Today we’d like to introduce you to Crista De La Garza.
Hi Crista, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I graduated from high school in 1996 I had no clue that life would turn out the way it has. I attended a small private Christian school in San Antonio, Tx, certain that my future would be in Texas as a good housewife. I could not see farther than the palm of my hand. For context, my older brother died when I was 15, I struggled with grief and un unhealthy controlling relationship through the rest of high school and into college, was engaged at 17, and divorced at 19. I consider this a traumatic time of my life. The faculty and nuns at the smaller private college I attended were incredibly helpful to me when I shared about my home situation and asked for help.
I was a young adult amidst an intense time of growth, fumbling to find my own identity and voice. I was majoring in Theatre and minoring in Dance, going through a divorce, living on campus with the protection of campus security, and for the first time making decisions for myself. Being around other young people with my interests and artistic sensitivities helped me to explore life concepts and ways of living that I had not been exposed to in my teens. The nun in legal encouraged me to receive counseling at the University’s wellness center, and that counselor encouraged me to receive a massage through the campus wellness program. Receiving that one massage in college where I was not required to talk about my trauma, I was listened to, and was only touched in the safest most therapeutic way, was a life changer for me.
I did not receive another massage nor act on massage therapy as a career until years later after I was already established as a professional scenic painter for theatre; however, that single experience was instrumental in me learning to be my own navigator, experience self-awareness in a profound way, and introducing me to what therapeutic touch is. I am incredibly grateful for that experience and in my own practice today I strive to hold that kind of safe space container for my clients to facilitate their own healing. A big piece of what I offer as a massage therapist today is safe, trauma informed, intelligent, and therapeutic touch. Of course, I also offer the physically productive work, sought after deep-tissue with bulldozer pressure and pointed elbows, but that’s not really all a great massage has to offer.
During that intense young adult growth time period in college in 1998, I attended my first Iyengar yoga class as part of a modern dance course. After college, I moved to NYC, had a great time being a young person in NY in 2000, and found a bunch of awesome places to take yoga classes from at local fitness gyms, Kundalini studios, and meditation centers.
I first came to Boulder, CO as a scenic painter working for the Colorado Shakespeare festival though an invitation from Off-Broadway technical theatre friends I made while painting scenery in NYC. I made life-long friends at CSF and found after many summer visits and a short time living and working in Boulder, then in Denver for Denver Center Theatre Company as a props artist, that I loved Boulder.
In 2004 I retired from scenic painting and attended massage school in Falls Church, VA, worked in Spas in D.C. and Arlington, then moved to Boulder and became a permanent resident in 2006, where I chose to raise my son who is now 18 years old. I have been a Nationally Certified and Board Certified Massage Therapist since 2005, offering massage therapy in Boulder county for the majority of my career.
When I started working in Boulder I gave deeply discounted massages to Shakespeare festival actors & artists, food industry front & back of house staff, and I worked at the YMCA for a time, RallySport. In 2010 I started with Massage Specialists and worked there for more than a decade until they closed. I got serious about being a Yoga teacher in 2016. I completed my 200 Hour & 300 Hour trainings with Soul Tree Yoga, where i consider my community studio for formal practice. When the world turned upside down during Covid I supplemented my income teaching online yoga and realized it was time to make arrangements to have my own independent massage therapy office.
Lockdown provided me a lot of time to think about what was correct for me and my son, what needed to change, and what I needed to do moving forward. It was during this time that I reflected on my short time as faculty with Boulder College of Massage Therapy, how things are going for the massage profession, and what I can do to take action. I meditated on bhakti, karma, and jnana yogic teachings and immersed myself in mountain nature while balancing home life with my middle school aged son tackling online learning at home. There was much to consider, which brings us to today. I completed my masters degree in Leadership Higher Education, am serving my 2nd term as a Practitioner member on the Board of Directors for the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), and working hard to open the new Boulder School of Massage Therapy with a 700 Hour Program.
