San Miguel Women: Lisa Attridge Creating Spaces for Health and Wellness

San Miguel Life
5 days ago
5 min read

Meet Lisa

Some women build businesses. Others create spaces born from passion—places devoted to wellness and care. Originally from the United Kingdom, Lisa Attridge de Gordillo arrived in Mexico more than two decades ago with a deep passion for health, movement, and helping others live well. With a degree in Sports Science, she built a strong foundation in physical wellness that would later evolve into something more holistic.

Through Rancho Corazón de Nopal and The Clinic SMA, Lisa has created spaces where people can slow down, heal, and reconnect—with their bodies, their purpose, and their authentic selves. At The Clinic SMA, this philosophy is paired with cutting-edge technology and science, offering a modern, full-service approach to health that blends innovation with empathy. In a city that invites transformation, her work reflects a belief that true wellness goes beyond the physical, embracing emotional and spiritual well-being as well.

What brought me to San Miguel and what made me stay?

I first arrived in San Miguel de Allende in 2001 for a visit to my great aunt. My grandparents had first fallen in love with this town in 1954, so it was already a special place to my family in England. But it wasn’t just nostalgia that kept me here—I stayed because, in just two weeks of being in town, I met the love of my life. San Miguel became home in that instant.

What am I building, nourishing or contributing to here?

Lisa with her husband Dr. Ricardo Gordillo Mörath

Over the past six years, alongside my husband and an extraordinary team, we have been building The Clinic SMA— an integrated wellness and medical center designed to bridge advanced medicine with preventative health, longevity, and human performance. Our vision has always been to create a space where people feel supported not only in times of illness, but in their pursuit of vitality and strength.

At the same time, I have been nurturing another dream: Rancho Corazón de Nopal, an equine center nestled in the hillsides of San Miguel. It is a space dedicated to equine-assisted coaching, equestrian education, and deeply restorative wellness retreats. The land, the horses, and the quiet power of nature create a very different, but equally important, kind of healing environment.

In my spare time, I volunteer as an equine therapist with Equinoterapia SMA, supporting children whose physical or neurological challenges make daily movement more difficult. Working with these horses and these families is one of the most grounding and meaningful parts of my life.

Together, these projects reflect what I care most about: building spaces where people can reconnect — to their bodies, to their strength, to nature, and to each other — right here in San Miguel de Allende.

How do I connect with or support the community?

For me, connection with the community happens through service and shared purpose. Much of that takes place through our work at The Clinic, where we aim to provide thoughtful, integrated healthcare that supports both local residents and the international community who call San Miguel home. Helping guide patients through their health journeys and creating programs that focus on longevity, prevention, and recovery allows me to contribute in a very meaningful way.

Another important part of that connection comes through the equine therapy programs I’m involved with. Working with children and individuals who benefit from therapeutic movement and interaction with horses is incredibly rewarding. It’s a reminder that healing can happen in many different forms — through medicine, through movement, and through the powerful bond between humans and animals.

Beyond that, simply being present in the community matters — supporting local initiatives, collaborating with other professionals, and sharing knowledge whenever possible. San Miguel is a town built on connection, generosity, and creativity, and being part of that ecosystem is something I value deeply.

In the end, my goal is simple: to create spaces — whether in healthcare, wellness, or nature — where people feel supported, empowered, and cared for.

What has San Miguel given me, and what do I hope to give back?

San Miguel has given me a home for the past twenty-four years. It welcomed me with open arms and, in many ways, shaped the course of my life.

It is the place where I fell in love, where I learned how to love more deeply, and where I built a life rooted in purpose. San Miguel has given me peace — a steady, grounding presence that allowed me to grow into the woman I am today. Through its culture, its people, its landscapes, and its rhythm, it has quietly nurtured my evolution.

This town has been more than a backdrop to my life, it has been an active participant in it.

What I hope to give back is simple, but deeply intentional: service. Through our work in the health sector at The Clinic, and through the equine therapy programs and coaching initiatives, I hope to contribute to a stronger, healthier, more supported community.

Whether it’s guiding a patient through a complex medical journey or helping a child find confidence and mobility through horses, my intention is the same — to give back a fraction of what this town has given me.

San Miguel has given me a life. My hope is to spend my years here contributing to its wellbeing in return.

Fast Five

One word that describes San Miguel: Nurturing.

Your favorite place to gather with friends: Without hesitation, La Azotea.

The season you love most in town: October, just after the rainy season.

A local business, cause, or space you love to support: San Miguel is extraordinary in this way. There are so many NGOs and community initiatives that it feels almost impossible to choose just one. That’s the beauty of our international community here — people arrive with knowledge, resources, and life experience, and many feel inspired to give back. The generosity of spirit in this town is something very special.

A view you never take for granted: There’s a walk I love that leads me to a small hilltop. From there, I have one of the most magical views of San Miguel de Allende. Over the 25 years I’ve lived here, I’ve watched the city grow and expand, pushing its boundaries further into the surrounding hills. And yet, the charm of the historic center remains — timeless, vibrant, and full of life.