When clients ask me, "Why did you become a massage therapist?" I always go back to 8 year old me, sitting on a bed in a hotel room in Red Bluff, CA (USA). I was massaging my grandmothers shoulders and back, and maybe she was just being kind and trying to build my confidence, but she told me when I finished, "That was so nice! You should be a massage therapist when you grow up." I had never heard of a "massage therapist" before but this interaction always stayed with me. As I grew, I was always drawn to healing work. I was raised by a pretty hippy-dippy mother, and essential oils, energy work, and natural healing were common resources and topics of conversation in my home. I never felt like I had a "gift" like some energy/body work people feel they have, but I still couldn't deny the pull I felt towards a job and career in a medical profession.
I bounced between several plans as I think most of us do, but they always stayed in the same realm. First I thought I'd become a pharmacist because they made great money. Then I took my first chemistry class and got my first F ever... and after I stopped being devastated by the blow to my GPA, I decided Physical Therapy was the track for me. Then (because I grew up riding and training horses) I heard about this "new thing" called Hypo Therapy, aka Equine Therapy, and I thought that sounded pretty amazing. I had a "grand vision" when I was 16 or so of starting a wellness ranch for families to come and enjoy wide open spaces, opportunities to work with horses and subsequently their own issues (because horses are amazing tools for healing like that; more on that another day!) and have counseling sessions with me and my team of licensed health professionals and their various modalities.
No I'm 18, and off I went to college. I found myself pursuing Equine Science and Management with a minor in Agricultural Business at good ol' Utah State University. *GO AGGIES!* I was awed and amazed by their stellar equine facilities, and the equestrian team sounded super fun to be apart of. However, the main teacher who basically taught every class (because this was a new degree program at the time) drove me pretty nuts... Which led to me switching my major to Psychology so I could still create that vision 16 year old Jenny had.
However, like most adults, the plans you had for your life often take different directions than you ever anticipated. Fast forward from 18 year old Jenny to 28 year old Jenny, and I'm now married with two kids, and no degree at all. I never finished my equine or psych degree. I did take an 18 month sabbatical and had intended to go back down my Physical Therapy path, but that didn't happen either. I got married and moved to another state all together, and ultimately decided 4 year college just wasn't for me.
I found a great job working for an optometrist, but eyeballs are just not my passion. I then had my first child and had always planned to be home with my kids so I started rocking the stay at home mom life, got involved with an MLM (learned a lot, but also spent a lot of money I did not make back #typical) side hustle as many stay at home moms do, but that really took a tole on my mental health, especially after my 2nd child came into the world. I love them both, but I realized about 18 months ago that being home all... day.... long.... with 2 kids under 2.... (plus some bonus kids because I started doing Day Care because there's just not enough good child care in the world) was just NOT a great fit for me, so I started looking into Massage School, 20 years after the first time it was suggested to me. Turns out there's a pretty long shelf life on "the power of suggestion". I wish I'd done massage school 10 years ago, but if I have learned anything from my life it is that everything happens when it's meant to.
Now as a licensed massage therapist, I have chosen to focus on clinical massage treatments, am pursuing certification in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Equine Massage, and Pediatric Massage for Behavioral and Developmental Support. This is such a rewarding, and diverse field to work in. I love what I do, and I'm grateful for the things I'm learning and will continue to learn. I'm grateful to be back on a path to one day create that vision that I had at 16. I'm excited for this new chapter in my career, and for what will come in the future.
Stay well, and thanks for reading!
Comments
Post a Comment