I thought you were in nursing school…?
Happy New Year folks!
Not sure about you all, but I am ready to pack up the holidays, clean out a few household nooks and crannies, reflect on some projects that I would like to start and/or complete, and enjoy winter! The teeny difference in the extended daylight is somehow notable enough to be thoroughly cheering. Already I am imagining what booming successes I will enjoy in my garden, because when dreaming at this time of year, there are no failures.
|So… I thought you were in nursing school?|
I feel as though this is the big question that deserves an answer. Many of you are aware that I have been working my way through nursing school - four years all told! The first two were easy as I picked away at a few prerequisites while the last two were a bit more intense. I graduated in May and passed my board exam in June which now deems me a registered nurse.
Lots can change in four years and so suffice to say that my reasons for starting a nursing program were different from my reasons for finishing the program. Many people in my community have asked what I plan to do now that I am an RN and in my mind (though unlikely in reality) I am certain that the expectation is that I pursue a traditional nursing career. Allow me to disappoint that notion and let you all know that there are no dramatic career changes in the near future.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing as: “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response; and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.”
It began to dawn on me that as a massage therapist bolstered with a nursing education, I am actually well positioned to be useful to people in a way that is true to the ANA’s definition of a nurse. Additionally I resonate with the American Holistic Nurses Association where nursing is further defined as a “practice that has healing the whole person as its goal.” With that the marriage of nursing and massage therapy truly hits home for me. By the time I graduated and passed the boards, my commitment to therapeutic massage as health care was ignited!
In this moment I continue to be very curious about the mind-body connection, mobility, fascia, therapeutic communication, pelvic & reproductive health, aging well & preventive care, and the usefulness of therapeutic touch in our lives.
I look forward to connecting more dots, exploring more, and being of service to my fellow humans as a nurse massage therapist. Thank you for sticking with me through those years of tight schedules and a great deal of juggling on my end.
|Appointments|
Now that school is over (for me) and my kids are far more independent, I am able to open up more appointment times each week. In fact I endeavor to keep at least one or two slots available each week for last minute, acute needs. I offer the standard hour-long session, but do keep in mind that if you yearn for a little more, there is a 75 and 90 minute version available as well as a quick spot work session of 30 minutes (see website for rates). As always these times refer to time spent on the table and include unhurried time before and after for making a treatment plan and generally checking in.
Over the years I have been able to build a sustainable schedule of clients because of your generous word of mouth referrals. Since my office space is in my home, I prefer to continue to operate in that manner and so I am always grateful when you share my business information with folks within your communities.
|Right Now|
Thinking About:
During COVID times I trained in Yomassage which is a way to offer community massage. A session may contain up to 5 people that I would lead through a series or comfortable, restorative yoga shapes. In each position, I circulate through the room offering massage that includes compression, traction, and point work without oil and mostly through comfy clothing. I am working on the feasibility of offering this as I assess interest, location, and the nuts and bolts of it all. Let me know if you know of any available, beautiful, and warm yoga style spaces!
Reading:
The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate, MD
This book has really shed some light on a broader definition of trauma compared to how I had previously thought about it. We have all experienced some level of trauma and Mate discusses how it shows up in our lives as triggers or illness. The book was an interesting read, but if you are curious and not up for such a deep dive, you could probably get enough of the gist by listening to this excellent podcast.
|Coming Up|
Craniosacral therapy training for me in late February! This is a quieter and deeper modality than the massage that most of us are used to. A good choice for folks when they feel a bit stuck in their healing journey or for when a little inner housekeeping is in order.
