Julie Laico studied Massage Therapy at the American Institute of Massage Therapy in Pompano Beach, Florida and graduated in 2002.
During her career she had extensive training in Neuromuscular Therapy, Myofascial Release, Sports and Prenatal Massage.
Over the years she has worked from clinical settings, working on auto injury patients to spas as well as mobile and chair massage.
Julie believes in tailoring a massage towards the individual needs of each client by using multiple modalities to get the best results possible. Her massages are designed to promote both healing and relaxation.
Julie continues to expand her knowledge, experience and expertise in bodywork and attends workshops and classes as often as possible to enhance her skills to better serve her clients.
She truly loves her work and looks forward to helping each client improve his or her well-being.
I have a son with Down syndrome. Respiratory and sinus issues create a huge challenge in the day to day health of someone with DS. My pediatrician told me that because of his head shape, my son would have to live with the infections and the subsequent cracked and bleeding nose and lips. After my son suffered with constant infections for 4 years, I decided to start researching natural ways to support his health. I was on a mission to not only remove the symptoms but actually evoke a permanent healing. I took a class on the healing benefits of essential oils. I started applying oils directly to his sinus cavity, chest and feet. I diffused oils into the air with a cold air diffuser that allowed him to breath in the droplets while he was sleeping. He started getting better.
The first month I used tons of oils on him – going through 6-8 15ml bottles. The next month I used less and by the end of 3 months the infections were gone! For the next year at the start of each season he would begin to get some mucus but once again I applied essential oils to his sinus cavity, in his nose and on his feet. I also diffused them into the air. Within days the symptoms were gone and never got to the infection stage.
Now seven years later, he is rarely sick. Last year he got an award at school for not missing one day. Imagine a child who is supposed to have a genetically low immune system not missing one day of school! This year he would have gotten the same award but we took him out of school for a week to visit his grandparents in Europe.
Passionate about essential oils? You bet I am. Passionate about using oils with my massage clients? Absolutely. Essential oils deliver much more than relaxation. That is the ?aroma? part of essential oils. What can also be offered is the ?therapy? part?..this is where the grade of oil you use becomes more important than what you use it for.
I’ve found many workshop participants are uncomfortable performing hands-on abdominal work, i.e., pelvic and respiratory diaphragm releases and sometimes even superficial belly techniques. This seems particularly true when working with pregnant clients/patients.
Do you feel belly-work is under-emphasized in massage trainings? Does the area hold too much emotion or possibly too intimate for some? I’ve written a short e-newsletter & posted a video showing some basic useful structural integration techniques @ http://erikdalton.com/NewslettersOnline/Sept_09_Newsletter.htm
Understanding Massage Therapy Through a Taoist Idea
In my new book due out October, 2009, Massage Therapy: What It Is and How It Works by Cengage Learning, one of the things I do is develop an idea called ?The Three Paradigms.? It was borne out of long, deep discussions in which I partook in 1990 as an original member of the Job Analysis Advisory Committee (JAAC), formed by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). The JAAC ultimately led to the formation of the first National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and I served on that board as a founding member for almost five years. At that time, we presented the essential conclusions of our discussions in a brief article entitled, ?Three Paradigms, Five Approaches? in the Massage Therapy Journal, Summer 1991. It was co-authored by Carl Dubitsky, OBT, LMT, Patricia Benjamin, PhD, Raymond Castellino, DC, RPP, Jeffery Maitland, PhD and myself, Steven Schenkman.
Almost twenty years later, based on my own experience, observations, and thought and after years of further dialogue and discussion, I have greatly expanded on that initial idea in my book. I have always found ?The Three Paradigms? so central to understanding the scope of massage and yet no one ever took them and ran with them. That?s one of the things I try to do in my book. For years I?ve discussed them and often used them as the foundation of lectures and classes I taught.
