Renew Magazine - July/August 2008 - (Page 34)

role models healing power by Molly Noonan After letting go of her stressful corporate career, this holistic massage therapist found meaning—and success—in promoting wellness. Q. what did you do before you became a massage therapist? A. I was working in internet technology for many years. The main reason I made the career change was for greater life satisfaction. I wasn’t experiencing emotional or professional satisfaction. Also, when I was working in IT, I was horriﬁed by the way I saw stress taking a toll on people’s lives. At one point, ﬁve people in my oﬃce died due to hypertension and stress—and some were very young. It was deﬁnitely a wakeup call. Q. why did you choose to specialize in holistic therapy? A. While I was in my corporate career, I spent six years as a road warrior—I traveled constantly. In order to maintain my health, having regular visits to the massage therapist and chiropractor became a way of life. The thought of actually switching careers and working in this industry came to me on a massage table. I knew that this is something that helps me and I really enjoy doing it. I’m that person in my family who was always giving foot rubs, neck rubs, back rubs, everything. And they’d always say, “I’d pay you to do this.” It all just kind of clicked one day on the table. I decided to focus speciﬁcally on holistic therapy because the emphasis is on treating the whole person—emotionally, physically and spiritually. Q. since you’ve entered the industry, have you seen a greater demand for holistic healing? A. I’ve only been in the industry for four years, but since then, I would say holistic therapy has become more mainstream than before—and much more so in the last 10 years. It’s more accepted as a health care practice for stress relief and physical rehabilitation. At the same time, I don’t see a lot of demand for holistic therapy at this point—it’s more of just an acceptance. But I try to do a lot of client education and emphasize the importance of treating the whole person, rather than just spot-treating a shoulder injury, for example. Q. who are your mentors in the industry? A. Deﬁnitely people in the AMTA who I’ve worked with. But one woman in particular has really helped guide me and inspire me in my career. Her name is Sue Koebel. She’s been in the business for 20 years. She specializes in hand, arm and shoulder injuries and has a background in Neuromuscular Therapy, which is also a focus of mine. Q. what is the most gratifying part of your job? A. Seeing positive results in clients and knowing that I’ve made a diﬀerence in their lives is so meaningful to me. When clients refer our services and speak highly of us, I know that I’ve had a signiﬁcant, positive impact on their lives. I think one of the paths to happiness is passion. If you can ﬁnd that in your career, you’re very lucky. n Kristi Ogden Advanced Massage Therapeutics San Diego, California vocation: Owner age: 48 years in the industry: 4 specialty: Holistic massage therapy favorite product: BIOTONE Dual-Purpose Massage Crème favorite spa service: Therapeutic massage, deep tissue blended massage advice for new owners/ Get involved with the industry and massage therapits: ﬁnd a mentor. what inspires you: Seeing positive results in clients and knowing that I’ve made a difference in their lives. how you unwind: Sitting by the pool or reading. 34 renewprofessional.com july/august 2008 http://renewprofessional.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Renew Magazine - July/August 2008

Renew- July/August 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Renew Face/Body/Mind/Spirit Reflect Editor's Picks Your Business Spa Spotlight Decor Ultimate Business Boosters Role Models Secrets of the Solo Esthetician Green Science Solutions Inside Ingredients

Renew Magazine - July/August 2008

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