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Penniless to Proactive: An “Olympian” Success Story

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

By Marc Freedman (Class of September 1995)

I was born and raised in an inner city neighborhood of Boston. I graduated with a BA in Philosophy from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. I worked in retail for eight years but found little satisfaction selling televisions.

In January 1986 I quit my job, gave away my possessions except my mountain bike and camping gear, and bought a one-way ticket to Australia. My goal was to cycle around the world. I expected my journey to take two years, but being kind of slow it took eight.

With a budget of $10 per day I ran out of money in Asia two years later. Rather than return to the states I found a job teaching English in Kyoto, Japan. Just for fun I took classes in Kendo and Shiatsu.

Returning to the states after so many years away I had no idea how to make a living. I was adept at things like bribing border guards, changing money on the black market, and finding free camping. Nothing that would help me survive in a small New England town. Besides retail, which I disliked, I had no transferable skills.

Paradoxically I realized that because I had nothing - no money, no job skill, no place to live, no car, no relationship - anything was possible. I had an opportunity to create a life of my choosing.

During my travels I practiced the little bit of Shiatsu I learned in Japan and people liked it. Massage therapy was a skill I could practice in interesting places while I figured out what to do when I grew up.

I started searching for massage schools and decided on the Florida School of Massage. I arrived in the fall of 1995 having borrowed tuition and living expenses from my family.

Little did I know what I was in for at the Florida School of Massage! In addition to a truly incredible staff and a well-designed massage program, I was introduced to and able to explore a variety of massage modalities and self-empowering models. Among the many things I’ll always be grateful for was being introduced to the concept of Gestalt therapy and my brief encounters with Pat Korb.

After graduating FSM I set out to learn as much as I could about working with athletes and injuries. In addition to a full time massage practice I volunteered at international triathlons and seven Boston Marathons. I took dozens of advanced trainings and worked with the Williams College track, crew, and swim teams. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work, but not much money.

However, the cumulative experience landed me one of only six non-Australian spots on the International Medical Team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. I was assigned to work with injured athletes in the medical center for the first two weeks and then at the Aquatic Center during the Games.

During the Olympics I phoned in weekly reports to our local National Public Radio station and sent stories to the local paper. The free publicity greatly enhanced my massage practice.

Fast-forward nearly 20 years. I’m still practicing massage therapy full time in the same small college town, and trying to figure out what to do when I grow up. However, I now own a singularly unique Japanese style spa. The nine-sided building sits on the Green River and started life in 1762 as the town’s grist mill.

Visit here: www.InTouchDaySpa.com to see photos and/or for contact information.

Posted in Chinese Medicine, Massage Modalities, Massage Therapy Business, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Bonding, Baking and Being Present: An Ongoing Success Story

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

Nathalie Fossé attended our massage program in 2002. She said she’d been working as a researcher in chemistry, “absolutely not enjoying my field and getting headaches every afternoon.” Fast forward a decade. She’s just opened a new office in the Thornebrook area. She took a moment to talk with me about her life and work since graduating from FSM:

How did the FSM experience change you, and/or what was it about your FSM experience that inspired you to do what you do now?

First I struggled with chronic pain and injuries, which introduced me to massage therapy as a client. I immediately became fascinated with the body and how it responds to massage therapy. As I was looking for a new career and needed more people-to-people interaction, I decided to go to FSM.

FSM expanded my learning abilities and opened up my senses. Coming from a heavy academic background – I have a PhD in Solid State Chemistry – the only way I knew to learn was to take notes, notes, notes! – to the point I was taking notes instead of understanding. It took Paul Davenport (anatomy instructor) to make me put my pen away and clear my desk to realize what I was doing or not doing. At FSM, I learned to be present while learning. And to be present when giving a massage. It was a big discovery for me. To be present. To watch, to listen, to hear, and to feel. I love doing massage because I love listening to what my hands feel when they are working.

Did you face any challenges in enrolling at FSM? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?

If you mean while at the school, oh yes I faced many challenges!

