MASSAGE THERAPY is a profession in which the practitioner applies manual therapies with the intention of positively affecting the health and well-being of the client.
MASSAGE is manual soft tissue manipulation, and includes pressure (light or firm), holding, and/or causing movement.
THERAPY is a series of actions aimed at achieving or increasing health and wellness.
MANUAL is by use of hand or body.
TABLE or CHAIR
Most people prefer a one-hour or 90-minute full body massage. Some clients want to focus their massage on the back and neck while still experiencing the full-body treatment. Another option is to sit fully clothed in a massage chair (forward facing chair to expose the back) for 15-30 minutes of focus on the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and/or back. The client's comfort and dignity is the most important aspect of massage.
Regina Rourk Childrees
I am Regina Rourk Childress, a licensed massage therapist (LMT) in the State of Tennessee since 2003. I completed a 1,000-hour program at the Tennessee Institute of Healing Arts that included a 6-week course for certification in Neuromuscular Therapy (CNMT). I have completed continuing education courses in Repetitive Use Injury Therapy, Myokinesthetic System Therapy, Lymph Drainage Massage, Craniosacral Therapy level I, and Reiki level II, any of which I can use independently or incorporate in a massage session depending on a client's needs.
What Should I Expect From A Massage Therapy Session?
We will discuss your particular needs and areas of pain or tension before the massage. Your information is completely confidential.
I will leave the room while you undress.
You may remove your clothing to your level of comfort. However much you choose to disrobe, please keep in mind that I will keep you well-covered with a sheet and/or blanket. The only part that is exposed is the part on which I am working.
Please remove jewelry and watch, and silence your cell phone.
I generally start with the client lying face down. However, if you prefer to start lying face up, this is fine. Also, due to pregnancy or other condition, a client may prefer a side-lying position for massage.
I use varying amounts of pressure depending on your specific needs.
You may interrupt your massage at any time...if something is physically hurting you...if you feel cold...if you are uncomfortable...if for any reason you feel uneasy about the area on which I am working. Please speak up immediately.
When your massage is over, lie still and relax for a minute or two before trying to get up.
Why I Became a Massage Therapist
I suffered from severe intermittent hip pain from when I was in college until my late 30s. I was a runner, and when the pain became unbearable I sought medical help. Taking 800-1200 mg of ibuprofen every day under a doctor's direction did not help. A rheumatologist suggested I do nothing for a week, and that did help. However, doing nothing was not an option for me because I had three young children, I had to work (I worked in an office, and later in a daycare), and I enjoyed getting regular exercise. Some days I could not get out of bed. Other days I lived in constant pain, or if the pain was in remission, I lived in fear of it coming back inexplicably.
I was referred to an orthopedist who discovered that my hip pain originated in my low back, which was scoliotic (curved), but he did not recommend surgery. Leaving the orthopedist's office, I stopped at a chiropractor's office across the street, made an appointment, and this was the beginning of a series of therapies that taught me to treat chronic pain and injury holistically - including the mind, body and spirit - in order to bring the body to health and homeostasis. Through chiropractic care, massage therapy, physical therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki, learning and teaching water aerobics, participating in yoga, and watching my diet (more or less), and eventually going back to massage therapy school, the frightening and debilitating chronic pain has subsided. I can empathize with people who suffer from chronic pain because I've been there myself. My intent is to offer some relief, and hope, and help those along who are on their own path of self-improvement.
I am Regina Rourk Childress, a licensed massage therapist (LMT) in the State of Tennessee since 2003. I completed a 1,000-hour program at the Tennessee Institute of Healing Arts that included a 6-week course for certification in Neuromuscular Therapy (CNMT). I have completed continuing education courses in Repetitive Use Injury Therapy, Myokinesthetic System Therapy, Lymph Drainage Massage, Craniosacral Therapy level I, and Reiki level II, any of which I can use independently or incorporate in a massage session depending on a client's needs.
made an appointment, and this was the beginning of a series of therapies that taught me to treat chronic pain and injury holistically - including the mind, body and spirit - in order to bring the body to health and homeostasis. Through chiropractic care, massage therapy, physical therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki, learning and teaching water aerobics, participating in yoga, and watching my diet (more or less), and eventually going back to massage therapy school, the frightening and debilitating chronic pain has subsided. I can empathize with people who suffer from chronic pain because I've been there myself. My intent is to offer some relief, and hope, and help those along who are on their own path of self-improvement.