“My life before SWIHA I would say was lived very on edge, being a highly sensitive and empathetic person in the traditional 9-5 did not mesh well for me. I felt punished or pushed away from how much I cared, as I did not have an appropriate outlet for those feelings I had. I now have education in how to protect myself when helping others, and my sole purpose as a massage therapist/energy worker is to CARE!”
Being an empath or highly sensitive person naturally exposes you to emotions that are not yours, and can oftentimes feel very overwhelming. Not knowing how to separate your own emotions from others' emotions can become messy. As mentioned above, the “normal” corporate environment usually does not prepare its employees with how to navigate this. In opposition, that is exactly what the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts does - prepares its students to learn how to cope with this. In the field of helping others heal, this is a mandatory step in one’s journey.
SWIHA Great Graduate, Claire Huskins, of the 750-hour Massage Therapy program, gained the skills to do exactly that, learn how to manage her emotions while caring and holding space for the souls she works with as a therapist. Claire knew she was on the right path when, “I was able to put the mind-body connection into practice, for others and myself. My life has completely changed with my new knowledge of spiritual and physical anatomy.”
Speaking of life-changing education, Claire's life has changed drastically since starting her program at SWIHA. Claire shares, “I had no idea where I was going in my life, and I did not know how to deal with that feeling. I now feel more comfortable when the discomfort and unknown sneaks up, I know I have practices for myself, and now I also have an entire tribe of therapists that I can reach out to for help and further support their careers as well!”
Now that Claire has graduated from her program, she is working as a Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Esthetician, and Polarity/Reiki Practitioner at a local woman-owned and operated Spa! To be double licensed in Massage and Esthetics is such a great opportunity to open up doors with jobs, clients, services, and more! “I am having an amazing time, and I’m thankful SWIHA had so much information on spas that were hiring around the area. I feel I am paid my worth which was NEVER going to be the case in my previous retail management experience” asserts Claire.
As Claire continues to reflect back on her time during the Massage program, the lesson that stands out to her the most is that change is the only constant in life! Claire further explains, “I often repeat to myself every single day that the only constant we have is change, and the one addiction we humans have is comfort. It’s pushed me to explore my life from a different perspective, and I’ve achieved things I remember telling myself would never happen.” This is such a profound life lesson that Claire can take with her in everyday life, as well as, in her professional life. If Claire had to choose one class that was her favorite during the program, it would be her polarity classes she had with Jennifer Sanders and Gary Strauss! Claire also shares that Joel Hamilton, Associate Dean of Education and Massage Clinic Manager, had a profound impact on her massage education.
Claire’s advice to any future SWIHA students (or those thinking about it) is “If you have the whisper of wellness, do listen to it. Work like this does not cross your mind for no reason!”
Connect with Claire
Instagram: @claiirevoyance