The circles…talking about myself…sharing my deep feelings…allowing my true-self to surface. Dealing with others’ emotions. To overcome this I stopped fighting it.

FSM follows a “self-empowerment” model – how did this model effect your learning experience and/or the choices you made after graduation?

I was not scared to move forward and start working as a massage therapist as soon as I finished school because the school had given me the solid tools to become independent. I started to run my little massage practice, gained confidence in managing my business, and eventually accepted an offer for partnership in opening up an artisanal European bakery where we had over fifteen employees to manage. Today, I am back to working as a massage therapist full-time, also getting certified as a yoga instructor. I have moved into a small suite where I am working on developing a wellness center with massage therapy, private yoga classes, and acupuncture

Do you have any advice for alumni or prospective students?

Just do it! Even if one does not practice as a massage therapist after graduating, anything we learn during the program is very valuable and can be applied throughout life, personal and professional life.

Is there anything more about your work in massage therapy that would like to share?

I love my work, and I constantly learn something new through my patients.

Do you have any unique or extraordinary experiences in your massage career that you’d like to share?

The trust and friendship that can come out of a massage therapist/client relationship is life changing. My most elderly client asked me if I would be there with her when she took her last breath. I was there for her, with her when the time came.

I had worked with her for about six or seven years. It started where she would drive herself to my office, then moved to me driving to her house bringing my massage table, and eventually to not being able to use my table anymore for she was becoming more and more fragile. But we always laughed, laughed at each other. She would joke offering me some of her “Alzheimer” pills for when I was forgetting things. We would dance shaking our booties; we would open our hearts to each other.

One day, I went to see her and one of my cats had just died. After our massage session, I fell apart crying. By that time, my client and now friend had told me she was ready to leave this world. So, when she asked me if I would cry like that when she goes, I answered, “I probably would and I will be holding your hand too if you wanted.” We had a pact.

When her time came, her son and daughter-in-law called me and for a week I drove every day and was able to be there with her holding her hand until she took her last breath. She passed this last July. She was always calling me her angel, which I think is the kindest thing I was ever called.

~Nathalie Fossé has been joined by FSM graduate and scar management instructor Nancy Keeney-Smith and also acupuncturist Yvonne Woodson in her new wellness center, Fossé Restorative Therapy, at 2830 NW 41^st Street, Suite B, in Thornebrook III, Gainesville. Call (352)256-2800 for more information.

Posted in Acupuncture, Massage Modalities, Massage Therapy Business, Our Educational Philosophy, Uncategorized, Yoga | Leave a comment

Tasting the Pudding

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

They say the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. When a new receipe is tried, the success or lack of success is determined when the dish is sampled. It is like that with professional development, take a course and try what has been experienced and see what happens. If it works, attend another class and go deeper.

Deane Juhan, the author of Job’s Body and long-time student and teacher of Dr. Milton Trager’s work, has been coming to the Florida School of Massage for the past two years. He has been offering his take on this work based on 40 years of experience. I asked different therapists, and clients to share their experience in either giving or receiving the Resistance/Release work Deane is offering. All the people quoted are FSM grads including my client.

Here is the experience of Greg Young: “Personally, I’ve used the prone internal/external resistance release of the hips with almost all my clients,” Young said. “I find some clients have restrictions in their hips in one direction or the other. In my view, this technique helps to balance the internal/external movement of the hips, which is so important to proper functioning. Proper functioning of the hips is vital to allowing the spine to move in its most efficient way.”

Stephen Shambach reported, “In many sessions I am using connective tissue strokes, sports massage, or specific friction work. Regardless of the technique, I often employ Deane’s Resist/Release concepts with wonderful results.” After he’d lengthened, spread, kneaded, compressed and mashed the hamstrings of one particular client, he paused to evaluate. “I was working too hard. By gently jostling and rocking, then engaging the client to resist/release, positive changed occurred rapidly with way less work.”

