By Veronica Edwards
At Healthy Touch Therapeutic Massage, Jennifer Wheatley uses hands, calming energy and healing intentions to relax and de-stress her clients. As owner of the Newport News studio, she says, “When I’m massaging someone, the craziness of life falls away, and his or her purpose and best self show up. I work with what the body tells me to completely relax one’s body, mind and spirit.”
For Wheatley, helping people heal and improving their lives is the inspiration for her business. She loves providing a service that aids in healing and de-stressing her clients.
Wheatley started massage therapy after going through a divorce. Working two jobs, she needed ways to support her two teenage children. A friend encouraged her to consider massage therapy. She was able to work and learn massage therapy. She believes the universe was giving her a sign that she was meant to do this because of the way her life began to align.
In 2005, Wheatley opened Healthy Touch Therapeutic Massage, and in November the practice will celebrate its 14th anniversary. She prides herself on continually developing personal skills and growing her business. Her recent goal has been to fine-tune her customer service skills. She sends get-well cards to regular clients and offers a “re-do” service at no charge if a customer is dissatisfied. “People want to be remembered, they want to matter; that’s the Aloha way,” says Wheatley.
A native of Hawaii, Wheatley brings the culture of her home state to Healthy Touch. “Aloha is a lifestyle. When people greet each other, they stand nose to nose so they become one,” she says. “It’s a philosophy of connection between people, and I want my clients to feel that. It goes perfectly with massage therapy. People can obtain peace when mind, body and spirit are aligned.”
Healthy Touch is a place where people can leave the stress of life outside and relax for an hour. Wheatley recently had a client who was stressed by everything in her life, but laughter and some tender loving care brought relief to her. For Wheatley, this is an opportunity to be of service, providing what clients need. “Every day there is a purpose to my massage,” she says.
As the self-declared “Ambassador of Aloha” in Newport News, Wheatley believes that making a connection and being present with her clients enables her to heal them. “It’s as though I have magnets in my fingertips that find the spots. People tell me that the only thing better than my hands is my heart,” Wheatley says with a smile.
While traditional massage techniques are the backbone of the practice, each therapist continually looks to improve his or her craft. Wheatley is interested in learning and providing manual lymphatic drainage and cupping therapy.
Wheatley selects each member of her exclusive and highly trained team, looking for therapists with a similar outlook. “You can teach skill, but you cannot teach heart. Massage is either in your heart or it isn’t,” she says. Assembling the right team took time, but now the Healthy Touch therapists are like a family, an atmosphere Wheatley guarantees clients can feel.
Wheatley enjoys spending time with her family, specifically her two grandchildren, visiting them in Hawaii and California. She also mentors ladies in a spiritual fellowship group. She loves to read on the beach at Fort Monroe, and binge Netflix and Amazon Prime.
With a touch of Aloha, Wheatley continues to serve her community by renewing the body, relaxing the mind and reviving the soul to create a harmonious balance in each person who comes through her door. “I love what I do and feel blessed with the amazing results that I am able to offer. I just want to help people.”
TO THE POINT:
Healthy Touch Therapeutic Massage
Address: 708 Thimble Shoals Blvd.,
Newport News, VA 23606
Contact: Jennifer Wheatley, owner
Phone: 757-595-0029
Website: www.healthytouchmassages.com
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