For the purpose of this blog, I wanted to briefly touch upon an aspect of ?The Three Paradigms,? which opens up an important way to understand and view the entire field. When correctly understood, these three paradigms provide comprehension and insight into the full scope of massage therapy practice and its many positive, healthful benefits and outcomes. They are as classified as follows:1) Relaxation and Stress Reduction, 2) Remediation, Therapy and Pain Relief and 3) Holistic or Integrative. These Three Paradigms together form an overlapping continuum of potential practice and treatment beginning at the most basic levels of touch, leading to the most comprehensive and advanced levels of therapeutic treatment and holistic care practiced in bodywork today. The idea of different paradigms in massage therapy is one that is intimately bound to the length and depth of successful education and training, continuing education, professional development and the extent of a therapist?s practical experience.
In Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, there is a fundamental principle that reflects and gives explanation to the inner process of what takes place, either consciously or unconsciously, during the process of learning and becoming a massage therapist. It is the principle of ?Li (pronounced lee)? precedes Qi (pronounced chee).? It means that Li, the underlying notion or the idea of any ?thing? must first exist before it becomes manifest into material being through Qi, — the energy or vital force used to bring it into reality. In short, — idea precedes manifestation. For example, before a skyscraper can be built it first comes into existence as an idea in the mind of its architect who then puts all the detail down on paper to create blueprints of the building. The blueprints are then brought to life through the energy or Qi of the builders who turn it into a three dimensional physical reality. So in a sense the Li of anything is really like an invisible blueprint. This parallels very closely how in massage therapy the depth, quality and the extent of how ultimately what manifests through a massage therapist?s hands will be a reflection of how well they have developed the ?Li?s? of understanding their paradigm of practice and the particular bodywork or massage therapy modality used to facilitate that practice.
As massage therapy students evolve into professional practitioners, they absorb and then integrate their training and practical experiences into a kind of ?blueprint of understanding.? With the right attention and efforts, this understanding grows into a comprehensive framework or paradigm that equals the efforts practitioners have made to embrace their education and hone their technical skills. In the end it?s the clients and patients who become the fortunate (or unfortunate) recipients of the paradigm of practice that emanates as intention (or LI) through their massage therapist?s hands.
Discussion: I would love to hear more of people?s thoughts on this important idea of the direct connection between the depth and quality of practitioners? understanding of their work and how it impacts their level of competence, excellence, sensitivity and palpatory skills and the overall results of their treatments in whatever of the Three Paradigms they practice from.
Mothers control 85% of the household income in the US, and their buying power tops $2.1 trillion annually, according to a special report by Marketing Sherpa. There are approximately 75 million moms in the US alone.
Match these statistics to the fact that women are the primary healthcare decision makers in the US, and you?ve got an audience you should be talking to about your massage therapy business.
No matter what type of massage you do, rehab to stress reduction, it?s important to know that mothers control a large percentage of the clients you see. As a mother myself I know this is true. From dental appointments to acupuncture treatments, to the massages we get on the weekends, the approval runs through me. My husband jokingly says he has to ?check with corporate? before making a decision on some things, our healthcare tops this list.
What do these statistics mean to you and how should it affect the marketing you do?
Moms are everywhere
For starters, regardless of what niche you?ve chosen, understand you are marketing to moms. Moms work, moms are athletes, moms plan the vacations?so whether speaking at a corporate health fair, or training a group of athletes on injury prevention ? chances are you?re talking to a mom.
And according to Marketing Sherpa, one of the most important things you can do to connect with moms is build a relationship with them. An example given in a recent report discusses a tactic whirlpool has used for the past three years; running programs that have nothing to do with appliances.