Bobby Cook, therapist, had recently worked on a client with a “frozen shoulder”. The range of motion was so limited the client couldn’t reach any part of his back. “Using only the techniques I learned in Deane’s class on breath, my client was immediately able to tuck his shirttail inside his belt in the center of his back. He was able to greatly improve a 20-year condition in a few minutes.” The client felt empowered because he was an active participant in the process. “Tricking a muscle into releasing for a day is relatively easy, but teaching it to stay relaxed is often difficult because the solution requires the breaking of habitual patterns,” he said. “Deane’s techniques are successful because they address the habitual patterns.”

The following is a report from one of my clients:

During the course of IMAP training (integrated massage and personal training), I discovered the basis of a walking problem I have but did not know the cause or cure. When hiking I would constantly stub my toes on my right foot. I was not dorsiflexing sufficiently so I would catch my toes. I did not know if there was nerve damage (I ride bicycles, so possible nerve involvement) or just needed reeducation of the muscle group responsible. This is something that I have lived with for many years.

I explained what was happening to Frank and he did some resistance release reeducation work with me. After we finished, Frank gave me some homework, to actively engage the muscles in a manner that was consistent with the training he had done during session. Rather than just doing exercises I chose to incorporate the reeducation in my hiking. The first hike started out with a conscious effort to dorsiflex my right foot like we worked on in session. The movement was kind of measured and awkward for about a half mile but then blended into a natural feeling and felt good for the rest of the hike. I have been on several subsequent hikes with improving success and has even translated into a smoother gait in my regular getting about. Frank retested me on a follow-up visit and we noted a dramatic improvement with only one session. (Name Withheld Upon Request)

If this sounds like something you would like to taste or go deeper with, check out the FSM continuing education listing for May 10-12. For a much shorter version of this type of approach, check out the “Playing With Feeling” class on Saturday, May 4. To register contact me directly by email fmerillat@mac.com or phone (352) 371-0743.

Posted in Massage Modalities, Trager, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Get Rid of Plantar Fasciitis Once and For All

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

Six months of enduring foot pain, shoe inserts, night boots, expensive custom-fitted shoes, oral medications, daily exercises, steroid injections (3), cryo-therapy and surgery did little for the desperate and frustrated woman on the other end of my phone. I agreed to see this likeable woman, all the while uncertain as to what my approach to plantar fasciitis could accomplish so late in the game.

I was immediately impressed by this woman’s persistence, positive attitude and compliance with the “homework” she had been assigned to treat her stubborn case. After reviewing what she had been faithfully doing on her own, I set out to see what my hands would discover.

The session started with 45 minutes of detailed foot reflexology that she reported, with surprise, relaxed her very much. I then had her shift onto her side (later, her stomach and finally her back) and began the methodical and easy procedures to identify and release constriction within the fascia enervated by the S1 nerve root. Thirty minutes later, the work was completed bi-laterally. All that remained to be seen was the results.

When we talked the next afternoon, she sheepishly said that she felt almost scared to say out loud how she felt. When I pressed her to say more, she added, “I feel great. I have virtually no pain in my foot, and I’m afraid that I might jinx it if I say so.” She added that she felt one slight “twinge” in her foot during the night, but hardly worth reporting. We agreed to meet two more times within the week.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis develops from overuse and stress on the fascia on the sole of the feet. This results in tissue fatigue and degeneration of collagen leading to micro-tearing in the fascial band and its attachment at the heel. Since the pain expresses in the feet, people often fail to see that the source – or a contributing source – of the condition can actually be further up the chain.

In the case of this client, we discovered a major contributing factor – and the reason why earlier interventions performed only on her feet failed – was significant contraction in specific hip muscles that were impeding proper nerve conduction to her feet. A combination of footwork and a systematic procedure to release S1 nerve entrapment within those muscles broke her cycle of pain. All that was left for her to do to prevent a reoccurrence of the condition was to keep the fascia in her lower extremities fluid and strong.

Results

During our second session, I offered a couple of new stretches and strengthening exercises, specific to her body’s needs.

