Today we’d like to introduce you to Gudrun Strmic.
Hi Gudrun, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I have enjoyed doing massage therapy since college. I always had this pull towards it. My more practical side told me to finish college with an accounting major and find a job in business. I did just that until my early thirties. My job ended with the downturn of the economy in 2010. This being the third time that I had the inkling to go to massage therapy school, I decided to switch to what I hoped would be my passion. I was right. I loved the massage school I chose in North Charleston, which strongly focused on pain relief. I continued my learning after school with Eastern and Western modalities. I have put together everything I have learned into an intuitive-based massage therapy practice in the heart of Mount Pleasant.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I treated the first five years of learning massage as a graduate program. I know that one only becomes an expert in just eight months, which is how long my massage school was. I used the four years after massage school as training. I worked in a busy chiropractic office in downtown Charleston that is well-known and highly recommended. I worked with such a wonderful group of professionals. I learned so much from them. I also worked far more hours than what is considered full-time in massage. I usually worked out of 2-3 offices and started doing in-home massages. My body had to get used to it and undo many of the bad habits I had learned from sitting at a desk for most of my life. My aches and pains helped me understand how to get rid of pain for others. It was very gratifying, and I’m grateful for my time there. After that, I continued into my own office. Growing my clientele took time. I also started a family when I started working out of my office. The upside was that I had time to spend with my new baby and could work around my husband’s hours. As this is my passion, I spend much of my free time learning more about the body, the emotional connection with the body, and energy work. Fortunately, my dedication is felt when my clients are on the table. Their referrals of friends and family keep my schedule full.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Healing Arts?
I provide an intuitive-based style of massage. My backgrounds include numerous modalities from Eastern and Western modalities, meaning more holistic versus more science-based. I’ve put all this information together to assess pain patterns. My brain sees the body like a seesaw to be balanced. The body wants to be in homeostasis. I’ve learned to read the body’s words by palpating the muscles. I listen to this and work on the area of the body that needs to be released. I used to use intense tissue massage on most of my clients. My style has changed. When the body or a particular part of it is ready to release, I can use a very light touch to release it. The light touch works on muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the fluids of the body such as lymph & spinal fluid. It also helps the body get into its parasympathetic mode: rest and digest. If you are not resting, then you are not healing. This is one of the biggest reasons for unhealthy, tight, strained body tissue, causing the numerous painful joint, muscle, and nerve issues that people experience today. I don’t have a plan before you come to the office. As long as I listen to what your body is telling me, then I can help you decrease or eliminate your pain.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk-taking is seen from an outside perspective. When someone goes with their intuition, then it is not a risk to them. It’s more of a natural next step, maybe exciting, and a little nervousness goes with it, but it’s something that she has to do. It is seen as a risk, which is more what your loved ones may call it, as they do not understand that this is your calling. Going to massage school seemed like a risk to some of my family members; however, most friends felt it was natural for me. Going out alone was risky, but I knew I had to do that.
Pricing:
- One hour massage/energy work $135
- Ninety minute massage/energy work $195
- MyoKinesthetic System $55
- Thirty minute session $75
Contact Info:
- Website: https://healingartscentersc.com/
- Instagram: gudrunshealingarts
- Facebook: healingartscentersc
- Other: https://thepowerofelderberries.com/?ref=TheHealingArtsSC
Image Credits
Gudrun Strmic