According to the Marketing Sherpa article, ?Whirlpool has been doing weekly podcasts ?The American Family?, for three years. The podcasts get 25,000 to 40,000 monthly downloads? says Audrey Reed-Granger, Director Marketing and Pr, Mass Brands. ?The content includes interviews with experts on topics such as shaken baby syndrome, workplace bullying, traveling with kids, and weight loss and management.? (Notice how many of these are health-related. Moms are actively searching for health information, both online and off)
As a healthcare marketer it’s important you know moms are busy, digitally savvy, and are online daily. Moms often feel overwhelmed and look for healthcare services that not only keep their families healthy, but make parenting easier and enrich the lives of their children.
How can you apply this information to your practice? Let?s take a look at what works when reaching out to the mom market?
Home parties (think of ?girls night out? at your practice or a massage party at someone?s house). Moms want to learn, have fun, and be social. Parties are a great way to meet several of these needs.
Blogging ? studies show that 53% of moms are bloggers. Do you blog? Do you use key words when you blog so your practice is found in the search engines?
Podcasts ? moms can learn about caring for their family while exercising, cooking dinner, or gardening. Busy moms often don?t have time to read, but they can download information to their mp3 players and multitask.
Email ? Moms are active, informed online users. They are, however, not intrigued by cutesy graphics or long-winded offers. Ezines can be a great way to keep busy moms informed without wasting their time. Ensure your information gets straight to the point and includes high-resolution graphics.
Discounts go a long way with moms. Show the discounted price, not just the percent off. We don?t want to figure it out, but we love a good sale!
Odds are a large percentage of the decision making in your client base comes from mothers. Are you incorporating their wants and needs into your marketing? Are you connecting with them in a manner they relate to?
If you?d like help connecting with the moms in your community, call us at 303-460-0285 and inquire about your new media marketing package.
Many struggle with losing weight or when they do lose weight, too many times it just comes back. There may be some hidden factors to consider to help people to become more effective in being healthier. Please refer back to my blogs on “Are you having difficulty losing weight”? and “Pouring Water on a stone”.
The following is a response from Owen Dodge, who is an excellent Myofascial Therapist:
“My reflections on this thread steer away from the focus on emotional considerations with respect to compulsive behavior such as overeating, and focus more on John?s title relating to general difficulty losing weight.
I recently heard glowing feedback from a client I treated with Myofascial Release who had for years tried to lose weight with diet and exercise modifications. She?d lose weight to a certain level, but could never get to her modest target weight.
Adding this aside to her history of neck surgery earlier in life and whiplash from a car accident, I wondered if maybe her thyroid function could have been affected by these traumas and associated scarring.
Several weeks after our one MFR treatment focusing on cervical balance, this client called to tell me how delighted she was to have finally dropped more weight without any special effort than she ever did with diet and exercise regimens.
Of course, this outcome leads to more questions than answers. But, at least in the eyes of my client, it also adds another piece of anecdotal evidence to the growing mountain of favorable treatment outcomes seen worldwide from those who put John Barnes? ?unproven? but straight-foward theories to the test”.
A recent article in The New York Times highlighted how cinnamon oil can kill common & hospital acquired infections like streptococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. MRSA has received a lot of press attention because it is resistant to known antibiotics as the bacteria is constantly changing and antibiotic research cannot keep up. Flu virus is also constantly changing - hence the need to create new vaccines every year that may or may not be the exact match to the virus that is circulating at the moment.
In nature nothing is stagnant – it is constantly evolving and perfecting itself. The constituents of the essential oil that give it the cherished antiseptic/antiviral propeties are also evolving making it easy to see how an essential oil would be able to kill these mutating bacteria & viruses.
What wonderful tools we have in essential oils that through daily application and use we may be able to protect our health. I personally use a blend called Thieves (also mentioned in the NYT article) that contains: Clove, Cinnamon, Lemon, Eucalyptus Radiata & Rosemary. This recipe (with lemon added) goes back to the Middle Ages where thieves would rob plauge riddled dead bodies and not get sick by protecting themselves with aromatics.
So my choices are: I can be injected with a vaccine that has known side effects and unknown results; hope I don’t get sick from those around me; or use essential oils everyday which have the ability to protect my health naturally and safely.