She returned for her third and final session elated. She told me that she has slept through the last few nights without waking up from foot pain – a first since this had all started. After so many other approaches had failed, she admitted having been a little skeptical of what bodywork could do, but agreed to go along with her trusted massage therapist’s recommendation to see me. I regret that she hadn’t sought out this specific treatment before.

Plantar fasciitis is a condition that brings many people to see reflexologists and massage therapists. It is a very painful condition that afflicts thousands of people in America and is the most common cause of heel pain for which professional care is sought. Reflexologists and massage therapists can learn how to help people with this debilitating condition in one short weekend – past attendees of the Plantar Fasciitis: Protocol and Prevention workshop have gone on to build entire practices serving this population.

I will be teaching this 18-hour workshop at FSM on May 11^th and 12^th. A full description of the training and registration instructions can be found here. Call or email if you have questions: Karen Ball – 904/553.4067 – karen@academyofancientreflexology.com

Hope to see you!

Posted in Massage Modalities, Reflexology | Tagged foot reflexology, massage CEU classes, massage schools, Massage therapy CEU classes | Leave a comment

Osteoporosis: An Innovative Approach

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

According to the National Institute of Health, 40 million Americans either have osteoporosis or are at high risk due to low bone density. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including:

300,000 hip fractures
700,000 vertebral (spinal) fractures
250,000 wrist fractures
More than 300,000 fractures in other bones.

The most serious consequences of osteoporosis are hip fractures. In the USA, more than 250,000 hip fractures a year are due to osteoporosis.[73] A 50-year-old white woman is estimated to have a 17.5% lifetime risk of fracture of the proximal femur. Hip fractures can lead to decreased mobility and additional risks of numerous complications including deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia. 13.5% of patients die within six months following a hip fracture, and almost 13% of people who have suffered a hip fracture need total assistance afterward. Vertebral fractures, while having a smaller impact on mortality, can lead to severe chronic neurogenic pain which is difficult to control.

What can we do to prevent this? Nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle changes (such as limiting alcohol intake) are the main recommendations. There are controversial medications which increase bone density, but with the risk of serious side effects.

Ruthy Alon, an Israeli movement educator who was a student of the late Moshe Feldenkrais, was diagnosed with osteoporosis. She researched this subject, especially the research done by NASA regarding prevention and cure of bone loss in astronauts. She found interesting and unexpected information. For example, small vibrations have been shown to increase bone density. And curiously, light pressure is more effective than heavy pressure for stimulating bone growth!

Based on this, she created Bones For Life®, a natural movement-based alternative for improving overall skeletal health and preventing osteoporosis. BFL uses movement, as well as self-massage and self-tapotement, to stimulate bone in ways that promote the maintenance and increase of healthy bone mass.

Emphasis is on developing good posture and body mechanics, with movement and effort proportionally distributed throughout skeleton. This reduces possibility of injury, as well as creating body mechanics which lead to stimulation of the bone in everyday activity.

Introductory Bones for Life® classes will be taught by Ann Harman, L.M.T., Certified Bones for Life® teacher, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®, and retired osteopathic physician, on May 4 and August 17. We will learn a variety of processes to promote skeletal health, including exercise sequences, self-massage, and self-tapotement techniques. There will be a demonstration showing how to integrate some of these techniques and concepts into a massage practice. You will receive 6 Florida and NCBTMB CE hours.

Posted in Feldenkrais Method, Massage Modalities, Massage Therapy Research, Osteoporosis, Pathology, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Roots and Branches

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

The work we do has quite a lineage. The art of manual therapy, the use of touch, began thousands of years ago as a way of helping people feel better, helping to deal with the rigors of daily life. It is a tree that has grown many branches and roots. We feel the healing power of compassionate touch whenever we come in loving contact with another human being.

I have had the opportunity to study with several talented teachers in the past several months and have noted how each different approach relates to the others. There is a foundation based in the meeting of intention, awareness, inquiry, compassion and cooperation that is common to all that allows the various techniques to deeply affect the body.

