My Background

Before I became a massage therapist I had gotten a BA in Human Services and jumped into nonprofit work right after graduation. My roles were primarily supporting individual and families experiencing homelessness and although I was fiercely passionate about the work, after only a few years I found myself struggling to be excited to go to work, I was burnt out. I knew I needed to make some changes but didn’t know what that looked like yet. I knew I loved working with people, especially one on one. I knew I loved the ‘helping’ careers, it filled my cup to support people in their journeys wherever they were. Massage was something I had always held in the back of my mind. When COVID hit and I suddenly had a lot of time to consider the career, I looked into my local community college and decided to apply. Part of the application required you to interview LMTs to hear first hand what a career could look like. I remember the first LMT I interviewed I asked what I thought was a cliche, but important, question: “what is your favorite thing about being a massage therapist?” Without any hesitation she quickly and confidently said “well, people are just SO excited to see you!” I’m not kidding when I figuratively felt my head exploding. Although I had been working with incredible people in my current field, I was also working with people who were experiencing some of their hardest life moments. Although they may  had been happy to see me, they certainly weren’t happy with where they were. And it was hard to see that work being sustainable for me. To imagine someone coming to see me for services I offered, in a good mood, smiling and excited to see me? It sounded almost unimaginable. The joy! The wonder! the possibilities! That was such a strong moment for me that solidified my choice choosing to shift my career to massage therapy.