My own story of how I became interested in natural health and bodywork has seemed to grow more with time and life experience. After sustaining serious injuries in a car accident at the age of fourteen I was left with daily headaches, other bodily chronic pain, and cognitive disabilities.

The rehabilitative therapies and doctor appointments were numerous after the accident, but, even though they were extremely helpful in my recovery, I still wasn’t feeling or functioning at my best. As my family and I continued to search for relief, we started to turn more towards alternative/natural therapies. The first alternative therapies that I remember that gave me some pain relief were massage and craniosacral therapy. It wasn’t until we found a craniosacral therapist that my headaches were finally decreased. The craniosacral therapy was helpful in allowing my body to release in a way that it wasn’t able to before. I began to have less headaches and I felt more balanced in my everyday living.

After any sort of trauma that people go through, there is usually some sort of emotional pain that is left behind. As humans, we hold emotions in our bodies and they can cause restrictions in our bodies or “energy cysts” as Dr Upledger calls them. These energy cysts can cause pain and blockages in fascia, muscles, or even our energy. Included in CranioSacral Therapy is a portion called SomatoEmotional Release (SER). SomatoEmotional release gives our bodies a chance to release past blockages and trauma by unwinding in whatever way it needs to.

It was through SER that my body was able to start processing what had happened in the car accident and to let go of the past trauma that wasn’t serving a purpose in my life anymore. By hanging on to the past trauma, I was also holding on to the pain. By allowing my body to unwind through CST and SER, I was able to let go of the trauma and along with that, quite a bit of the pain.

It was at this time that I knew I wanted to be able to help people who were in any sort of chronic pain. After graduating from high school I went through the Massage Therapy program at Lansing Community College. I learned many techniques for reducing pain and helping people recover from various injuries/ailments. After graduating from the program I felt like there was still something that I wanted to learn to be able to help people. I took one introductory class in CranioSacral Therapy (CST) and I was hooked. I loved being able to feel the wave-like rhythm in people’s bodies and to feel the blockages release from various areas.

I went on to take weekend intensive courses through the Upledger Institute over the next three or four years. Always having a new sense of more incredible ways I could be beneficial to my clients. Always feeling even more in tune with the craniosacral rhythm and becoming more and more intrigued in the therapy.

After having my own practice for a few years I wanted to learn more about the actual natural health field. So I went on to study Natural Health through Clayton College of Natural Health. In 2010 I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Health. It was through this program that I gained the knowledge of how to use herbs and various supplements as a way to increase health. I learned more about the importance of sunlight, water, and movement in a person’s everyday life. I learned about various ailments and how to heal from them or avoid them in the first place. I ultimately became more confident in giving clients suggestions or ideas of ways to live a healthier life and to feel their best.

So that brings me to where I am now. I moved out of state for a couple of years to spread my wings and experience new things for a while. It was a great and incredible experience in some ways, but the importance of family and a strong support system in my life is what ultimately brought me back to Michigan. I am truly pleased to be around family and friends again. I am working in a great office space and am grateful for all of my clients - new and those that I've had the pleasure of knowing for a long time.