Recently, I asked grads of the Academy if they would share what they have done with their reflexology training after completing the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification. You know, how it impacted or influenced their lives; that sort of thing.
Below is Shea Nicole de Oliveira‘s story on how she stands out in a large population of massage therapists in her area. As always, it is written in her upbeat, positive way of living her life. Go Shea!
★ I completed the Academy’s Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification in 2010. I was able to jump in last minute, just a week before it began, and I’m forever grateful that I did!
I built my reflexology practice in the beginning in two places. I had a private massage practice in Winter Park, Florida and I also had a part time job at Massage Envy. I used both places to get as much practice with reflexology as possible!
All my massage clients were very regular with their appointments; mostly deep tissue clients, all visiting between one and four times per month. I knew their tissue very well.
I began to use reflexology before massage for as many as I could convince to try (which was not difficult at all), and the results were what locked in my love for reflexology for good. It was night and day to me and to them – the change in their tissue, the depth of relaxation, and many other physiological benefits depending on what reflexes and systems we focused on. I began to recommend to every client that we do reflexology first for every session; from then on, my most popular session booked to date has been a 2-hour session (one hour reflexology followed by one hour massage).
I went on to study Thai foot reflexology with the Academy, and absolutely fell in love with that, too. I had been practicing Thai massage for a few years and resonated with the principles, so when I realized there was a way to marry Thai massage with reflexology, I just had to know!
I set a goal to offer 108 Thai reflexology sessions in a short period of time and I gave away the first 27 of them for free. This helped tremendously to build my reflexology practice, and it gave me enough experience with the protocols that I will surely never forget! (There is much more to the fascinating story of how Shea perfected and introduced Thai foot reflexology to the Orlando area. Read it here. ….Karen)
In 2012 I became certified to teach foot Reflexology workshops for the Academy. I have co-taught numerous workshops with another colleague and friend.
Currently, I work as Vice-President of Integrative Wellness for a national spinal rehabilitation care company, and I teach reflexology to our massage therapists so that they may use this healing art with our patients.
I am excited to see where the field goes and am ever grateful to be a part of it. Five years later and I still trade regularly (weekly when possible) with a fellow AAR graduate!
Reflexology has kept my feet on the ground and my head on my shoulders more than many other therapies I have used for my personal life, so it’s an absolute joy for me to share it with others. Next, I want to learn more about reflexology with aromatherapy! I’m always looking for more opportunities to train with AAR! ★
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