A Space to Heal | Studio 1108
By Kim Gronniger
Photos by Brian Peters
The calming vibe of Studio 1108 begins as soon as you exit the Townsite Tower elevator. The soothing scent used during the day’s sound bath therapy fills the hallway on the way to a cozy waiting area, complete with a comfy couch, a vibrant orange refrigerator filled with drinks and treats, and eclectic artwork. Quotes from Japanese Emperor Meiji, set against a backdrop of rotating nature images, help clients prepare for what could be a life-changing therapeutic experience.
Joy Bishop, a grief and loss therapist, and Monica Fowler, a master Reiki and sound healing practitioner, founded the Topeka wellness center in September 2025 with the goal of creating a communal setting for a variety of therapies and services.
“We wanted people to walk into our space and instantly feel loved and nurtured and cared for,” Joy said.
“Emperor Meiji’s platform was about loving yourself and spreading that to the greater world,” Monica said. “Even if you’re just a number at work, when you come here, you’re known and welcomed by name.”
Catherine Craig, a mental health and yoga therapist, has an office in the studio, and Rebecca Wharton, MSN, RN, provides aesthetic services that include microneedling, chemical peels and dermaplaning. Bre Parker offers high-intensity training and body sculpting instruction, while Kinsey Anderson teaches yoga. Shawano, a certified therapeutic art practitioner, leads several classes.
Sound bath sessions are conducted in a large classroom that serves as the setting for group gatherings. Joy’s sons, Cason and Ian Cropp, participate in programming. Twice a month on Sundays, Cason gives talks on passages from ancient texts that remain relatable today. Ian, a running coach and disc jockey, occasionally hosts lively morning dance parties catered to people who want to socialize and move their bodies in an alcohol-free environment.
Poetry readings led by Emily Howell are another draw.
While most services are self-explanatory, clients are often curious about sound baths and Reiki.
“Sound baths reset your nervous system,” Monica said. “The frequency and vibrations from the crystal bowls target your red blood cells where you store emotions, toxins and waste. The vibrations cause the red blood cells to move more quickly so white blood cells can attach and pass through the body faster.”
She says sound baths can release anxiety, reduce inflammation, and improve sleep and digestion while providing an overall sense of well-being.
“My 83-year-old mother comes every week,” she said. “She had both hips replaced and has noticed that she has less anxiety and pain after a sound bath. I have clients tell me they notice a difference when they haven’t had a session for a little while. It’s a great way to release emotions without saying a word.”
Sound baths are available by appointment or as group sessions on Wednesdays at noon or Sundays at 4 p.m.
FOUNDERS’ JOURNEYS TO SELF-DISCOVERY
Monica was born and raised in Laramie, Wyoming. She moved to Topeka in 1997 and completed training at the Kansas Massage Institute. She worked as a massage therapist for 20 years and as an office manager for Florence Crittenton Services Inc.
During the pandemic, she studied Integrative Processing Technique (IPT), which uses guided meditations to remove belief systems that keep people locked in destructive patterns.
After a Reiki instructor did a guest session with her group, Monica said, “I knew that this is what I had to do to help myself and help others. I had gone through a horrible divorce and my stepdad died in my arms, so I really needed to focus on being a better me.
”She attained master-level Reiki status in June 2025. In April 2026, she completed a 12-day Reiki meditation pilgrimage to sacred Japanese sites, including three holy mountains and the burial place of founder Mikao Usui.
“It was absolutely mind-blowing,” Monica said. “The least amount of walking we did in a single day was 22,000 steps. It was so gratifying to realize that achieving this level of peace in a world of such chaos is attainable by anybody.”
Joy grew up in Hillsboro, Kansas, before moving to Topeka to attend Washburn University.
She was 5 years old when her father had his first heart surgery. She says her family didn’t have a lot of money and she remembers Christmases with no gifts, as well as a time when a teacher gave her a coat to keep her warm in the winter. Joy’s mother was a nurse, and Joy often accompanied her on nursing home visits when she was a child.
“Because of those experiences, I knew at age 8 that I wanted to sit in front of people and help them,” she said. “The times in my life when I haven’t felt my best were often because I wasn’t being of service to others at the level I wanted to be.”
Joy’s father died when she was 19, and she’s endured other losses since then, including the deaths of her mother and husband. She wrote a book, “My Gift to You,” to help others navigate the complex emotions that arise when facing their own death or that of a loved one.
“When my husband died, we had a casket at the funeral but then cremated him,” she said. “I pushed the casket into the fire at the crematorium. I felt like I needed to be there with him from start to finish, and it helped me process my grief. It’s often considered taboo to talk about death, but people need to talk about these things.”
Joy also believes breakthroughs can occur in silence, which she discovered during her stint working at a hospice.
“Because of my own losses and grief, it felt natural and comfortable for me to sit in silence with others experiencing similar situations and emotions,” she said.
A PARTNERSHIP FUSED IN PASSION AND PURPOSE
Monica and Joy’s friendship began when they were coworkers at Comfort Keepers, an in-home care service for adults. After the facility closed, they kept in touch and often referred clients to one another.
“For many years, we talked about forming a one-stop-shop therapeutic community because we both believe in the power of groups,” Joy said. “There were napkin notes and late-night texts and a lot of time spent looking at properties.”
Ultimately, they decided renting would work better for the launch of their unique business model in the wellness space. They took over an area in Townsite Tower that needed decorative and functional updates and accommodation for special requests involving silk hammocks and zero-gravity chairs for sound baths.
“Our landlord, Ken Schmanke, and his team have been great to work with,” Monica said. “Every time we asked for something, no matter how odd, they said ‘sure, we can do that.’”
“Our clients now have easy access to our services, and our partnering entrepreneurs have affordable space to build their businesses so they can keep their rates lower,” Joy said. “We’ve always referred people to other professionals we know and trust and now clients can obtain those resources at reasonable prices in a central location.”
Access and affordability are integral to Studio 1108’s business philosophy. Although therapy and aesthetic services have higher rates, wellness classes cost $25 or less, making it easier for curious clients to try something new to enhance their well-being.
“We want to surround ourselves with entrepreneurs who care about others and who are committed to helping people heal and feel better, regardless of their specialty,” Joy said. “When that happens, we all benefit. We’re seeing repeat clients telling us they’re thankful we’re here and we are too.”
“We didn’t want to have to tell people to go to Kansas City for services when we knew we could create a wellness resource in Topeka,” Monica said.
Joy agrees. “We don’t want people to have any excuses centered around cost or travel constraints for not tending to their well-being,” she said.
One year in on their joint venture, the collaborators keep their big-picture ideals and desired outcomes top of mind. “We’re old souls. It makes our hearts so happy that we’ve created this safe, soothing space together to foster healing and connection to benefit our community, Joy said.”
