Tag Archive for: grads

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Vicars Grads at Work: Christine Huget

Christine has been working as an RMT since she graduated from Vicars in 2014, and last year she took the exciting step of starting her own practice. She works out of her home and does mobile massage, specializing in pregnancy and therapeutic massage. This has allowed her more freedom to balance her career with her responsibilities as a mother of three.
Christine Huget

Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?

I fell in love with massage while I was pregnant with my second child. I used to get debilitating migraines. I would often lie in bed with a cold compress on my head to try to diminish the pain. I would continue to try several remedies with no success. I was only able to find relief with massage. This made me ecstatic! With massage, I was able to function again and was able to go about my daily routines. I knew I wanted to help other get the relief from chronic pain and discomfort that I was able to get through massage.

What do you most enjoy about practicing massage?

What I enjoy most about being a Registered Massage Therapist is when the client leaves my home-based business they feel uplifted, de-stressed, and have less pain and discomfort. I enjoy knowing I’ve helped them and was able to release discomfort in some area in their life.

My passion is helping women prioritize self-care through regular massage.

What self-care practices do you use to keep fit and healthy for your career?

When starting my career as an RMT I began to get overwhelmed and stressed with everyday wear and tear of being a working mom of three. I was having trouble juggling work and home and self-care was on the bottom of my list. I would end up with no energy and have a variety of aches and pains that wouldn’t go away. Self-care now my first priority.

Now, my self-care practices include limiting the number of hours I work per week. I also stay organized, work out, read scripture, practice meditation and my favourite: getting massages.

To book an appointment with Christine, visit her Facebook page!

The Vicars Grads at Work blog series shines the spotlight on MH Vicars School alumni through short profiles and extended features. If you or someone you know would like to be featured on our blog, please contact Robin Collum.

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Vicars Grads at Work: Henriette Smith

Henriette graduated from our Edmonton campus in 2015. She now owns her own clinic – System Health Centre in Morinville, Alberta – where she provides relaxation and therapeutic massage as well as Contemporary Cupping and foot reflexology treatments.

What do you most enjoy about being an RMT?Henriette Smith at work

“I love working one-on-one with clients to address their individual needs. Seeing a person’s progress and hearing that they feel much better is truly what I love.”

How do you keep yourself well and fit for such an active career?

“The physical demands of being a massage therapist has made me far more physically active than the desk job that I used to have. I have also started eating more healthful foods.”

How did MH Vicars School prepare you for a career as an RMT?

“MH Vicars School prepared me fully for my career as a Massage Therapist. We learned anatomy, practical massage, the emotional component of working with people, business management, administration and so much more…”

What sets you apart from other RMTs?

“I am a more mature therapist (age wise) so I have extensive experience working with people over the years. This has prepared me for interacting with many people of all different ages with many different health concerns.”

What are you most proud of in your career?

“My clients’ successes! I love nothing more than knowing a client feels better.”

To book an appointment with Henriette, email her! 

The Vicars Grads at Work blog series shines the spotlight on MH Vicars School alumni through short profiles and extended features. If you or someone you know would like to be featured on our blog, please contact Robin Collum.

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Research Funding Opportunity!

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Massage Therapy Research Fund. This is a wonderful opportunity for students and alumni to exercise their research muscles!

The MTRF funds academic research into many aspects of massage therapy as a discipline and as a profession. According to the MTRF:

“Eligible research topics include, but are not limited to:
– Massage Therapy effectiveness, efficacy and safety;
– Massage Therapy competencies and competency assessment;
– Access to and delivery of Massage Therapy services;
– Professionalization of Massage Therapy; and
– Evaluation of Massage Therapy practice.”

This year, they are also placing a special call for research on massage for soft tissue injuries.

Applications will be accepted until September, and more than $100,000 in funding is up for grabs for researchers across the country.

Read more on Massage Therapy Canada’s website. 

Thanks to Instructor Anna Faris for bringing this to our attention.

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Blast from the past: alumni profiles

One of my favourite things about working here is getting to know our students so well. Even as the school has grown, we’ve been able to maintain a really warm, open relationship between students and staff and instructors. I think it comes from a combination of our small class sizes, open door policy (and in the Edmonton offices, a “no door” policy), and drive to always put students first.

Anyway, knowing our students so well means we really miss them when they graduate, and love to hear what they’re up to once they begin their careers. Which is why I was so pleased to come across these videos we made in 2011!

Then and now, we’re constantly bragging about our amazing grads, and we commissioned these for our website. They didn’t end up making the transition when we revamped the site last year, but we’re adding more alumni success stories at the moment so I dug them up again.

And they’re so fun! Check out Bree and Jordan telling their stories about attending Vicars:

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Some of the information is out of date — for instance, we now host public clinic instead of having students do practicum placements, but it’s great to see so many familiar faces! I also enjoyed those shots of the old Edmonton location. It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than two years since we moved from Roper Road to Calgary Trail.

Watching these has made me want to hear more alumni stories! Take to the comments and tell us about what you’re up to! And hey – do you want to be profiled on the blog? And remember: I’m always on the lookout for interesting massage tales. This blog can be an opportunity to share your experiences and learn from each other. Email me at robin@mhvicarsschool.com with suggestions!

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