Sanford’s Alchemy Wellness Center Offers Transformative Care

The newly opened holistic center in Jonesboro brings together energy workers and healers, offering a range of services from Reiki to salt saunas—at pay-what-you-can rates.

Nestled on the corner of Trade and Watson Streets in Jonesboro, a modest one-story brick building now offers something extraordinary to Lee County residents.

On Thursday, the Sanford Area Growth Alliance hosted the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Alchemy Wellness Center, a healing arts space and spiritual boutique that blends the wisdom of ancient practices with modern therapeutic techniques for a unique and personalized healing experience.

“Every time you walked through each door, it was like uncovering something beautiful,” said Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon, who welcomed visitors to the 6,300-square-foot space. “You transformed a building.”

Throughout Alchemy, the aroma of incense floats through the air. Shelves brim with herbs, tables display crystals, and tarot cards line the walls. Beyond the shop, a collective of healers who have found both work and chosen family in each other offer services ranging from Reiki and hypnotherapy to vibrational sound healing and past-life readings.

“We’re more than a store,” said Samantha Mahon, a licensed psychotherapist and the center’s co-founder. “To me, alchemy means combining different things to transform them into something new.” The center welcomes people from all spiritual traditions and levels of experience. “This is a nonjudgmental space,” added Mahon. 

“It’s mental and spiritual healing,” said Paige Watson, a licensed massage therapist who offers soft tissue work in the ‘Zen Den.’ “I listen to what clients say, and what their bodies say,” she said, adding that she honors her son, who passed away three years ago, by “sharing love through healing touch.” 

Workshops are available on Eventbrite and appointments can be booked through Alchemy’s website, where visitors can select the CommUNITY Healing Program—a pay-what-you-can option. “We believe that everyone deserves access to healing and self-discovery, regardless of their financial circumstances,” the site reads.

“Everybody needs different help,” said Meewha Bellendir, a certified holistic health and wellness coach. A Korean native and survivor of a hospital fire that claimed her mother’s life, she now helps others navigate physical, mental, and spiritual detoxification. Living with autoimmune conditions herself, she emphasizes addressing whole-body challenges. 

“Deep down, it’s emotional; it’s trauma,” Bellendir said. “When you treat core issues instead of the symptoms, you’re healing from within.”

July 25, 2025

Diara Townes

Journalist