01/04/2026
When I first started my journey in the massage profession I was already a holistic practitioner.
Herbalism
Aromatherapy
Crystal healing
Reflexology
Reiki
Meditation
These were already my primary practices. I thought my journey in the massage field was going to go much different than it did. Instead I found myself astonished at the capacity of massage to relieve chronic pain and help people regain mobility. It propelled me on a far different journey.
Right out of massage school in 2004, I jumped into learning trigger point therapy bc I had experienced how debilitating trigger points can be and what happens when they aren’t addressed.
Then came Neuromuscular Therapy, specializing in the neck and shoulders bc a majority of clients suffered with upper body pain and dysfunction. Later, specializing in whiplash and working in chiropractic office to support the recovery from motor vehicle accidents.
It wasn’t until I made the scary leap of starting my own practice that I learned the biggest piece of the puzzle of bodywork. I was working with a client recovering from an accident. I did all the clinical applications, followed treatment protocols, and utilized every tool I thought would help from the clinical side of massage.
But I had a huge realization…
What she needed wasn’t a clinical session. The guarding, tension, and response was from an emotional trigger and I knew in that moment what was needed was a blend of the holistic practices and clinical application. This wasn’t something talked about in our field at the time. From that point on I understood and respected the delicate balance required for real healing. One that embraces the mind & spirit, just as much as the body.
That was 2010. And I’ve been continuing to work that way ever since, offering blended sessions and breaking out of the often limited boxed in menu of traditional massage, providing openness in the session to work with the unique body on the table, weaving all aspects of the self- mind, emotion, body and spirit. My somatic work began long before my somatic training. It was intuitive, ingrained from the path I travelled.
This is why somatic practices mean so much to me. It’s the piece of the puzzle that is so often overlooked or misunderstood. It’s the explanation of why deep tissue doesn’t actually fix your problem (it’s not because you need more). A deep dive into understanding the nervous system will quickly provide the pathway of treatment. Our nervous system is our control panel.
If you’re a therapist and would like to learn more in-depth about nervous system function in relation to bodywork, I invite you to our online webinar, Creating a Trauma-Informed Practice, to learn applied Polyvagal Theory through the lens of bodywork so you can better yourself as a practitioner and space holder.
Creating a Trauma-Informed Practice (8CE)
Our trauma-informed, somatic-based CE courses for Massage Therapists blend science with intuition, movement with stillness, and touch with presence. Learn nervous system regulation, polyvagal theory, and self-care practices that make a difference! Massage therapy classes with a holistic view.
