With a name like Santa Fe (which means “Holy Faith” in Spanish) you would expect this city in the mountains to have something special going for it. The city is renowned as a center for the arts and the healing arts. That’s because, as the name implies, this is a place of devotion to the mysteries of life and well-being.

As you pursue your studies at the New Mexico Academy of Healing Art, you’ll be surrounded by reminders, both historical and spiritual, of the long tradition of healers who have come to Santa Fe drawn by the energy of the high desert land.

Pueblo peoples have dwelt in the Santa Fe area for over 1,000 years. Ancient cliff dwellings nestle amid the breathtaking high desert and mountains around the city, reminding us of how far back some of the roots of human habitation go in this area.

As early as 1598, Spanish colonists arrived in nearby Española to claim territory for the Spanish Empire. Santa Fe itself, officially named “La Villa Real de Santa Fé de San Francisco de Assisi,” was founded not long after, in 1610.

In more recent times, Santa Fe has become a mecca to a new kind of seeker who finds artistic inspiration in the clear air and intense light of this area. The diverse history and multi-ethnic cultures of Santa Fe, combined with the pure, inspirational beauty of the land and sky, have earned it the nickname “The City Different.”

Today, our unique programs of study are housed in a 120-year-old adobe building near the heart of the downtown historic plaza, surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountain ranges.