Each of the teachers I’ve experienced approach the body from different perspectives. Tom Myers has a linage coming from Ida Rolf and focuses on the myofascia. He looks at the relation between structure and function, and thus how to get balance to suspend the bones. Deane Juhan looks at the relationship of the nervous system with the contractile system and how to engage this to get full function. Our own Ariela Grodner taps into the ancient Thai traditions focusing on energy lines and centers of balance in the body. Gil Hedly comes from a spiritual and Rolfing background and looks at how the body is organized and constructed. All of these folks offer wisdom to feed our work.

I am amazed at how the approaches intersect, yet may be very different in technique. All have a common emphasis on the whole body. They speak of addressing the spiritual, emotional, breath and physical bodies as integral to the work. All recognize that while we may apply our technique to specific parts or areas, it all must be integrated into the whole. All are interested in inquiry as a tool for change. Through inquiry-based work, both participants are invited into awareness and participate in the process, a much better approach than “fixing” someone. All emphasize working with ease of effort, sinking in, using shift of weight and movement to access the area being addressed. All talk of meeting the person where they are. And recognize the spiritual aspect of what we do, that we draw on something larger than ourselves for the common good.

We are blessed to have so much wisdom and experience available to us to further our work. I am reminded whenever I study with someone what a great resource we have in FSM. We have been exposed and bathed in these commonalities that make the work so effective for healing and transformation. I give thanks for all the teachers who have offered me their time and experience. They have prepared the ground and it has helped me grow in the process of being a body worker.

As you consider your next area of exploration, note how many excellent teachers are available right here at FSM from the folks you already know, to the visiting teachers who offer their insights. We are blessed in riches as we pull from so many opportunities to pursue our interests.

If you are interested in working with Deane Juhan, he will be at FSM offering his approach to engaging the nervous and contractile system May 10-12. It is listed in the continuing education listing. I also highly recommend Ariela’s Thai workshops. I really enjoyed studying with her. Both of these folks offer approaches that can easily fit into and enhance any type of massage practice. For more information on Deane’s offering, contact me directly at 352 371-0743 or fmerillat@mac.com.

Posted in Massage Modalities, Thai Massage, Trager, Uncategorized | Comments Off

FSM Wins $500 In Kickball Tourney

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

The staff of FSM recently teamed up with current students and graduates to win $500 in a local kickball tournament. The money was donated directly to the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, the school’s charity of choice.

The Alachua County Emerging Leaders (ACEL) sponsored the event on Saturday, February 2. The FSM team consisted of staff Bob Lee, Joe Cosenza, Sarah Abruscato, Mary Reis, Doug Loeb, Samantha Jones, Larsen McBride and eight FSM students and graduates.

“The entire event was a lot of fun!” said Bob Lee. “I haven’t played kickball since I was a kid and revisiting the game as an adult in a friendly competitive environment was a real treat. I really enjoyed the team aspect as well.

This particular event included a first for the FSM outreach team in that it was centered on kickball. Lee said, “As a massage therapist we often work alone and playing on a team with a common goal was rewarding. It was a very family-oriented and community-minded event, and really well organized. The entire ACEL staff was friendly, grateful, and supportive.”

Lee is the school’s event and outreach coordinator. He said this tournament was one of many different ways the school reaches out to the community by providing chair massage and a spirited presence at locations throughout North Central Florida.

The students of the Florida School of Massage also complete hands-on program requirements by working with the elderly at the Alachua Nursing Center and with children and families at the Ronald McDonald House, as well as in the affordable Student Clinic at the school’s location on SW 13^th Street. The FSM presence is also felt at the Farmer’s Market, and at various job and health fairs including on the University of Florida and Santa Fe College campuses.

Posted in Chair Massage, Charity, Kickball, Massage Modalities, Our Educational Philosophy, River Pheonix Center for Peacebuilding, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Movement and Posture: A Different Perspective

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

Have you ever worked with people who felt better on the table, but their problems began to recur as soon as they got off the table? Have you wondered if there is something else you could do?

