Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72195
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.HEALINGTOUCHFORANIMALS.COM. It wasn't until after she finished HTA's level two course work that a sense of peace came over her and a deeper realization unfolded. "I was rediscovering a part of me that had been missing for a long time—my passion to work with animals," she recalls. When her dogs became critically ill with a rare autoimmune disease 18 months later, Wallen's clarity intensified. Utilizing the cooperative approach taught by Carol Komitor, creator of HTA, Wallen followed the advice of her veterinarian for three weeks of the dogs' intensive, chemotherapy- filled treatment, before adding HTA. The prognosis for one of the dogs at the time was grim, as she was not responding to medication. After four sessions of HTA, Wallen and her husband brought the dogs back to the vet for their weekly blood work; he seemed surprised to find not only were their platelet levels finally responding, but everything was back in normal range. While the vet discounted it largely as coincidence, Wallen says she looked in her husband's eyes and they both knew. "I walked out of the office and told my husband I was going to get certified." PERSONAL NEED, PROFESSIONAL WORK After completing HTA levels three and four, Wallen became certified in 2008 and is starting to see more and more clients, most coming by word of mouth. She says she's never tried to push the process or the business, instead letting it unfold in front of her. She continues to work with the non profit as her massage business grows organically. While her passion is working with animals, Wallen also has compassion for people, so she sees both kinds of clients. "I know how much energy work benefited me," she says of her own health journey. Komitor says she has seen many students like Wallen come to her program. "I feel continuing education is valuable as it allows us to expand our knowledge base and stretch ourselves beyond our expectations of the norm," Komitor says. "Continuing education allows for creativity and passion to unfold as we pursue a special interest. I have seen people come into a HTA workshop, disgruntled with their corporate America jobs, and find a 'home.' They satisfy their need to grow on an education level, but more importantly, they are able to provide a valuable service at the same time. Lives are changed, and everyone is better for it." Today, Wallen says she feels much "I was rediscovering a part of me that had been missing for a long time—my passion to work with animals." Shelley Wallen, Healing Touch for Animals practitioner more grounded. "I feel like instead of swimming upstream, I'm swimming with the current. I've never felt like that before. HTA not only brought me full circle with my childhood passion of working with animals, but I have learned, healed, and grown tremendously as an individual through this program and the certification process. The animals have been amazing teachers and there is so much we can learn from them about living in the moment, unconditional love, and forgiveness, and the effects these principles have on our health." Karrie Osborn is contributing editor for Massage & Bodywork magazine. visit abmp.com for a calendar of ceu listings 151