Mara Isabel, LMP LA
I take a holistic approach to wellness, health, and beauty. I love exploring a person's whole being - their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual life. That gives me "the book" to study. It gives me a starting point to help rewrite whole chapters of people’s lives including changing from the inside out -- choosing new belief systems about themselves, about how to take care of themselves, how they feel about their body. When you begin to read the language of your own body you can assist the incredible wisdom of the body by giving it the resources it needs in order to heal from the inside out. Learning to really listen for what your body needs is where real health and beauty begins. It's not the $125 cream that you put on your skin; it's your diet, your exercise, your pattern of caring for your skin. Some people spend hours on their skin; others don't take their makeup off at night. It's important to start developing good patterns, no matter what age you are.
I started as a nurse practitioner working on an orthopedic floor with patients with chronic pain and injury. The first clinic I opened in Arizona focused on medical treatments and I partnered with doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, registered nurses, and personal trainers all referring people focused in deep pain. I began to notice the patterns of emotions locked into a person’s muscles releasing as they were able to release the emotions of the trauma. That's where my passion became focused. On the esthetics side, I incorporated facial massage, aromatherapy, and acupressure. I realized that it fit in beautifully. It was, though, quite a challenge to me to go from the medical world to that of "beauty."
This passion lead me to study in Scotland at Inverness Gardens with some of the top international teachers working with these issues using aromatherapy, movement therapy, and sound therapy. I brought it back to my clinic and turned it into a medical spa - a place where instead of having to be painful, we had joy in our treatments! It became a place where one could look into a mirror – both literal and figurative -- and tell themselves what they wanted for that day, a place to say to themselves “I love you,” and they would cry. Then we would start the treatment, warming up the muscles, using movement and aromatherapy. The treatment came with tears, with laughter, release, and with their owned planned homework - loving themselves, reading a book, hugging a tree, playing with animals or babies - it was all integrated.
What I learned over that time was that when I could elicit from my patients what their body was trying to tell them, I could design a program tailored to their specific needs. I referred out to other therapists, blended custom aromatherapies, developed specific and guided techniques for my patients. I began to learn about and love the spirit and mind of the body. It's all integrated. It doesn't matter what the person is in the outer world: their work, religion, or beliefs. The story of the body is still there. I was like a “body detective,” and the more they opened, the more we got beneath the emotions, trusted the wisdom of the body. Using everything we were both bringing to the treatments the healing was profound. Over 20 years, I trained other therapists in this work, and most of them took it further out into the world.
Today, these prinicples still guide my work. I still ask about what's going on in my client’s life. It informs me about how to work with them to meet their needs and goals, what to do and where to move forward with a specific person. I want each client to leave my table with a feeling of being grounded in their body, their emotions, and their intuition. I strive to promote a deep sense of well-being in my work using intuitive and integrative techniques including aromatherapy, energetic, and movement therapies. There are still occasional tears and laughter from my massage table.
When I am looking at a client's face as an esthetician, I'm looking at promoting beauty from within. I am also listening to what the client wants and I am happy to direct them to the best care providers I know – to team case with reconstructive plastic surgeons and others. Promoting health and beauty from within means that I don't live my life worried about every line on my face. I want my skin to look and be as healthy as it can be. I like how I look when my skin is glowing, I like how I feel, and I want my client's to love how they feel, too. I've always had fun blending, like an alchemist, and now I've even gotten into using some of the power equipment!
LICENSES
Estheticians License, Bellevue, Washington, 2002
Massage Therapist, Olympia, Washington-State Board Licensed, 1999, (#MA-13114)
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Body Work (NCTMB), 1999, (#156116-00)
Massage Therapist, Arizona, 1983-1999
Licensed Practical Nurse, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1973
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATES
G.M. Collin Intensive Training
Preston Wynne, Spa and Salon Success Systems, Saratoga, CA
Brenner School of Massage, Seattle, WA
School of Natural Healing, Scottsdale, AZ
Dr. Daniel Penoel Seminar, Salt Lake City, UT
Oil Dance, Seattle, WA
Photobiodermie, San Diego, CA
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ
Hudson School of Massage, London, England, UK
LaStone Therapy Institute, Tucson, AZ
Anna Hanse Accredited Therapist, Findhorn Garden, Scotland, UK
Sharon Took and Anna Barton, Findhorn Garden, Scotland, UK
Dr. Vodder, Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix Therapeutic Massage College, Phoenix, AZ
Body Well Being, Educational Division, Phoenix, AZ
Arizona Institute of Reflexology, Scottsdale, AZ
American Massage and Therapy Association, Continuing Education, 1982-1998
Albuquerque Technical Institute, Albuquerque, NM, 1979
AFFILIATIONS
Associated Body Work and Massage Professionals (ABMP), Member since 2010
Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP), Member since 2010
Northwest Aestheticians Guild (NWAG), Member since 2002
American Massage and Therapy Association (AMTA), Licensed Practitioner 1983-2010
National Aromatherapy Holistic Association (NAHA), Member 2001-2008
International Aromatherapy and Herb Association (IAHA), Member 1997-2002
Child Improvement Through Therapy (CITT), Member 1992-1999
Arizona Homeopathic Medical Association (AHMA), Member 1979-1984
SPECIALIZED TRAINING