne Plaza, in Warwick, Pitke says, “We want everyone to know this Expo is more than just an event. It is a movement, where healing professionals come together to uplift the community and where the community, in return, learns, grows and finds support in trusted holistic resources.”

Visit rihha.org for more information or to become a member. Email questions to [email protected]. 

Wendy Nadherny Fachon is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.