Emphatic Natural Health Consulting & Therapies

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Back and neck pain is the most common reason people start massage therapy. But that is not all that it is good for. Helping to strengthen the immune system, lighten the mood, elevate one's sense of worth, recover from health crisis or deal with chronic illness, and to learn to relax and enjoy life more are other wonderful reasons to get massage therapy. I work with both men and women, although I have found that women are easier about taking care of themselves. Some people think that massage is a "luxury ", but I believe touch is imperative to our well being and good health.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. When you are faced with a confusing health challenge, seek out compassionate, expert advice, explore your options, listen to advice from your doctors & others, but let your own intuition be the most important guide to the trustworthiness of the source, and the correct direction for yourself. Who is listening to YOU? Take you time before deciding on any course of action. Study your options. Breathe, meditate, pray and relax into your truth. Know that healing is not only the natural inclination of the body, but can be yours for the receiving. Who can best serve you? Who do you feel the most comfortable with? Who inspires you?

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. There are many types of practitioners in health care, some who are very inexperienced, some who are arrogant, and some who really care and have the knowledge and abilities that you need. Be discerning; talk to several people until you feel the compassionate connection that allows true healing to be transmitted. Feel who can really be there for YOU, rather than just tooting their horn. Different systems of healing work better for some than others, so try a few types before you settle on your choice. I prefer to combine several modalities to reach the core of the problem, which is why I have studied so many systems of healing to make more available to each of my clients...everyone is an individual, so it's best to find someone who can adapt to your needs.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. How long have your been treating people? What is your background? Why did you choose to do this particular type of work? What is your motivation for healing? How have your own health challenges guided you? Can you give me references? Can I talk to some of your clients? May I see your resume? Why do you think your system of healing is the best of all that is offered? Do you have a network of healers & doctors who you can refer me to? What types of illnesses do you feel the most competent treating? Are you a "people person" or a good technician? What can you do for me? Why should I choose you to trust?

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. What they want in a practitioner/healer; what their friends and family say about the modality or the person offering it; how committed are they to their own healing; who can they trust; how do they know when they trust another person; carefully examine whatever information is available about the healer in question; Are they ready to really get better? Is there anything in the way of your healing yourself? Are touch therapies comfortable for you? What are your hopes and fears?

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I integrate 65 different types of natural healing and medical nursing experience to have exactly the right tools for your specific healing needs. I am a trained psychological counselor as well as a somatic/massage therapist. My experience as an registered nurse helps me to guide you more knowledgeably in your quest for good health and well-being, and to better understand your medical diagnosis and prognosis and your treatment options. You can have the help you need in the comfort of your own home, and you determine how much you can afford for treatment. Creative Healing is a condition specific treatment modality that draws from natural healing techniques used around the world.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I chose private practice over hospital or clinical nursing because I can have a much deeper relationship over a long period of time with my clients. I usually end up seeing several people in a family, sometimes multiple generations, becoming an honorary family member. I can use my vast array of knowledge to individualize your treatment to best meet your needs. I can be creative and informal in teaching good health skills, helping people to make life long changes in their beliefs and habits, improving their chances for a long, productive, and healthy life. Being in your home rather than in an office environment gives me more information about how to best help you heal.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. The most common question is "can you help me with...?" Since I know that I can always make a difference, and that I have a huge number of treatment options available in my experience and training, my answer is generally in the affirmative. If, after a few treatments, someone does not seem to be improving, then I will refer them to other people or modality options for dealing with their condition. The next most common question is "will your treatment hurt me? I've had some massage that was too deep and caused me to flare up rather than improve". I believe that one need not use deep tissue work painfully, that it is necessary to first allow the client to know and trust me before I go deeper, after they have "opened" energetically to me, then when I do deep tissue work, it only feels good. I take into consideration the sensitivity of the individual and tailor the treatment to each individual.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. Actually, in 40 years, there have been many wonderful opportunities to witness miraculous recoveries. I have worked with survivors of horrible abuse who developed multiple personality disorder as a result and seen them integrate and use their parts to become whole. Another time, a woman who had seen a few times for back pain, called me to tell me she had breast cancer and was having a mastectomy in 5 days. I saw her that day and we worked with her survivor's guilt having seen her son and her mother die of cancer, I used gentle hypnosis and affirmations to help her see that she need not have the same fate. I used psychic surgery on her breast and put her on a fast. She called me the day her surgery had been scheduled to say that her mammogram prior to surgery was completely clear! Another time, I experienced an angel stepping into my space as I finished a session with a benediction. I left the room, and when I returned, my client told me she had felt "angels wings" over her at that time.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. That every therapist is different, even with the exact same training. A really good therapist will have more than 5 years experience, a very big heart, and that their hands will warm up considerably as the healing energy is channeled through them. A good therapist needs to be very grounded, have a great sense of humor, compassion, trust in the natural healing process, know their profession deeply, want to be of service, and have very, very good boundaries...meaning they will always be considerate of your concerns, modesty, and ability to be touched. They will respect your confidences utterly, they will be trustworthy and loyal, and they will not be sexual towards you.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I began doing massage at age 7 for my family and always knew I would be a nurse. I have always had a deep need to nurture and help others. I went to nursing school when I was 17, graduated at 20. I had already been working in hospitals since I was 13. When I was 22, I was told that my back injuries and scoliosis would have me in a wheelchair by age 30. I refused that outcome for myself and began to study natural healing in depth, getting more mobile and comfortable in my body as I worked. I learned to meditate, do yoga, changed my diet and lifestyle completely in order to be true to my own needs. I went into therapy and got lots of bodywork of all kinds to find what worked best for me and what I wanted to study next.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I had the opportunity to work with some pre-teen girls teaching them how to better know and listen to themselves through the use of kinesiology and guided meditations. They asked many questions over the times we met together. One was a very "picky" eater who was afraid to try new things, and the other was high-strung and artistic, feeling like she didn't belong. Both have changed how they feel and have become more confidant. We have a continuing relationship as I am in their home several times a month with their mother, and they are very open with me. It is very satisfying to see their confidence continue to bloom.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Absolutely!!! I have been involved in continual education in nursing and in natural health care. I study websites and research new treatments and modalities. I try new types of bodywork constantly. I deepen my knowledge of the systems I have already studied, taking refresher courses along the way. I have a vast library of health related books, tapes, and films that I make good use of and share with clients. I want my clients to study also, expecting them to want to take control of their health and knowing that it is possible to make deep changes since I have done so.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. I have a sliding payment scale that allows clients to determine how much they can afford so that they can get treatment as often as they need. I would rather get less and do a better job for them because they can see me more often. I will make special arrangements with those on disability and with Vets. I will consider barter as payment when appropriate. I offer specials several times a year when someone can pre-pay for several sessions at a reduced rate. I care that people get well, and will help them afford treatment whenever I can. I give the same excellent care no matter what someone can pay, as my first concern is to be of service.