Alisha is an LMT and an Arizona native who graduated from ASIS in 2005. She has extensive experience working with clients who suffer from chronic or terminal illness, physical and mental disabilities, and acute injuries. Her self-care includes yoga, painting, and enjoying the great outdoors with her family. Alisha is inspired to further her own professional career by sharing the knowledge of her experience in massage therapy with new generations of massage therapists at ASIS Massage Education’s Flagstaff campus.
How long have you been practicing massage therapy?
Since 2001.
What is your favorite modality to teach?
Shiatsu!
What would you tell someone who is considering massage therapy school?
It is a transformative process; not only do you get an education for a future career, but also an education about yourself.
What is one thing you wish you had known before you became a massage therapist?
I wish I had a better education and understanding of self-care practices; I do not think I realized how emotional being a LMT would be and how important taking care of myself would become.
Name one person who has had an impact on your life and explain why:
My grandfather. He was an animal and baby whisperer. Wild and domesticated animals would flock to him as if he were a safe beacon of light. Babies were always at ease in his arms, including myself and my children. He taught me so much about being gentle and kind. He had such great empathy for people and all living things. I like to think I am like him in these ways and that all that kindness is an extension of his spirit.
What is your favorite thing about teaching at ASIS Massage Education and why?
I love watching people learn and discovering, perhaps for the first time in their lives, how much fun learning can be. I love when a student finally grasps a technique or idea and the joy and excitement in their faces. I love being a teacher as well as the student in a classroom. Everyone has something to contribute!
Vacation…beach, woods, desert, or mountains?
Mountains and beach!
Favorite meal?
Anything with cheese!
Favorite quote?
There are so many! Here is one I love:
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” -Audrey Hepburn
Describe your most significant interaction with a client or student:
Working with a client who is non-verbal because of having brain damage as a baby, cerebral palsy and a history of child abuse. I worked with this young man for two years. In that time I watched him transform on so many levels. When I first starting working with him and massaging him, he would tense up when my hands touched him, and would holler at me. I would slow down and really talk to him. Eventually he would relax under my hands and I could massage his arms, hands, legs, and feet. It was a gradual process to be able to massage his back, neck and head. I believe he started looking forward to his weekly massage. Eventually he began to comprehend that when he smelled the lavender oil on my hands he would be receiving bodywork and he would lean forward in his chair for me to massage his back. During one session while massaging his neck and scalp he even fell asleep. In the first year working with him, his adoptive parents even reported that he had begun to smile, something they had never seen in the seven years they had cared for him. Not only was he more expressive, but his seizures decreased in frequency and duration. This is by far one of my most rewarding experiences as a massage therapist and has transformed my practice in so many positive ways.
Learn more about Alisha or book a session with her on her website.