My choice? I guess you alreday know what it is. What is your choice going to be?
Warmly,
Maria G. Turchi, NCTMB,
Certified Raindrop Practitioner
Certified CARE (Center For Aromatherapy & Reseach & Education) Instructor
Health Care vs, Health Food ? Where Should the Dollars Go?
If the topic of health food is about getting healthy through nutrition while health care is about managing sickness, doesn?t it make sense to spend more money on quality nutrition than on medical insurance? Some health conscious people do spend more on quality health food in a month than they do on insurance. These are usually the healthiest individuals who need insurance coverage the least.
Others, who base their food choices on cost while ignoring nutritional value, are often those who consume the least quality nutrition. When a double cheeseburger costs less than $2, a family of 5 can eat for $10. Unfortunately, unhealthy food like that has been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Of course, food is a necessity while health food and health insurance are more like luxuries these days. No one wants to be without coverage if medical treatment becomes necessary, but everyone wants to avoid ever using it. Food, on the other hand is something that people use every day. If everyone consumes quality health food, that could be a deciding factor in the level of health for Americans.
The problem is that if we all get healthy, then how will insurance and drug companies make money? What if we need fewer medical treatments and drugs? Would insurance companies focus on paying more for preventative care such as health food, rather than medical tests and procedures? Would pharmaceutical manufacturers focus on creating health food instead of medicine? The only way to know for sure is to either get sick and use the insurance coverage, or buy the best health food and see how life develops.
First off, I would like to apologize to all the people who have made comments on my blog that are not posted. There has been an ongoing problem with this now for several months and for some reason, no comments are being posted. Management is aware of the problem and is working to fix it. It has apparently affected most of us, not just me. The comments are there in line, they’re just not making it into print, and I’m sorry. I don’t withhold any comments, including those from people who disagree with me, so hopefully this will be resolved sooner rather than later. I do appreciate everyone who has commented on my posts.
Now on to the real topic today, and that’s about attitude. My fellow blogger here, Julie Onofrio, directed me to a website the other day that was full of therapists who were all making extremely negative comments about our profession and how they aren’t making a living, whining about their lack of clients and the general decay of the massage profession. Not being one to mince words (and neither is Julie), I was appalled at what I read and think it’s a bunch of claptrap. I firmly believe that your business can be whatever you make it.
I want to state clearly that the county that I live in is the 2nd most economically depressed county in North Carolina, out of the 100 counties in our state. We have the second highest unemployment rate in NC, and of towns our size, the 13th highest unemployment rate in the nation. And in spite of that, my business is rocking to the point that just this week I took over another suite of adjoining offices, adding four more therapy rooms, and hired additional staff to handle the clients.
We aren’t cheap, but neither do we cater to the rich and famous. There aren’t any celebrities that I know of in Rutherfordton, NC. There are just honest working folks, or I should say, they would be working if they hadn’t been laid off when their plant closed down and moved out of the country. I think when people are stressed out, whether that’s over money or some other reason, they need a massage. Maybe the people who can’t afford to take a vacation this year are getting a massage instead. Whatever the reason, we’re booming, and I’m very thankful.
In reality, I attribute the success of my business to one thing, and that’s the positive attitude of my staff. People feel welcome when they come in the door. They receive the best service we know how to give, and they are made to feel appreciated for choosing to spend their money with us.
I just received my first massage this afternoon from a new therapist I hired a couple of days ago. I don’t believe in making therapists “audition” for a job at my place. I hire them based on attitude. I can teach a monkey how to give a good massage. I can’t teach anybody how to have a great attitude. I’m glad it was a great massage, but the bottom line is, it was her personality and great attitude that caused me to give her a job.
I’m a big believer in the law of attraction, that whatever you put out there is exactly what you’ll get back. So if you’re dragging to work every day with the thought that you aren’t going to make the money you need, the universe is going to see to it that you don’t. I choose to go to work every day trusting that my needs are going to be met, and they have been. If I go to work whining that I’m not going to have a good prosperous day, I am virtually assuring myself that I won’t have one.
