Richard Butler (he/him)

Board Member at Large

I’ve been a board member since the early 1990s, when the World Healing Institute was first founded. Though the organization lay dormant for many years, its mission—to provide tools for people to heal their own lives—remained quietly alive. The creation of The Gathering Place has reignited that mission in a powerful, grounded way, and I’m honored to continue supporting it.

My professional path has long been rooted in the world of television and video production. Alongside that, I’ve spent many years practicing and teaching Tai Chi and Foot Reflexology—modalities that speak to the quiet power of embodiment and energy work. These practices have shaped the way I understand healing: as something we each hold within, waiting to be remembered and reawakened.

Over time, my journey has shown me that connection—true, heart-centered relationship—is perhaps the most vital aspect of life. And yet, the way we relate to one another has shifted dramatically in recent decades. Technology has changed so much, often leaving us more distant than close. That’s why I believe the work we’re doing here matters deeply.

There has never been a more urgent time to support all forms of healing. The Gathering Place is, at its heart, about remembering how to come home to ourselves and to one another. Reconnection is the beginning. And to me, that is the heart of this place.

A favorite quote that continues to guide me is: "Healing is not fixing what is broken, it is the art of remembering what was never lost." These words speak to the essence of our work here—returning to what’s already within us, and finding each other along the way.