Presenting a Three-Part Series on Understanding Domestic Violence
Part 1

A Massage Professional Can Be a Refuge, Offering a Safe Place

It’s Personal for the victim to let someone they trust see the bruises on their body and soul.

Every nine seconds, a woman is assaulted or beaten in the U.S. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury for women worldwide. 1 in every 3 women has been physically abused or beaten, often by a member of her own family.

Why Do Women Stay? Why Doesn’t She Just Leave?

These are usually the first two questions asked by the outside world when they hear that a woman is in an abusive relationship or violent situation. However, there are so many complex dynamics and obstacles preventing them from leaving.

A Massage Professional Can Be a Refuge, Offering a Safe Place

“I would never let this happen to me”, we convince ourselves. I can speak to you from personal experience as a victim of child abuse into my teens and also as an adult young woman many years ago; It can happen to anyone.

As massage therapists, we are in a special position to be keenly aware of the unexplained bruises, body language, fear and sadness, which are just some of symptoms we may encounter. Each individual traumatic encounter will vary.

A Massage Professional Can Be a Refuge, Offering a Safe Place

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation and many times includes the threat and use of violence.

Domestic violence includes physical, emotional, psychological as well as economic and sexual abuse. Abusers always use intimidation, verbal threats, isolation from family and friends and other behavior, such as stalking, to maintain power over their victims. It affects everyone regardless of race, age, income, social standing or sexual orientation.

We will tell you we are all about caring, hoping and making a difference in peoples lives. We will also tell you that most of us have experienced a strange phenomenon, and we can all recall when it began for the first time. I named it the healing touch miracle long ago. It occurs between client and practitioner who have formed an emotional bond,it enters the room calmly, a subtle energy form, a cool cloud, a higher intelligence form. I can only describe it as pure ether energy.

In my personal experience that energy solidifies and creates the molecular restructure to the needed area of the body to assist in the healing process. Using the stone tapping procedure in conjunction with the therapy seem to amplify this process, due I suspect to the change in the body’s electromagnetic field. How the process occurs I leave to our keen scientists and their brilliance. As a spiritually motivated therapist dedicated to stone healing I can only humbly share this with deep respect.

Please let us hear from you and your personal experiences.

Sonia Alexandra

Every day massage school graduates ask themselves a key question: where do I go from here? Many of them are open to sharing their thoughts.

It can be quite overwhelming.  One of my personal suggestions is to begin with  a resort spa, as it brings a wealth of opportunities.

The pay is fair, most everything is provided, uniforms, linen, supplies, equipment ample room size, hydraulic massage tables.

However most importantly clients and continuing education, special training such as stone massage, reflexology, varied methods of hydrotherapy

and so on… It would take years to culminate all this on your own.You potentially learn everything about the massage industry, giving you the strong foundation needed.

For your continued success and venturing out on your own if you so desire.

Sonia Alexandra LMT