You can’t sit around waiting for business to come in the door. You have to go out and get it. You have to make it a point to tell at least two new people a day about your business, and give away at least two of your business cards every day. You have to network with other small business owners and others at every opportunity. You have to be prepared to look at every new person you meet as a potential client. You have to see to it that the clients you do get are so thrilled with your services they go out and tell a dozen other people. You have to work at it! And you have to have an attitude of success, even when your success has not yet arrived.
If you set concrete goals, if you’re working toward them and doing the absolute best that you can, and you don’t give up, it will happen for you. On that note, I’ll sign off with a quote from Thomas Edison: Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close to success they were when they gave up.
I just read an interesting post on MSN Health about smell and depression. In particular, the article mentioned citrus scents as being uplifting but then went on to suggest you purchase Calvin Klein or Armani citrus colognes.
These types of articles really get to me because they are so off the mark. Most cologne does not contain natural scents and are actually toxic pollutants. If you look at the list of ingredients – such as Diethyl Phthalate, a solvent which is a carcinogen, mimics hormones thus blocking receptor sites from real hormone acceptance, and can cause disruptions to the Central Nervous System, how could you ever recommend someone use it for depression? This is just one of the ingredients – imagine the synergistic soup when you combine all the other synthetic fragrances and solvents.
It’s great to get on the Aromatherapy bandwagon. But first let’s get a grasp on what aromatherapy really is before we go endorsing products that supposedly are healing or helpful. True Aromatherapy can only be achieved when the “therapy” outweighs the “aroma”. What this means is that you have to start from the point of using pure, unadulterated, unaltered, unrefined, meticulously sourced, grown, and processed plant material.
It is true that citrus scents are wonderful for depression. But in fact citrus scents are not distilled like essential oils, but pressed from the rind. What if you press a lemon that was grown with pesticides, near a highway with toxic emissions, or watered with fluoridated and other toxic water borne substances? Is this therapeutic?
So, if you buy your citrus scent from a vendor that cannot tell you how it was grown, picked, and processed would you still think it contains all of the therapeutics inherent in the nature giving plant? You cannot assume this to be true.
To be educated on anything that you are going to use with an expected therapeutic intent is the best thing you can do for yourself, and if you use oils on others, for your clients. Ask the questions of the suppliers. Demand the highest quality and only purchase the highest quality. Some oils are labeled therapeutic-grade but are in fact perfume grade. There are no labeling laws in the US so suppliers can call their oil grade anything they want.
That $9.00 bottle of lavender is cheaper than a true therapeutic-grade lavender for a reason. It’s time to find out why.
Aromatherapy is an age old practice. The research we see now coming out about aromatherapy is to verify what users of Aromatherapy already know – it works.
We live in an age of Science as Religion. In the past the healer’s were the Shaman’s, Priests, and Elders. These healer’s had a spiritual connection that enabled them to connect to the healing power of Source Energy, God, Omnipresent Power or whatever else you call the power behind your breath.
Now we get all excited when a study comes out that verifies lavender is relaxing. OK – we already know this. What has happened here? The pharmaceutical companies have hijacked healing and today’s doctors have no sense of the spiritual root of illness. Yes, some of the pharmaceutical products may be helpful but they are so harmful that studies need to be done to ascertain side effects – a funny term in my opinion because they are all DIRECT effects – so everyone feels safe about having their liver impacted to help alleviate their acne.
I refuse to buy into this mentality. When people ask me how it works I ask them how does your skin heal when you have a cut? Yes, there are the mechanics of the body we can see with the white blood cells but what is powering that process?
So what makes lavender relaxing, orange calming and helichrisum healing? It is no different. Do I need scientific studies to tell me so? I’m sure you can guess the answer.
