Masseuse: "It has always fascinated me"

Amanda Coleman
Staff Writer

   Many college students find themselves overwhelmed with the stresses of everyday college life. Students often look for ways to relieve these feelings and now, thanks to fifth-year Occupational Therapy (OT) major Crystal Nealis, students can relieve their stress through massage therapy.
   Nealis first started offering massages as a service to students and faculty on campus last semester. The response was so good that she has extended her hours from 12:30-2 p.m. to 12-3 p.m. every Wednesday during the spring semester. A college student herself, Nealis recognizes the need for stress relief and provides it at an affordable cost to others.
   At $10 per 15 minutes, students can come to the Learning Services Center where Nealis offers her professional massages in the relaxation room. As part of the experience, Nealis uses special lotions as well as scented candles and relaxing music to create the proper environment.
   Nealis learned her massage techniques from her aunt, who is a masseuse. In Pennsylvania, the law requires that in order to practice massage therapy on patients, one must have several hours training, but does not have to be certified. Through working and learning with her aunt, Nealis was able to gain enough experience and hours in training to legally practice massage therapy here at the College.
   In the future, Nealis would like to open a clinic that incorporates OT and massage therapy with a focus on children with stressed joints, a problem referred to as "high tone."
   "I always loved relaxation techniques and the medical field and the body. It has always fascinated me," Nealis said.
   At Elizabethtown, she participated in Student Senate during her freshman and junior years, as well as Peer Mentoring and Student Occupational Therapy Assocation. She also participated in the Emotion dance club as well as intramural sports. Twenty-two-year-old Nealis will graduate this spring with a masters in OT.
   Her interest in OT was prompted during her junior year of high school when her grandmother, who has Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that causes paralysis, inspired her. Her fascination with OT was strengthened when she accompanied her grandmother to therapy sessions. From that point on, she knew that she wanted to one day work as an occupational therapist.
   She started taking OT classes during her freshman year and then in her junior year at Elizabethtown, Nealis was in the first OT class to go abroad; she studied at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
   To make an appointment for a massage with Nealis, call the Learning Center at ext. 1185.

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