Bodywork

Other - 21 years and Counting

I first learned the theory of touch as a means to heal and comfort each other as an undergraduate at SUNY Cortland. My Psychology instructor introduced us to Ashley Montague's ground breaking work "Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin". After graduation I began working as a Certified Nursing Assistant and observed the ease and peace that touch and scent brought to patients who were no longer able to care for themselves and/or whose families were not capable or available to do so. It was here that I observed the differences in what I came to call clinical touch as opposed to caring touch. Soon after receiving my license as a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist in 1998, I became certified as a Geriatric Massage Therapist. Early in my career I had the opportunity to work with Nursing Home Residents as a Massage Therapist and subsequently designed and presented an in-service program for staff entitled "Touch and the Caregiver". I also had the opportunity to provide massages at a regional Burn Camp for children who were living with the physical, emotional, and social consequences of having been burnt. Today my education and experiences in both areas form the foundation of my practice and continue to push me in new and innovative directions. In 2001 I became a Certified Aromatherapist through the Aromahead Institute. At this time I was still with the Nursing Home and was fortunate to work with a very progressive Administrator. During that period I wrote a grant proposing a study of the effects of touch on the elderly, then went on to design an in-house protocol to include essential oils as part of a patient's care plan. At that time our specific concerns were to increase appetites, and weight gain, while decreasing the incidence of constipation. Today my passion for the practice of Aromatherapy has led me to further my studies on line at Aromahead as well as through the Tisserand Institue. and develop new services to educate and expand the knowledge and experiences of my clients with essential oils. Currently I maintain professional memberships with the Aromahead Institute, the Tisserand Institute, the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapists and the American Massage Therapy Association.