Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Barney.
Hi Christy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I entered massage therapy school with the basic necessity of finding a career that would feed my family. After becoming licensed in 2013 it did not take long for me to realize how much of a blessing this career actually is. Through my first few years of practice I learned I was geared toward the more clinical side of massage therapy and wanted a practice that truly helped people reach their wellness goals. Being a born and raised local to the area, I knew I did not want a tourist driven practice. I wanted to take care of the back bone of this community and I wanted to educate the community about how effective and medicinal massage therapy truly is. I began my practice by working in a chiropractic office that allowed me watch and experience the changes in my clients on a day to day basis! I was blessed to call that chiropractic office a professional home for four years until I chose to share my passion through education. In 2017 I became a massage therapy instructor at Miller Motte Technical College, where I spent the next four years helping educate the future massage therapist of this state. Teaching was an amazing experience. Not only did I get to share my passion of massage therapy everyday, it also challenged me in ways that helped mold the professional I am currently. My teaching career was ended at the beginning of 2020 when Covid struck. Although I loved teaching, I consider this transition a positive one. I was ready to get back into the practice. Once small businesses began to operate again, I opened Touch of Balance Massage and Bodywork! The first year of operation was rocky, but blessedly I landed back at the chiropractic office I originally began at. Touch of Balance Massage and Bodywork has been a success and growing for the past six years! I am blessed to say that I am no longer the sole therapist in my business but now have a team that share the same values and goals as I do!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Business will always have struggles! Those struggles are how we grow as professionals! Working with other people and deciphering social dynamics is probably the best way to summon up my struggles in a nut shell. My transition from practicing to teaching was due to non-correlating goals between the chiropractor I was working for and myself. I made the transition into teaching out of need for growth and also not wanting to burn any bridges professionally. Working for an institution came with a lot of different struggles. As I said before those challenges are what molded me into the professional I am today. That being said when I was at the end of my teaching career that transition could not have come at a better time. I was done with the educational politics and the lack of collaboration within a for profit college. That transition lead me to opening my own business, which also did not come from a smooth road! The first year felt like starting over in my massage therapy career. I had been out of active practice for four years. I had to start from scratch with marketing and building a following. From there my business has grown! Once I successfully create a personal following the next bumpy road was to bring on other therapist and expand my business past “Christy Barney” and truly build “Touch of Balance Massage and Bodywork”. Growing from just myself to a multi-therapist practice is probably one of the hardest challenges I have ever attempted! I can honestly say I have gone through four years of therapist turnover trying to find the right people that fit my practice. That being said all those trials and tribulations were worth it. I have now succeed in finding three therapist that have made my business their professional home!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Touch of Balance Massage and Bodywork is a Person Centered, Locally Driven, and Balance Focused Massage Clinic!
We strive to take care of the local hard working people of this community. Through our practice we work to educate this community on how beneficial regular massage therapy can be to one’s health and wellbeing. We strive to teach others on how to utilize massage as preventative care or a maintenance program. We are person centered by always striving to meeting our clients needs in the present moment. We accomplish this by charging for duration of sessions verse modality scheduled. This gives up the flexibility to transition as we see fit for the client or to create a massage that is a combination of the modalities that we offer. We truly attempt to tailor each session to each individual! Lastly we are a balance focused practice. Mental and physical ailments are usually created by some form of imbalance in our lives. Stress is caused by mental overload; physical pains can be caused by over use of the body. We use our knowledge and skillsets to create and encourage balance for each of our clients.
To help achieve and uphold these values our clinic offers a variety of massage therapy modalities. Between the four massage therapists within our clinic we offer specialties such as Deepfeet Ashiatsu Bar Therapy, Advanced Deep Tissue, Prenatal Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Corestone Hot Stone Massage, Massage Cupping, and Clinical Aromatherapy!
As a whole our practice is trying to change the mindset regarding massage therapy. We want to educate our community that is not just a luxury treatment, but a necessity to a healthier, happier life!
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in a very conservative christian home right here in Myrtle Beach SC. I was blessed with a loving and supportive family. I came from a head strong family, leading me to be the entrepreneur I am today. As a child I loved music, theater. and dance. I practiced dance from the age of 4 until I graduated high school. My dance background has influenced my massage career by blessing me with the grace and finesse that massage needs!
Pricing:
- 60 Minute sessions start at $120
- 90 Minute sessions start at $165
- 120 Minute sessions start at $200
- Enhancments (Hot Stones/Cupping/Aromatherapy) is $15 Additional or 2 for $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Touchofbalancemb.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/touch_of_balance8691/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039864532975
