I get asked all the time, “How did you start doing this work?”
I suppose it started almost 17 years ago when I was working in Belleville, ON at a call centre doing technical support for Microsoft and Time Warner. High school was a struggle just to complete, everyone I knew had gone to University, I didn’t have many aspirations and was just going through the motions of life. One day as I was sitting there in this huge facility helping people with their computer problems I suddenly thought and hoped “there must be more in life for me than this.”
Spending some time evaluating what was important in my life helped me realize that belonging to a profession of like minded people to learn and grow with and having the ability to work with and help others in some capacity were two characteristics that I had to have. I started looking at health care professions and was soon driving to Toronto during the summer to complete a pre-admissions course. Within a few months I moved there to start my first semester at college to become a Registered Massage Therapist.
I was never an A student, far from it actually, but in College it was obvious that I was a visual and kinesthetic learner. I ended up graduating with honours for attaining over 90% in my courses. I say this not to impress you but maybe to show that when put in the right position anyone can be successful. My attempt through the work I do is to show you that anything you want to achieve with your body is possible with the right guidance and being accountable to yourself.
I started out doing traditional Massage Therapy for the first 8 years of my career. It was deep tissue work and treatment focused on specific issues. I was fortunate to build a loyal following and many people were booking a year in advance to make sure they had their spot every 2 to 6 weeks. Around year 8, I suddenly questioned whether I was actually helping these people that had chronic pain or tension. It was a sickening thought to realize I had not resolved anything with many of them and we were doing just enough to get them to the next session before their symptoms returned.
Since that moment I’ve dedicated my life to gaining skills and learning concepts to help people get back to how they want to feel without conforming to endless therapy. I’m from a family of educators and I’m passionate about teaching you the tools to take better care of yourself. I’ve been fortunate to learn from some incredible teachers, healers and clinicians such as Thomas Myers, Robert Schleip and Gary Gray. They have taught me how to approach the body with manual and movement therapy. It allows me to work with the body as a whole and see how all parts influence each other. In case you’re interested, the initials after my name stand for Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), Anatomy Trains Structural Integrator (ATSI) and Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS).
This work is a partnership and I encourage people to take the responsibility of putting in the time to help themselves. I hope you get a sense that I care deeply about your well being and want you to know I appreciate the opportunity to share my passion with you.
-Adam
