02/24/2024
Black History and Wellness: Highlighting Industry-Changing Therapists
As we continue Black History Month by celebrating the achievements of African Americans who have played a key role in U.S. History, I want to take a moment to celebrate a few therapists who have been such positive role models for me and many others in wellness.
Whether it was through massage therapy, sports, medicine, or other innovations in healthcare, these are a few of the individuals who have continued to inspire me daily to be a better professional, business owner, leader and colleague.
Benny Vaughn
For four decades, Benny Vaughn has set a standard in the United States for massage therapy in sports. Massage Magazine named him one of the most influential massage therapists in the last 100 years for his contributions in both education and clinical applications of soft-tissue therapy and bodywork. On April 4th through 8th, Benny will be a presenter for the upcoming Neck Jam, a popular massage series hosted by the Massage Mentor Institute.
For me, as a sports and injury massage specialist, his segment is one that I anticipate will be a highlight of the series and a chance for me to see him in action!
Cindy Farrar, LMT, BCTMB, CLC
When I first moved to Atlanta from Boston, I had almost given up on massage and my license had recently expired because, honestly, I never knew I could have transferred my license. In the depths of what I thought was a fleeting chance at continuing my career in massage, I decided to attend my first American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) Georgia Chapter meeting.
Not knowing a soul, I walked in the door and was warmly greeted by a woman wearing a big smile, who introduced herself as Cindy. I told her I had lost my way with attaining my state license, and she quickly injected me with hope and the name of someone to contact as well as her card for any personal help she could provide.
Cindy is a veteran in the field with over 20 years of providing massage education in various modalities through local schools. She is the owner of Massage Associates of Atlanta, a practice in Tucker, Georgia that has been around since 1997, where she continues to inspire, teach and provide excellent service to her clients. Her talents extend beyond her practice as an advocate and an amazing leader having served several roles in the Georgia Chapter of the AMTA including President, and is currently serving on the National Board of Directors for the AMTA.
With being fully immersed in the massage profession, I would consider her one of the most influential people in the state of Georgia.
Nathalie Gregory, LMT
In 2021, I began reaching out to other Atlanta therapists via zoom to learn about their practices, treatment styles, and aspirations. I spoke to many therapists, but that’s when I was fortunate enough to meet Nathalie. At the time, she was in the process of launching her own small business, Maven Massage Care, which had been in the works for 2 years. As someone in the process of starting my own new business, I really enjoyed her insight and shared experience in entrepreneurship as well as her perspective on therapeutic massage, which is a great passion we both share. Her 20 years of hard work as a therapist and now a small business owner has paid off and she was recently named the 2021 Best Massage Therapist at The Black Spa Awards.
In her spare time she volunteers with the Georgia Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association as the Communication Chair. I see Nathalie as a rising star on the Atlanta scene and look forward to interacting more with Nathalie and other colleagues in my wellness community.
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Thank you to these, and many more wonderful professionals who have dedicated their lives to serving others. You continue to be an inspiration at Scott Doss Wellness.
To honor this special month, I’d like to encourage you to use this time to challenge outdated beliefs, educate yourself, and continue seeing our country through a lens of respect, admiration, and growth.
Resources
The Black Wellness Innovation Fund is a fund that supports innovative Black led wellness work in Black communities. Visit their website to donate and learn more.
How are you celebrating Black History Month? Leave a comment below!