How water treatments increase the effectiveness of bodywork.
Water treatments, especially when combined with healing touch, may be the very oldest and most rever[...]
(This is one of the “career change” students referred to in a 8/14/12 blog.)
Kate’s Story
Through economic downturns during a career in writing and business management that spans 25 years, I‘ve remained flexible in adapting my skills to different venues in a variety of jobs. Now, at age 60, I’ve reinvented myself and returned to a lifelong interest in health and wellness. On June 8 I graduated from the OSM massage program, which I began in 2005 between jobs.
Early experience with massage and related modalities:
In my college days at Stanford in the 1970’s, I was drawn to the healing profession through a peer-counseling program where I became a trained facilitator in music therapy. I assisted clients in healing through guided imagery in a deeply relaxed state with the use of music that was specifically selected to enhance the client’s emotional connection with memories locked in the body. Music therapy was innovative at that time, but has continued to grow and has palliative applications for treatment of chronic pain and during end of life care.
That student experience instilled in me what has become a lifelong passion to facilitate health and wellness in others. Over the years, I took classes in energy healing modalities, including Healing Touch and Reiki and eastern practices in meditation, tai chi and qi gong.
Meanwhile, to earn a living, I parlayed a degree in writing into a career that started with technical writing and grew into business management, including a position as VP of Creative Development for a children’s educational software company. After 15 years my job ended and the company closed its doors in the early 2000’s. In mid-life, I found myself without a job and without a golden parachute.
How I decided to enter training:
While looking for my next job, I volunteered my services at a naturopathic clinic, offering Healing Touch energy sessions to interested patients. As I began working on clients with illnesses and injuries on an energetic basis, I discovered that I wanted to know more about anatomy and pathology. I enrolled at Oregon School of Massage (OSM) to become a credentialed, licensed practitioner. The job market was tight post 9/11 and I repackaged myself professionally by applying my skills into healthcare, which seemed more stable than high-tech and more aligned with my interest in the healing profession.
Experience of being a student:
Being back in school after age 50 is a revelatory experience. I feel a rekindled excitement for learning, including the health sciences. Massage and bodywork offer a vast array of approaches and techniques, and as such, I feel like a kid in a candy shop. Which modality will I explore next? I’ve delighted in the courses I’ve taken at OSM, everything from clinical application of Swedish massage to hot stone to Shiatsu, and look forward to the endless array of classes available to deepen my knowledge and enrich my work. There’s always something new to learn.
Plans for a practice:
After 5 1/2 years with a medical clinic, I’ve just completed the massage training program at OSM and will work with my partner, Dr. Gregory L. McDonald, ND, LAc at the Lake Natural Medicine Clinic in Lake Oswego. I particularly enjoy working with clients in mid-life and the elderly, providing nurturing, therapeutic massage combined with energetic healing modalities, such as Healing Touch.
I plan to work as both a massage therapist and freelance writer for medical and other healthcare professionals. I’m excited about writing and telling the story of massage and contributing to the healthcare field, as both a writer and a practitioner.
Kate Gerity
