I graduated from Wor-Wic Community College in 2008 with an Associate's Degree in Nursing and  am a Registered Nurse. I graduated from Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland in December 2022 and became a Licensed Massage Therapist in February 2023. I have been an RN in a variety of settings including: med-surg, physician office, pediatrics, hospice, home health, home infusion, camp nursing, developmental disabilities community and served in medical missions within third world communities. In nursing school I got to learn the body from the inside out and in massage therapy school I got to learn the body from the outside in! We are fearfully and wonderfully made!!! Many chronic diseases are linked to stress and anxiety and are exacerbated by stress. Massage therapy promotes relaxation and decreases stress hormones such as cortisol. It can decrease pain, improve immune function, enhance cognitive function, decrease anxiety, improve mood, ease depression symptoms, increase flexibility and range of motion,  reduce side effects of chemotherapy, improve sleep, reduce muscle tension, decrease headaches, aid in digestion and elimination, speed soft tissue injury recovery,  improve circulation, decrease blood pressure, and produce a sense of well being. Massage therapy can enhance athletic performance and correct muscle imbalances. When the body is relaxed in the rest and digest state, it is better able to heal and repair itself and learning and problem solving improve.  Massage therapy can be helpful to the body when experiencing grief or sudden loss or trauma that produces both emotional and physical symptoms.  My continuing education after graduating from my massage therapy program has been focused on providing massage therapy to clients who have experienced trauma and the mind, body relationship with a focus on the fascial system.