About twenty years ago, I began asking this question. Not only did many of my clients come in regularly for the same problem (good for business, but not satisfying to myself or to them), but I also suffered from some chronic pains from which I could find no lasting relief. I began seriously researching the field of movement to find answers, as this particular approach had always appealed to me.

I went to seminars, and bought tapes and books. I searched the library. Every day I spent time doing movement and exercise practices. I studied yoga, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, and Emilie Conrad’s Continuum Movement. I studied with Israeli therapist Meir Schneider. I finally enrolled in a four year Feldenkrais training, and found the answers that I was looking for.

This study changed my life and my practice. I freed myself of chronic neck pain and sciatica. Not only did I have the physical relief, but through the body/mind integration, my mental and emotional life changed. When I could sense my spine, I no longer went through life feeling “spineless.” And I found that I became more successful in creating longer term changes in the lives of my clients. I started attracting clients with more difficult problems, and being more successful with them.

The class “Movement and Posture: Addressing the Root Cause” (formerly called “Movement Education for Massage Therapists) came from my explorations during this time. The philosophy of this class is that many pains and disabilities come from habits of movement and posture. We apply teachings from movement pioneers Moshe Feldenkrais and Meir Schneider, as well as some from yoga, to create hands-on methods of active assisted range of motion. This affects people in a deeper level in which long held patterns of standing, sitting and movement begin to change. This can be the beginning of a more profound healing for many. We address spinal and pelvic movement, which is at the heart of many problems. We also deal with arm and hand movement, which can be helpful for disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow. Foot and leg techniques may address ankle and knee problems. We will discuss the “triad of balance” and the relationship of balance to neck problems and general anxiety and tension, and practice methods to improve balance.

This class will be offered April 13-14, 2013. It provides 18 hours of continuing education, Florida and NCBTMB. The teacher is Ann Harman, retired osteopathic physician, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®, and Licensed Massage Therapist.

Posted in Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, Massage Modalities, Massage Therapy Research, Pathology, Uncategorized, Yoga | Comments Off

A New Year and the Dance Goes On

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

It’s a new year! The world did not end with the Mayan calendar. Congress still struggles with our nation’s issues. Clients are coming in and a new round of teaching Neuromuscular Therapy has begun. The dance continues.

I feel very blessed to be teaching with Cate, Pete, Laura and Cristian. I am really enjoying the current group of students; they are open, interested and participating. One of the aspects we emphasize is the integrative nature of massage therapy. In teaching NMT, we put together all the various pieces the students have been exposed to throughout the course. We present a process for exploration that helps us evaluate and treat what we find.

We call this the Art of Specificity—the ability to meet each client’s needs by bringing all our skills to the session. This includes using our communication skills, massage techniques, palpation skills, intuition, knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology, self-care and, above all, the ability to make deep contact and encourage awareness. When all of this is integrated, one becomes flexible in their approach. The client is engaged. Specific needs are addressed. Therapy happens!

We also spend a good bit of time addressing why we are doing what we do. Often, I am asked how NMT is different from Connective Tissue Therapy. I realize how important it is for us to know what we are working with and why. The movement body is an interaction of parts and systems—all essential to a well functioning body. Each modality or approach offers a path to address these interactions. Thus our knowledge of how the body operates and what we are touching can greatly enhance the ability to meet our client’s needs.

When we were in school we spent time studying the various systems and muscles involved in this interaction. We were learning our craft. Then we graduated, became licensed and started our practices. One of the things that I have observed, while teaching and attending various continuing education classes, is how easy it is to forget what we once knew. If we do not review or recall information on a regular basis, it begins to recede from memory.

This is why we are asked to take regular continuing education as part of renewing our massage license. It is important to keep interacting with all aspects of this profession we practice. How clear are you on what you are touching? Can you name what you are touching? Can you think of three different ways to release a trigger point? How is your recall of the parts and systems? Is your technique applied appropriately?

