Why I Became a Therapist

I have been asked numerous times about what made me choose massage therapy for my career path.  My dad likes to tell everyone that when I was a child and was not feeling well, he would rub my back with alcohol or Vick's Salve, and due to this early life experience he undoubtedly shaped me into the massage therapist that I am today.  My mom would probably tell you that I took some of the holistic healing advice that her mother handed down to me and expounded on it.  Both explanations have some validity, and while they may have aided in my career decision, I think it was ultimately my own experiences with giving and receiving massage that made me want to study this natural healing in depth.

I started getting massage for chronic neck pain when I was in my 20's.  I sustained an injury while working at a hospital so it was easy for my boss to get me a prescription for physical therapy,  and since the co-payment was waived, I was able to get my therapy for free.  It only took one visit for me to appreciate how wonderful my body felt and to know that twice weekly visits were going to be heavenly.  At the end of three months my body felt terrific and I was a confirmed massage junkie.

Knowing that my massage monster would be needing a fix, I began researching massage therapy and read everything I could get my hands on that would teach me how to perform this healing art.  Twenty years ago this information was not as easy to locate as it is today, but I managed to find some interesting books and articles that taught me the basic massage strokes and some easy points of reflexology.  I then practiced massage on my husband and children and found I could relax them to the point of putting them to sleep, and I massaged myself when I got migraine headaches and found that I was able to reduce my pain considerably. So after two years of studying on my own and experimenting on my family and friends, I decided to enroll in massage therapy school and see if I could earn a living doing something healthy and enjoyable.

Five years and many satisfied clients later tells me that this was one of the best decisions I ever made.  But if you talk to my dad.....tell him it was all his doing.