Interview with Kaley Wilcox
What made you want to become a massage therapist?
When I was 15 years old, I developed lower back pain while I was advancing more in figure skating. I thought it was just a minor injury but my coaches were concerned and encouraged me to see a doctor. That propelled me through two years of being wrung through the medical system with few answers. In the mean time I tried several things to get better. I tried chiro, physio, exercise, you name it. In the end of it all the specialist told me that they discovered I have a conjenetal fusion in the last two vertebre in my lower back and that there was nothing more they could do for me. Along this journey I began to understand chronic pain and that the best way for me to deal with it was to look after myself through exercise and receiving massage. Massage was the only thing I did in all that time that seemed to help me at all. I have always been the type of person that wants to help others, so it seemed only natural to me to become a massage therapist to try to help others feel better.
What are you long term and short term goals as a massage therapist?
I suppose in the short term I am interested in saving up to be able to take more courses that help me in my goal to focus on whole health. I am tired of the traditional way of just treating people like a bag of body parts or a list of symptoms.
In the long term, I just really want to continue growing as a therapist so I can continue to be a better therapist for my clients. I believe there is always something new to learn about the body and I am very passionate about helping people to always better themselves. I would love to be able to continue massaging for many years to come, so I am always trying to look after myself too in order to preserve my body for many years to come!
What is the thing you love most about your job?
I love education people on the body because it is something that I am passionate about continuing to learn about. There is nothing that gets me more excited than a client who comes in with lots of questions about how the body works and what is actually happening when I treat it. I love when I can connect with people who share my passion for good health.
Do you have an area of expertise or anything that you specialize in?
When it comes to what conditions I treat or what type of people I like to work with, the only thing that concerns me is that I am working with people who really are ready to be active participants in the healing process. I believe that even the best therapist can only help a person so much, the rest has to do with the necessary changes the client makes and if they are willing to follow up with the proper continuing care at home and in the treatment room.
Is there anything that may set you apart from other massage therapists in your area?
I have been very interested in pursuing education in Myofascial Release (MFR). I took my level one class back in May of 2012 and most recently the level two course in August 2014, in Chicago. Since being back from an intense few days of learning in Chicago, I have really been eager to integrate these new techniques into my regular massage appointments and also offering whole treatments of MFR, depending on what that client may need or want. I am really excited about this new approach because it works more with my goal to treat the body as a whole as apposed to just as a symptom or a body part. This is my passion and this is the thing I am drawn to so I am very excited to continue to learn more in this modality in order to help my clients better.
On more of a personal note, what sort of things are important to you outside of work?
Family is very important to me. I spend lots of time with my immediate and extended family. In the winter I love to skate and curl. I grew up figure skating and have been a part of the women's synchronized skating team in Tisdale since 2012. In 2013 our team went to nationals and placed third!!! In the summer time I love to go fishing and doing anything outdoors. I always love to soak up the sunshine when it is around because when it is gloomy outside it tends to make me a little gloomy too!
When I was 15 years old, I developed lower back pain while I was advancing more in figure skating. I thought it was just a minor injury but my coaches were concerned and encouraged me to see a doctor. That propelled me through two years of being wrung through the medical system with few answers. In the mean time I tried several things to get better. I tried chiro, physio, exercise, you name it. In the end of it all the specialist told me that they discovered I have a conjenetal fusion in the last two vertebre in my lower back and that there was nothing more they could do for me. Along this journey I began to understand chronic pain and that the best way for me to deal with it was to look after myself through exercise and receiving massage. Massage was the only thing I did in all that time that seemed to help me at all. I have always been the type of person that wants to help others, so it seemed only natural to me to become a massage therapist to try to help others feel better.
What are you long term and short term goals as a massage therapist?
I suppose in the short term I am interested in saving up to be able to take more courses that help me in my goal to focus on whole health. I am tired of the traditional way of just treating people like a bag of body parts or a list of symptoms.
In the long term, I just really want to continue growing as a therapist so I can continue to be a better therapist for my clients. I believe there is always something new to learn about the body and I am very passionate about helping people to always better themselves. I would love to be able to continue massaging for many years to come, so I am always trying to look after myself too in order to preserve my body for many years to come!
What is the thing you love most about your job?
I love education people on the body because it is something that I am passionate about continuing to learn about. There is nothing that gets me more excited than a client who comes in with lots of questions about how the body works and what is actually happening when I treat it. I love when I can connect with people who share my passion for good health.
Do you have an area of expertise or anything that you specialize in?
When it comes to what conditions I treat or what type of people I like to work with, the only thing that concerns me is that I am working with people who really are ready to be active participants in the healing process. I believe that even the best therapist can only help a person so much, the rest has to do with the necessary changes the client makes and if they are willing to follow up with the proper continuing care at home and in the treatment room.
Is there anything that may set you apart from other massage therapists in your area?
I have been very interested in pursuing education in Myofascial Release (MFR). I took my level one class back in May of 2012 and most recently the level two course in August 2014, in Chicago. Since being back from an intense few days of learning in Chicago, I have really been eager to integrate these new techniques into my regular massage appointments and also offering whole treatments of MFR, depending on what that client may need or want. I am really excited about this new approach because it works more with my goal to treat the body as a whole as apposed to just as a symptom or a body part. This is my passion and this is the thing I am drawn to so I am very excited to continue to learn more in this modality in order to help my clients better.
On more of a personal note, what sort of things are important to you outside of work?
Family is very important to me. I spend lots of time with my immediate and extended family. In the winter I love to skate and curl. I grew up figure skating and have been a part of the women's synchronized skating team in Tisdale since 2012. In 2013 our team went to nationals and placed third!!! In the summer time I love to go fishing and doing anything outdoors. I always love to soak up the sunshine when it is around because when it is gloomy outside it tends to make me a little gloomy too!