If your answer is not what you would like it to be, it is time to sign up for a class and continue the process of learning. I encourage you to find a class that interests you. There are lots of opportunities listed on the FSM website. It is important to keep ourselves up to date and tickling our recall of the different aspects of this work we do. It is a process of learning. It does not have an end. There is always room for growth.

If you would like a review of the structures and musculature of the upper or lower extremity and some review of various techniques to address these areas, I am offering these classes a couple times during the next few months. Each class is 6 CEU hours and can be taken singly or combined.

To register or get more information on the palpation classes, contact Frank Merillat directly at fmerillat@mac.com or call 352 371-0743.

Posted in Massage Modalities, Our Educational Philosophy, Palpation, Uncategorized | Comments Off

A Graduate’s Success: Finding your Niche

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Floridaschoolofmassage

What were you doing for work before attending FSM?

Before FSM, I was working at a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane. I was a rehabilitation therapist. I worked with a treatment team to get the client competent to stand trial for the crimes they were charged with. There was also a second set of clients that were deemed not guilty by insanity, and we had a whole separate list of responsibilities for that group. I did that for nine years.

How did the FSM experience change you, and what was it about your FSM experience that inspired you to do what you do now?

I left my previous career due to the fact that I felt my whole being starting to change into someone I knew I wasn’t. I began to feel jaded by all humans, feelings of anxiety and frustration became my norm. Not wanting to trust anyone was slowing creeping up more and more often. That is when I knew I needed and wanted a HUGE change for my life. I have always been interested in massage and knowing who I am, I knew I needed to work with people. I enjoy the relationships. Florida School of Massage gave me back my sense of self, my internal security, and I returned to the laidback personality I knew to be true to myself. I was able to let go of a lot of things because of the love and healing energy that was and continues to abound at FSM.

Did you face any challenges in coming to FSM? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?

When I decided to leave my previous career, I had to let go of a lot of personal securities. Such as a retirement fund, insurance, a steady paycheck, and knowing what was in store for me as a workday. It was difficult at first, but I knew that leaving that environment was really the only way I could return to happiness. So I let all the fears go, and I have NEVER looked back since!!!

FSM follows a “self-empowerment” model – how did this model effect your learning experience and/or the choices you made after graduation?

Because of the environment at FSM, I was able to trust my heart and know that if I wanted something I had the power to make my choice and run with it. I could achieve what I set out to achieve.

Do you have any advice for alumni or prospective students?

Any advice I could give to someone interested in attending FSM, would be to have a plan. It doesn’t have to be in concrete, but you need to have something to follow. No one is going to give you a handout, so plan ahead and make those plans and dreams your reality. It has to be for you or it won’t work.

Is there anything about your work with colon hydrotherapy that you would like to share?

When I was going through the program, I kept asking myself, “What is going to make me stand out, why would people want to come to me instead of someone else. That’s when it occurred to me that I needed to separate myself from just doing massage and to pursue my career in Colon Hydrotherapy. So many people thought I was crazy for wanting to deal with this type of job, but I knew in my soul that this was my path. Let me tell you, I love what I do and I have never been happier with a decision I’ve made. My life is so full of gratitude – I get to see my work help people EVERY SINGLE DAY. There is a peacefulness that comes from knowing that what I do is exactly what I am supposed to be doing at this moment. I don’t know what my future holds for me, nor do I search it out. I do know that because of my choice to go to FSM, my life is fuller, happier, and certainly clearer than at any other time.

Dawn Brower graduated from the FSM in March 2004, and is a practicing Licensed Massage Therapist in Florida. She is also an International and State Board Certified Colon Hydrotherapist, having received her training at the Body Logic Institute located in St. Augustine, Florida. She is a co-owner of the Gentle Waters Colon Hydrotherapy Center in Gainesville, Florida, with her partner Jennifer Ford. For more information, visit www.gentlewatershealing.com.

Posted in Colon Hydrotherapy, Massage Modalities, Massage Therapy Business, Uncategorized | Comments Off

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