Kristen Burrows feels very grateful to have found the job she feels she was meant to do so early in life. She started studying Massage Therapy after high school and after having moved to Vancouver to live with her father who has multiple sclerosis. “He was getting massages at the WCCMT clinic, and I met his Student Therapist who told me to grab a leg.”
Kristen decided to enroll in the Massage Therapy program and studied for three years, a program that was well worth the hard work. “I worked part-time while studying to finance my education.” she said. She graduated in December 2002 and started working at a spa after graduation. “I still remember getting amazing feedback from one of my client’s at this spa because he said I did such a great job helping him with his pain.” “It felt a lot better than when he had physical therapy in the U.S.”
Kristen is not only a graduate of WCCMT, but is also an Instructor. “I tell my students that educating people is a big part of being a Massage Therapist. Many people don’t understand how much we can do and it is up to us to help them understand and appreciate the process. I know of so many people, patients and students, who have that moment where the lightbulb went off in their head and they realized what was happening to cause the problem and what they could do about it.”
Kristen is currently a teaching assistant in 2 classes and working with clients who have multiple sclerosis as a supervisor. “I get to give back and it goes full circle to what first got me started in Massage Therapy. I teach them as they go along, and help them get used to the idea of spasms and wheelchair transfers. Students don’t yet appreciate that they can do all these little things that make such a difference in our clients’ lives. Massage Therapy provides so much.” Kristen has the opportunity to not only help clients who may feel a bit overwhelmed by their condition, but also help her Massage Therapy students who can feel overwhelmed when they are first learning the ropes.
“It makes me happy to have a lot of job satisfaction at WCCMT and at the clinic. I don’t take it for granted.” said Kristen, “And my dad is so proud of me, and even enjoys a free massage.”
Kristen Burrows is a RMT at Coast Therapy and an Instructor at WCCMT. Having her as a member of our team is our privilege. If you want to be featured in a blog yourself, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected]
Coast Therapy | PoCo & Coquitlam Physiotherapy & Massage Therapy
Coast Therapy is an award-winning physiotherapy and massage therapy clinic in the Tri-Cities. We provide advanced manual therapy, sports rehab and wellness
