Mandatory Reporting
Mandatory reporters are those who work in medical and education fields and are required by law to report suspected abuse or neglect. Depending on the state, massage therapists may be classified under this designation.
Faces of Bodywork: Heather Topoly
- Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
- Education: Stark State College
- Owner, Restorative Massage & Wellness Center, a nine-therapist facility
Massage & Bodywork: Can you share the journey that brought you to where you are today? Why massage?
Heather Topoly: I never chose massage; it chose me.
I am a veteran of the US Navy and served in the reserves for nine years. I have always been interested in the medical field. In the military, I was trained as a combat corpsman; after I got out, I became a nationally registered EMT. After having three children, I went back to school to pursue a career as a physical therapy assistant (PTA). During that training, I needed rotator cuff surgery from a car accident. I was receiving massage from a PTA but noticed a huge difference when the massage therapist worked on me. I literally had no interest in doing massage, but thought I would study it to help my PT patients. About halfway through the first semester of massage school, I fell in love with it. I became licensed in January 2010 and continue to love what I do.
M&B: You offer an interesting array of modalities. Tell us how this tapestry wove together over the years.
HT: I find massage to be a puzzle, and I like when clients leave feeling better. I intertwine everything I have learned over the past 15 years based on what is needed at that moment.
I have worked in a wide range of massage businesses, including chiropractic, PT clinics, corporate, and hospice. I have spent seven years of my career in hospice and working in hospitals such as the Cleveland Clinic. I found hospice to be very rewarding, and it changed my perspective on life. I am trained in Reiki II, Craniosacral 3, trigger point, medical massage, and some myofascial work. The majority of my sessions are therapeutic and clinical, with a side of energy work.
Read more about Heather and her massage journey at abmp.com/updates/blog-posts/faces-bodywork-heather-topoly.
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