Small Steps Equal Big Changes
The human body never ceases to amaze me. I have been a massage therapist for many years, and I can honestly say that I truly love the work I do. It is an honor to be able to join someone who is on the path to healing and wellness. This path may lead to a variety of techniques, modalities and self-care to achieve individual goals.
Those of us who live on this magical island year round, are so fortunate to have so many gifted practitioners and enlightened people to seek out. There are; acupuncture, chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, homeopathy, lymphatic drainage, massage therapy, naturopathy, Pilates, Reiki, rolfing, and yoga to name only a few. It is rewarding and stimulating as a practitioner to collaborate with clinicians such as these at the Yoga Barn Cooperative. We often speak a different language from one another and look through different glasses at the very same thing, offering a wide variety of opinions and ideas to better help our clients.
In working with my clients, together we brainstorm how to make the necessary changes for optimum health. Sometimes, it can be as simple as realizing that if you need to get a new pillow. I feel obligated to guide my clients to the most appropriate therapy to meet their immediate needs. If I have seen someone two or three times, and we are not making progress, then I will make a recommendation to seek out another form of treatment. They might want to try acupuncture for that elbow tendonitis, or in some cases a visit to the orthopedist for a cortisone shot. Sometimes, I see someone for just one visit and that is all we were supposed to do together. Alternatively, I have clients that I have been working with for many years. It is so nice to share the journey together. It is a very special relationship.
I love to help people figure out how to make regular exercise a part of their lives. This can be very intimidating for a lot of people, so I try to encourage goals that are attainable.
Discovering what you enjoy doing, is the key to sustaining a regular exercise program. If you can make one small step – make just one change that you will stick with, then you are on the right path.
I get so excited when a client tells me that they have been swimming, walking, stretching, or that they took their first yoga class. For me, that's what it's all about. It is so rewarding to be able to touch people's lives in just a small way, because small steps add up to big changes.
Claire is an experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and a Licensed and Certified Massage Therapist. Founder and owner of Integrative Therapeutics, a complementary healthcare clinic located in Natick, Massachusetts, Claire and her family moved to Chilmark in 2006. Claire can be reached by email at cparkhurst@integrativetherapeutics.com.
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