CAREER MAPPING Oncology Massage
Massage Therapist Specializing in Oncology
I am a board certified massage therapist, professionally licensed in 2011, and have worked in inpatient, outpatient, and infusion center settings.
I maintain a private practice at Orange County Oncology Massage, and work 20-25 hours per week in a clinical outpatient setting at the Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital Cancer Center in Newport Beach, and at their Wellness Center in Irvine, CA. Each client massage session that I do begins with a medical intake and health history questionnaire that my client and I review and complete together, and then customize their massage and/or MLD treatment plan.
I fell in love with this work early on in my career and in 2014 began building my oncology massage practice-based experience hours with Greet The Day’s Infusion Center Massage program. From July 2015 to May 2018 I was employed as an inpatient oncology massage therapist with Greet The Day at Irvine Douglas Hospital, University of California, Irvine, CA. I believe there is tremendous growth opportunity for massage therapists who want to work in an oncology and/or a hospital setting. For those therapists, essential competencies include oncology massage, infusion center massage, and Manual Lymphatic Drainage specific for clients with or at risk for lymphedema.
The work I did with Greet The Day was tremendously helpful in helping me develop these skills and abilities.
Verbal communication with clinical staff, my program director and hospital administrators is a regular part of what I do, and concise and relevant patient intake and charting is essential to my role in the clinical center setting. Each course I have taken with Greet The Day has enriched my work and helped me better serve my clients. A love for learning and a commitment to continuing education enabled me to follow my passion and opened up more opportunities than I could ever have imagined!
My certifications include Manual Lymph Drainage and Complete Decongestive Therapy so I also incorporate manual lymph drainage into my massage sessions for clients with or at risk for lymphedema.
Regular stretching and rest periods, for the mind and body, are essential for me. My self-care also includes prayer, quiet time, receiving monthly massages myself, and spending quality time with two and four-legged loved ones. I start each day with a heart of gratitude for the opportunity to do what I love, and for the clients who come to me for nurturing and comfort and that trust me to provide a safe, specific and mindful session for them. What an honor that is!!!
