Ari began massage as a child, working on her family and friends as a hobby throughout her life. She got serious about it when massage was the only thing that helped her mother’s chronic pain. She attended the St. Croix Center for the Healing Arts, where she studied anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathophysiology, aromatherapy, integrative and deep tissue massage, and reflexology.
Ari opened her massage business in 2001. Alleviating chronic pain quickly became her passion, and deep tissue massage her focus. Her client base grew to include athletes, accident victims, the elderly and people with conditions such as fibromyalgia, cerebral palsy, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as people suffering chronic pain from various causes. She grew her skill set to include myofascial release, CranioSacral Therapy, geriatric massage, pregnancy massage and sports massage. She continues to take classes to broaden her existing skills and learn new ones. Becoming a naturopath is Ari’s next goal.
Ari credits her previous careers as a reporter and insurance agent with giving her the ability to listen carefully to people, uncover the facts about their pain, arrive at a plan to work with people on their issues, and adjust that plan to accomodate change. “Every person is different, every pain feels unique to the person experiencing it. Life happens to people, whether it’s through injury, illness or stress, and it’s my job to help them deal with it. I just love my clients, and I love being a part of their recovery. There is nothing better than helping people get out of pain.”