I came to be a massage therapist by accident, literally. I injured my back and in a desperate attempt for relief I went for a massage. Not only did I find help for my back pain, I also found a field of hands on healing that reached out and grabbed me (so to speak) so profoundly that I decided to return to school and become a Registered Massage Therapist.

My first day as a student at Sutherland Chan was quite a challenge. I was so old that many of my fellow students thought that I was a teacher. Perhaps that is what put the idea on my head to become a teacher later on – after all, I had looked like a teacher when I knew nothing. A decade of teaching has afforded me many joys and privileges, the greatest which is meeting and making an impact on the professional life of so many of my peers. It comes in handy now, since a number of the Therapists at TMC were once students of mine; I can raise one bushy eyebrow in that teacher sort of way, and freeze them momentarily while I get to the coffee maker first.

No career that I could have created by design could be better than the one that has fallen upon me by accident. It has allowed me to gain expertise in the area of clinical orthopaedic assessment (which lets me really get a good feel for an injury, so I can determine exactly what to do for the client). In this way I feel that I can help others the way that the very first massage therapist that I ever saw helped me with my debilitating back pain. I have also been able to witness many sides of the massage therapy world and the varied clients and accompanying aliments that they have trusted me to help them with. Some of the highlights of the past ten years include:

• Volunteering with the medical team at the world cycling championship
• Volunteering with Aids patients.
• Working with women in labour.
• Committee this (Ontario Council of Massage Therapy Schools)
• Committee that ( College of Massage Therapist of Ontario Tripartite Committee)
• Teaching at the following schools: Sutherland-Chan, Sir Sanford Fleming College, Alexandrian Institute and several campuses of Career Canada College.
• Administrating and coordinating massage therapy programs at the Alexandrian Institute and Career Canada Schools.
• Writing a 2200 hour RMT program and then having the students succeed with a 100% pass rate.
• Teaching courses to RMT's for (continuing education units) across Canada and into the US.
• Publishing a number of articles on Massage.
• Publication contract for text books on Assesment.

• Cranial Sacral Technique
• Visceral Manipulation
• Osteoarticular (Joint Mobilizations)
• Positional Release Techniques (Strain-Counter Strain Techniques)
• Myofascial Techniques
• Muscular Release Techniques

My accidental mid-life career has been filled with change, challenges, accomplishments, accolades and joys, but my most favourite & fortunate accomplishments so far is having one of my former students, Naomi Baker, be my boss here at Therapeutic Massage Counsel. This is a great clinic, with a great staff. This is an excellent place to come to, even if by accident.