Jessica Reid has had an interest in Massage Therapy some 10 years before finally deciding to take classes at Bodymechanics and become licensed. But it was one specific moment, while on her honeymoon in Mexico in June of 2021, when she knew, without a doubt, that she was ready to start that journey. Jessica and her husband went in for a couples massage and it was in that moment that Jessica knew that she wanted to have a career in massage therapy. At the time, Jessica was working in a Longterm Care Facility and with that came an interest in Hospice Massage, Oncology, and helping people who suffer from chronic pain and injury. Giving people relief from pain and help them find true healing is what called Jessica to a career in massage therapy. Having experienced many years of her own chronic back pain, Jessica knows the benefits of massage firsthand and the importance of finding natural ways to heal the body. Jessica sees the value of massage for general maintenance, treating pain, and keeping the body healthy and functioning, while also seeing the value of massage for relaxation and stress relief.
“When I go in for massage, it’s typically for pain relief and to treat injuries, but I also enjoy a great relaxation massage while I’m on vacation.”
Jessica enrolled in night classes at Bodymechanics last year so she could keep her job in social work and Longterm Care during the day and still have time to pursue her dream. It was during this time that she found out she was pregnant with her first child. Juggling school, work and a difficult pregnancy was not an easy thing, but Jessica addresses the benefits of having a lot of hands-on work in class:
“There was a lot of hands-on in class, so even though it was a difficult pregnancy that included bad vertigo, the hands-on experience, and learning about the body and how it functions, definitely helped me understand more about myself.”
The hands-on work was not only helpful for Jessica, but also for her classmates, who were able to experience firsthand how to perform pregnancy massage and side-lying techniques.
Jessica went through 7 months of classes, when she went on maternity leave; she later rejoined the morning class, who will be Graduating next month!
“One of the things I love about Bodymechanics is the people: from Shari, the owner of the school, to my classmates, to the incredible instructors. Everyone brings something different to the day. The Instructors are all so incredible and the knowledge we are receiving is really great! I especially love the injury treatment classes because they are so pertinent to our training in helping people get out of pain. All of the classes flow together so well. When I joined the morning class to finish up the program, everything just kind of came together. The knowledge we were receiving made sense. I wish I could’ve gone through the program without “pregnancy brain” but being able to rejoin with the morning class and finish up the program was really great!”
After graduation, Jessica wants to start out small by working on friends and family, while she continues to take specialty classes that will help her develop her Niche and discover what she wants to specialize in.
“I am interested in everything. I want to take classes that are Spa oriented at first, like cupping, hot stones and gua sha, but I also have an interest in the medical side of massage like Lymphatic Drainage and helping clients who suffer from diabetes, cardiovascular issues and dementia.”
Helping clients get out of pain is what really speaks to Jessica. As she knows firsthand what its like to live with chronic pain, this is what her intention and focus will be when working with clients.
“One of the best experiences I had was during student clinic, when a client came in with excruciating back pain and left my table pain free! That was the just the best experience and I want to have that same experience with every client.”
Jessica will be graduating in February 2023 with her classmates and is excited to start her journey of providing healing and pain relief to her clients.
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