Our massage therapists, Kasey and Kaijah are in many ways the unsung heroines of Wellspring Centre, supporting the work of our chiropractors by providing therapeutic massage drawn from a variety of modalities tailored to each patient’s needs. We want our community to get to know these amazing ladies a little better, so we’re beginning a blog series focused on them. In today’s post, we wanted to know Kasey and Kaijah got started as massage therapists.
Kasey:
When I was a child, my mother had this one area on her back that bothered her, and I had the biggest hands in the family, so she would have me rub it for her. It turns out that I was the only person who could make her pain go away. I didn’t realize then that I’d be doing this, but as a child I always had the desire to help people the way Jesus did, with that compassion and service for those who are suffering. At the core of my work is that childhood desire to be of service.
When I moved to Oregon, I started receiving massage and hakomi care, and I felt like I had found my calling! I thought about other career choices, but none of them rang true. I studied massage and became an LMT, and soon discovered that my niche is working with chiropractors. I wanted that long-term care provider relationship, to be able to offer real healing work to my clients. I worked in spas for a while, and that type of massage was easier than the truly therapeutic massage to address a health issue, but wasn’t as enjoyable for me. In my heart, I wanted to be a healer, and that’s what I do.
Kaijah:
I got my first massage in 1994 following a car accident. I was doing a lot of rock climbing at the time and I had to stop after the accident. A friend suggested massage therapy. My therapist quickly reduced my pain levels and, over the course of a few months, got me back to being able to climb pain-free! I was amazed at how effective massage therapy was, and I loved how good it felt. A few years later, when I was leading outdoor wilderness courses, some of the pain in my neck began to return along with some headaches. I was doing month-long backpacking and canoeing trips at the time. A colleague told me they got a massage at the end of every trip and referred me to their therapist. I began doing maintenance massage regularly to support all the ways in which I used my body, a practice I maintain to this day. After a year I really noticed the difference. When I pushed hard, I bounced back easier. I decided that the next step was for me to go to massage school. It’s one of the best decisions I ever made.
If you’d like to book a massage, you can schedule online or call us at 541.482.2021, and look for the next installment in our Get to Know Our Therapists blog series.