Howdy! It's been awhile since I updated on the blog. As I'm sitting, post holiday in Greece, in sunny Calgary, I thought I'd share some updates.
This previous year, I graduated from Rosemary Gladstars, "The Science & Art of Herbalism" course. It was a challenging course for me, in that it was online (with paper coursework & material) and self paced. The courses were thoughtful, unique, empowering and beautiful. I learned a lot about the energetics of herbs, the foundation of this type of medicine, and how to use it for my friends and family. From this knowledge I was able to utilize herbs in emergency situations, acute and chronic care.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I decided to further my education by pursuing massage therapy. Why massage? Well, I've always been hands on. My natural instinct is to touch. As a learner, I integrate information through doing, and seeing- visually and kinaesthetically. Massage came naturally to me, and the educational process for me has been massively integrative and smooth. Courses that were more challenging were the book-heavy ones. Neuroanatomy, physiology, anatomy. While I find it deeply fascinating, it was in the cadaver days, and practical labs for these courses where I shined. Palpating muscles, bones, ligaments. Feeling for pulses.
To help you better understand what exactly goes into studying massage therapy, I'll list the courses I took, over a two year (6 semester period)
Human Anatomy
Human Physiology
Medical Terminology
Musculoskeletal Anatomy
Fundamentals of Charting
Fundamentals of Massage
Ethics & Communication I & II
Massage Techniques I & II
Outreach I, II, & III
Pathology I & II
Therapeutic Exercise I & II
Practicum Clinic I, I, III & IV
Regional Anatomy
Fundamentals of Research
Treatments I, II, III
Orthopaedic Assessment I & II
Neuroanatomy
OSCE
Case Study
Did I expect that this is what a massage therapist would study, before I entered into this world? Absolutely not. Am I happy I did it? Absolutely yes. I got to better understand the body, on a deep level. I gained a level of professionalism and confidence that is immeasurable. I also feel it instilled in me a desire to practice ethically, safely, and also cause no harm. As I have a month and a half until I graduate from university, naturally, I am reflecting, and also planning my next steps. My career goals have never been entered on financial prosperity. Instead, I really am looking for fulfillment in my day to day. Awhile back, I realized my dream is to help others. I feel that personally, satisfaction for me is through helping others feel good, to be part of their healing journey.
Understanding this new level of professional practice, I have been looking at where I stand with herbal medicine. Currently, I am certified as a "traditional herbalist". While herbal medicine is not regulated in North America, we rely on various herbal associations to lead the way to ensure standards are met. Through this realization, I've come to understand that I would like to gain certification as a clinical herbalist, so that I can practice in a clinical setting for both my massage therapy and herbal medicine, be fully insured, and provide the best possible care in an evidence based manner for my clients.
I'm currently looking at schools to gain this certification. I've had various messages come through my intuition, and am channeling my energy into finding what feels best for me in this next chapter of my life. This will be yet another process of trust in my journey, and opening myself up to new opportunities and expansive energy. I'm really excited, because this means in 3-4 years I could have my own fully functioning clinic and be able to offer my services wholly and fully, blended together in this beautiful healing way that I feel so strongly in my heart. And in putting in the nitty-gritty work behind the scenes, I want to offer confidence to my clients in their healing path and journey, to offer safety, security and effectiveness.
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