More About Me (Therapeutic Directory)
I am a retired and disabled U.S. Navy veteran, with a back condition that requires me to retain motion and mobility as much as possible. I have learned the technique(s) I use by being massaged myself, by studying the human anatomy (I am a degreed illustrator and sculptor who creates works of art that display the nude human body), and by working on my male friends. I am married to a woman who knows and understands my skill levels related to most of the things I am skilled at, and she approves of me working on my male friends’ bodies in our family room, where I keep our massage table. Being nude with nude friends/clients is typical. Because of my respect for the human body, and my belief in its spiritual importance, I don’t cross over discussed boundaries. However, I am open to other forms of massage, with a few exceptions, which are always discussed before each session.
I have spent 9 years as a para-professional and para-educator (working with disabled adult students just out of high school, and as a caregiver for the elderly, where I assisted my elderly clients with food preparation, cleaning their homes, running errands for and with them, bathing them, helping them get undressed and dressed, and witnessing them taking their daily medications.
I am a hand built pottery instructor for a local recreation center. I am also a certified organic seed steward through the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance. I teach organic high altitude gardening (fruits, flowers and vegetables), organic soil and garden preparation, and organic seed-saving. I also teach canning and food preparation/cooking/baking.
I am also a degreed sculptural illustrator. I create works of art that exhibit the nude human body. As an adult survivor of Adverse Childhood Experiences, and having been in therapy for said experiences for many years (with a great deal of positive progress in my journey of healing), I believe our bodies hold onto traumas without us even aware of this. (See “The Body Keeps the Score,” by Dr. Van Der Kolk). Being massaged and giving massage can be one of the most helpful events towards healing the traumatized body and soul.