Meet Brittany Joyce, Massage Therapist in Wilmington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Joyce.

Brittany, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2015, I got laid off from my Finance and Accounting role, where I had been for the past seven years. As I took the summer off to travel and figure out who I am and where I want to be, I realized the thought of going back to work behind a desk all day is not where I was supposed to be. I wasn’t quite sure where I needed to go, but I knew behind a desk wasn’t it.

I started throwing around some ideas, and finally I stumbled across Massage Therapy, which is something I thought about years ago, but never pursued. I couldn’t find any part-time programs that could accommodate working full time and being a single mom. So I went back to the drawing board and met up with a friend, she encouraged me to look one more time. The next day I searched one more time and found Cortiva Institute in Watertown, I met with the recruiter the following Monday and by the time I left the meeting I was registered! Sometimes I make impulse decisions based on my initial gut feelings. And when this happens, it takes the fear of the unknown out of my hand and trust that it all works out. Did you know there are more synapses in your gut then in your brain, so when you get a gut feeling…. listen to it!

Why massage therapy? Well, being an athlete all my life, I know how important recovery time is, and the faster you can speed that up the faster you are back in action. I wanted to be able to share my knowledge of sports and this manual therapy to help others get back in the game.

Like with most people, I look for signs to make sure I’m on the right path. And the overwhelming since of joy and happiness I felt as I walked from the parking lot to school 4-5 days a week, gave me the satisfaction that I knew I was doing something right! Well a year and 750 credit hours later 5OCT15 became one of the final classes to graduate from Cortiva Watertown, and I needed to formulate how I was going to transition out of Finance and Accounting. I shortly realized the only way to have my cake and eat it too was to start my own practice! Though extremely scary, it’s also extremely satisfying! I’m the only one who can make or break this, it’s up to me and the time and effort I devote!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, for the most part it’s been pretty smooth sailing. I had never wanted to own my own business before, so this was a whole new thought process for me. When I initially created my business plan, I thought it was going to be so easy and clients were just going to walk in the door. Well, January and February came and went with very few clients and I started to worry a little a bit. I then took another look at my business plan and added a touch of disappointing reality, but still tried to remain positive.

Since I was still doing some consulting on the side, I kept my chin up, doubled down on some advertising and finally started to see some calls coming in and new clients! I was no longer just giving my friends massages! But referrals happened, clients became regulars, and my name started to get out there.

July marks the beginning of my seventh month of business and it’s exciting yet still just as scary as January!

Alright – so let’s talk business. What should we know?
Plain and simple, I perform massage therapy!

I tend to focus on deeper tissue work, many will call this therapeutic massage or deep tissue massage. I typically see clients who have had an issue for a while and need some help getting back to their normal range of motion, looseness or pain free! Right now, I really like incorporating cupping massage into my sessions. Most clients don’t walk out looking like Michael Phelps with cup marks everywhere, some will have an occasional spot here or there. But they are such a great tool and really get stubborn muscles to release, or soften enough for me to manipulate with my hands!

I’m most proud of my clients and to see the progress that we have made together. I get so excited when I see clients doing their self-care and how much the massage and self-care really speeds up their recover time.

What sets me apart from others, is that I get invested in my clients. I try many different modalities (techniques) to try and get muscles and tissue to relax back to their normal resting state. I want my clients to feel like someone has listened to their issues and has done everything they can to help! Many times, one session isn’t enough if it’s been a chronic issue, but even still much relief can be found even after one session!

I really like continuing to learn and expand on the techniques I know! This not only keeps me up on my anatomy and techniques, but helps me provide additional healing ways for my clients. I recently got certified in cupping massage and RockTape. Next on the agenda is hot stone, positional release and pregnancy!

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
As I mentioned before, I am here to help others. And if after a few sessions I can’t provide the treatment they need to get better, I’m going to refer them to someone else. Or suggest also seeing a chiropractor, physical therapist, etc. many times, clients may need more than just me, but will need a whole team on their side advocating for them.

I think knowing when to stop working on an area so you don’t cause a secondary trauma or when to call in others for help, is humbling but in the best interest of the client. And I think that helps build trust between myself and my clients. Since massage is such a personal and vulnerable experience, you have to be able to trust your therapist.

Pricing:

• Sessions range from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, and range from $45 to $100
• BostonVoyager readers can get 20% off any one session by mentioning BostonVoyager or using the code BostonVoy2017

Contact Info:

• Address: 230 Lowell Street
  (Inside Leonardo Physical Therapy)
• Website: brittjoycemt.com
• Phone: 617-957-9456
• Email: britt@brittjoycemt.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brittjoycemt/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/britt-joyce-mt-wilmington
• Other: get.mndbdy.ly/s1ud/S3XdWE5jBA

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.