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I'm a native Texan, born and raised in the heart of the beautiful "piney woods". After a high school trip through Spain, France, and Italy, I quickly realized that the world was so much bigger than my small little town, and a desire to spend my life exploring the world was set in motion. I worked for a few years in the airline industry, but I realized that such a stressful lifestyle was not sustainable for me long term.
At the time, it felt like I kind of stumbled into massage school, but now I see it was all part of the wonderful divine plan for my life. I've always loved working with my hands (I love to do anything crafty), and combined with the desire to have a career focused on serving others, but still flexible enough to travel, the massage and bodywork industry ended up being a really nice fit for me. It wasn't until three years into my career, though, when I began practicing Ashiatsu barefoot massage, that I realized that this was the most rewarding thing I could ever have imagined for myself. My clients were loving the work so much more, and I realized that I didn't have to sacrifice my own well-being in order to give them the deep, productive sessions that they enjoy.
Another fortunate event happened in my career, when I was asked by a long-time friend and client if I could help another therapist who had taken an Ashiatsu course. She was struggling with having confidence in the material. So we arranged for a time to get together, and I was astounded at how rewarding it felt to pass along some helpful hints and insights that I had gained in my few years of practicing with my feet. The time flew by and I wanted more! This was the catalyst that propelled me into teaching when the opportunity presented itself a few months later. In 2017, I had the great fortune of coming on as an instructor for DeepFeet Bar Therapy. This again opened up a new door for me when I was introduced to Sarga Bodywork.
Sarga has added a whole other dimension to my practice. It feels like it is the new frontier of what is possible in this industry. I am humbled and truly grateful to be a part of this team. Yet again, this is the most rewarding thing I could ever have imagined for myself!
Q & A:
What motivated/inspired/led you to become a professional massage therapist, and where did you go to massage therapy school? I graduated from Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in Austin in 2009. Before becoming a massage therapist, I worked as a flight attendant. I love to travel and serve people, but I quickly realized the stressful schedule and environment, combined with my somewhat introverted personality, left me feeling completely drained after just a few short years. I decided that being a yacht stewardess might be a better fit for me- working with a few people vs being surrounded by crowds all day long. During my research into the yacht industry, I stumbled upon a book with a "special skills" section to help you be more marketable in your job search, and guess what special skill I chose to learn? Yep, massage! I had never even had a professional massage in my life, but something within was calling me. Through school and on into working in the field, I realized that the massage and bodywork industry perfectly suits me. I can still travel when I want, set my own hours, work in a quiet environment, and I get such joy serving people in a more therapeutic capacity.
If you had another job/career prior to becoming a massage therapist, how does that life experience contribute to the work you do now? See above; what led me into massage. :)
How long have you been licensed and practicing as an LMT? I received my license in January 2010, celebrated with a month long trip to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, and then began working as an LMT later that year. I transitioned into primarily practicing barefoot massage techniques in 2013.
What kind of approach do you bring to your bodywork, and what massage techniques do you specialize in? I specialize in Ashiatsu DeepFeet Bar Therapy, Sarga Bodywork and Cupping. The fundamental idea behind my practice is to make space in the body and leave it in better symmetry at the end of the session. This allows the client to better assimilate the work after they leave me and make more lasting change in-between sessions. My preferred style with most of my clients, is to find that perfect balance combining deep productivity with relaxation. As our society spirals further into a condition of constant stress, multi-tasking, and too little sleep, I've come to place a higher value on the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system during sessions to help clients bring their entire system closer to homeostasis. Part of what I love about giving Sarga Bodywork is the sloth-like pace of the strokes and keeping yourself present and entirely focused on what you feel under your feet. It's so relaxing to give, it's almost trance-like. I think that the client picks up on that too. My clients say the work is epic.
What kind of marketing do you use to find new clients, as well as keep current clients coming back to you? I'm so fortunate I've only ever had to rely on word of mouth for new clients. I think clients come back (and tell their friends) because I attempt to treat every client as if they are the only client of the day. I don't rush them in and out or through a routine. I try to stay present and focused, listening to what they and their body are telling me, and matching my pace to the pace at which the tissue wants to release. I try to be as productive as I possibly can during a session. I work deep but I find a lot of my clients fall asleep. Maybe they just keep coming back for the nap. ;)
When you are not working or in the office... I'm such a homebody these days, but it helps that we live on 11 of the most beautiful acres in Austin! We love to share our space with friends and family, and I like to make people feel like they are on vacation when they stay with us. So, I love decorating and curating spaces that are functional and inviting. I like to relax by watching movies or doing crafty stuff or hanging out with my pug and my wonderful husband (not necessarily in that order).
What motivated/inspired/led you to become a professional massage therapist, and where did you go to massage therapy school? I graduated from Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in Austin in 2009. Before becoming a massage therapist, I worked as a flight attendant. I love to travel and serve people, but I quickly realized the stressful schedule and environment, combined with my somewhat introverted personality, left me feeling completely drained after just a few short years. I decided that being a yacht stewardess might be a better fit for me- working with a few people vs being surrounded by crowds all day long. During my research into the yacht industry, I stumbled upon a book with a "special skills" section to help you be more marketable in your job search, and guess what special skill I chose to learn? Yep, massage! I had never even had a professional massage in my life, but something within was calling me. Through school and on into working in the field, I realized that the massage and bodywork industry perfectly suits me. I can still travel when I want, set my own hours, work in a quiet environment, and I get such joy serving people in a more therapeutic capacity.
If you had another job/career prior to becoming a massage therapist, how does that life experience contribute to the work you do now? See above; what led me into massage. :)
How long have you been licensed and practicing as an LMT? I received my license in January 2010, celebrated with a month long trip to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, and then began working as an LMT later that year. I transitioned into primarily practicing barefoot massage techniques in 2013.
What kind of approach do you bring to your bodywork, and what massage techniques do you specialize in? I specialize in Ashiatsu DeepFeet Bar Therapy, Sarga Bodywork and Cupping. The fundamental idea behind my practice is to make space in the body and leave it in better symmetry at the end of the session. This allows the client to better assimilate the work after they leave me and make more lasting change in-between sessions. My preferred style with most of my clients, is to find that perfect balance combining deep productivity with relaxation. As our society spirals further into a condition of constant stress, multi-tasking, and too little sleep, I've come to place a higher value on the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system during sessions to help clients bring their entire system closer to homeostasis. Part of what I love about giving Sarga Bodywork is the sloth-like pace of the strokes and keeping yourself present and entirely focused on what you feel under your feet. It's so relaxing to give, it's almost trance-like. I think that the client picks up on that too. My clients say the work is epic.
What kind of marketing do you use to find new clients, as well as keep current clients coming back to you? I'm so fortunate I've only ever had to rely on word of mouth for new clients. I think clients come back (and tell their friends) because I attempt to treat every client as if they are the only client of the day. I don't rush them in and out or through a routine. I try to stay present and focused, listening to what they and their body are telling me, and matching my pace to the pace at which the tissue wants to release. I try to be as productive as I possibly can during a session. I work deep but I find a lot of my clients fall asleep. Maybe they just keep coming back for the nap. ;)
When you are not working or in the office... I'm such a homebody these days, but it helps that we live on 11 of the most beautiful acres in Austin! We love to share our space with friends and family, and I like to make people feel like they are on vacation when they stay with us. So, I love decorating and curating spaces that are functional and inviting. I like to relax by watching movies or doing crafty stuff or hanging out with my pug and my wonderful husband (not necessarily in that order).
