Holly Benzenhafer

Before finding her way to our Mind & Spirit team Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Holly worked first as a sociology professor for 10 years in Mississippi, and then as an instructor and vocational mentor at Boston University School of Theology. In private practice as a spiritual director and counselor, Holly served Boston area healthcare and academic professionals, clergy, and graduate students. As an ordained minister, she has served congregations in the Boston area and worked in interfaith and inter/intra-spiritual contexts.

Holly specializes in devising creative healing experiences tailored for individual needs — whether that happens within a traditional consultation setting, or through spiritual retreats and workshops. She is trained in healing breath exercises, labyrinth work, life-weaving practices, guided intoning and vocal sounding, dream work methods, and devising unique rituals and sacred healing spaces. Whether you are going through a life transition such as a divorce, loss, retirement, or gender identification, Holly’s compassion and experience can help you process grief and deal with change. “During a consult, a guest thanked me for permission to be a hot mess while here - that she did not have to be productive or pulled-together or "fine." She could just be, and Canyon Ranch could be her safe space. I am deeply appreciative to be part of such a space for her.”

When not at the Ranch, Holly enjoys weaving. In fact, she is an artisan handweaver and Fellow in the Craftsman's Guild of Mississippi, where she “relishes the interplay of color, pattern, and texture on her looms.” She documents life through photography, journaling, and poetry. Her favorite things include Zoom trivia nights, daily iced tea, and her cats, Samhain and Moonshine. Her favorite word is interconnection, as “everything is in relationship; we need each other to be fully ourselves.”