Massage & Bodywork

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016

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injury, chronic pain, neurological and physical disorders, postsurgical recovery, and stress management. Karla's 20-year career has been focused on medical massage, exercise, and fitness. www.medicalmassagecenter.com 1. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO THE FIELD? As a child, my dad went to massage therapy for chronic stress, migraines, etc. In between sessions, he would ask me to "massage" his shoulders and neck like his therapist and taught me what to do. As time passed, he mentioned that I had strong hands and was intuitive in regard to his pain. He encouraged me to go to massage school. 2. WHAT KEEPS YOU IN THE FIELD? WHY ARE YOU STILL PRACTICING? I'm still practicing because I continue to love the work. I come from a family of medical practitioners and service industry providers. It is an innate passion to help others on their path to healing, to relieve pain, and to encourage and coach them toward wellness. 3. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SELF-CARE PRACTICES? Receiving regular massage therapy. Exercise of all kinds. Sleep! CATHERINE GREGORY Catherine is a certified massage therapist, certified meditation instructor, and advanced certified practitioner of the Arvigo Therapy modality, specializing in women's reproductive health. She's run her own healing arts practice for 12 years and is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. She's a former magazine editor and writer currently writing her first book on women's healing and empowerment. www.fertilebeing.com 1. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO THE FIELD? I had a personal healing experience working with a shaman in Mexico that directly led to my first pregnancy. I knew then I had experienced something profound, so I researched more about Mayan uterine massage and decided to become a CMT so that I could do further training to become a certified Arvigo Therapy practitioner. 2. WHAT KEEPS YOU IN THE FIELD? WHY ARE YOU STILL PRACTICING? I have been doing this work consistently for the past 12 years, and although I am transitioning into more writing, coaching, and online work, I absolutely love the time I spend one on one with clients. My sessions are very meditative and healing for me, too. Afterward, I am more grounded and feel like I received the healing benefits from the session as well. 3. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SELF-CARE PRACTICES? I recognized how important self-care is after burning out, literally. I was diagnosed with adrenal burnout after I physically crashed and had so little energy I couldn't work or do much of anything for a while. I saw clearly that self-care was not only important but absolutely necessary for anyone working as a caregiver—especially parents! I have a regular self-care routine, and I encourage all of my clients to commit to one as well. I meditate and journal daily, do yoga, ride my bike, and spend a lot of quiet time in nature, sometimes hiking, or simply breathing and recharging. 4. SHARE A STORY ABOUT A MEMORABLE CLIENT INTERACTION OR EXPERIENCE. I am truly blessed to witness amazing healing transformations in my clients. One of my most memorable clients was a woman who was clinically diagnosed as infertile. She had been through three failed in-vitro fertilization procedures ($30K each) and was told she would never become pregnant. She showed up in my office emotionally (and financially) depleted and pretty much hopeless. After just six months of regular sessions and incorporating suggested self-care practices, she healed her menstrual cycles and became pregnant naturally. She's now a mother to three children, all conceived naturally. JOAN M. LAUBACHER Joan M. Laubacher is an experienced, working massage therapist and skin care professional with a background in brand marketing and small business consulting. In her 24 years of experience, she has worked for mid-level companies, start-ups, franchises, and day spas and is currently juggling private practice with a robust family life in Boulder, Colorado. Joan is a faculty member of the Boulder Massage Therapy digital extra

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