I work hard to promote to the community the benefits of massage therapy and yoga. I am preparing my own son to transition into adulthood, and encouraging him in navigating his own identity and developing his own voice in his young adult life as a freshman at CU Boulder this fall.
It is so important to me as a female, mother, educator, and administrator to support individuality and creativity for each student, regardless of age and background, as they embark on their educational journeys. I see higher education experiences as a time of learning and becoming, no matter what career one is studying. Post secondary education is as a crucial time for exploring self-care, self-acceptance, and building self-confidence while figuring out who one wants to be. We all need tools and support as we process becoming who we will become.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first big challenge in my massage career was Stigma, with a capital S. Except for one close friend and my son’s dad, I did not feel any positive community support to pursue a massage career. Keep in mind this was more than 20 years ago when massage businesses were mostly referred to as “massage parlors”. By the way, please don’t use that term with professional massage therapists, it is not ok. We do not work at massage parlors. We work in clinics, spas, and private practices. It would be great if the media would eliminate that phrase from professional massage therapy vocabulary as it does not help our profession’s healthcare legitimacy with public perception.
The only challenge I have experienced with teaching yoga is the same I experienced with massage: competition. There are so many yoga teachers and massage therapists in Boulder. The challenge is getting awesome and finding your niche.
For the school, the challenges are much bigger, Money and Technology. Today there are less than 800 massage schools nationally (down from more than 1600), many of those have gone to an online hybrid model after covid, and only around 1/3 of the massage schools are accredited. With the challenges of our current economy, it is an incredibly difficult time to open a massage school, especially with the steep requirements by our state to do so. I think the once over saturated Boulder county will soon begin to feel the reality of supply and demand with the massage profession if this massage school does not open soon. There is a projected 18-33% need increase in our country for massage therapist jobs. There are not enough massage therapists to do the work needed, the schools are moving towards online formats which is not ideal for tactile learners, and there are not a whole lot of schools around to teach people to do this work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Artsy Healer & Boulder School of Massage Therapy?
Artsy Healer Llc is my massage therapy, yoga instruction, sound healing, and arts & crafts business. I offer more than 20 years of experience in massage therapy & yoga practice and education. I have all the highest attainable credentials in my toolbox of offerings and extensive training in trauma informed, oncology sensitive, pre & post surgery care, pre & post natal care, intuitive work, chronic pain management, and deep tissue work.
I’m an healing arts and fine arts artist. I have a musical performance background which I incorporate into my crystal bowl sound healing events.
I am proud to have the credentials MA, BA, BCTMB, LMT, APCE, ERYT200, RYT500, RPYT, and YACEP. This means I have a masters degree in Leadership Higher Education, bachelors of arts degree in Humanities (Theatre & Dance focus), Board Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, Colorado Licensed Massage Therapist, Approved Provider for Continuing Education, Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with a prenatal certificate, and am a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider.
I want the readers to know that as clients they will receive the highest quality, experienced, compassionate, careful, and expert care from me.
For the school, Boulder School of Massage Therapy’s mission is to develop the most proficient, successful massage therapists, with the highest ethical standards, while cultivating excellence in the massage therapy profession. BSMT hopes to be known for its academically rigorous and transformative curriculum, its exemplary leadership in massage therapy education, practices, and research. BSMT will prepare students to learn to be of service, working collaboratively with their communities. BSMT will teach students to provide a professional massage therapy experience, enhancing quality of life for all beings. BSMT is designed as a one year commitment and in-person only educational experience.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I took a risk asking the nuns for help in 1998.
I took a risk in 2000 leaving Texas and moving to NYC with 2 suitcases and $1000.
I took a risk in 2004 leaving my established theatre career for a career in massage therapy.
I took a risk in 2012 to begin teaching massage.
I took a risk in 2020 branching out into my sole massage practice, submitting my application to the national board for volunteer positions, and enrolling in grad school.
I am currently taking a huge risk announcing to the public that the school is ready to apply for the state license to operate when I know that the school needs community financial support to get the doors open. I am taking the risk that I can show our community the big picture and the great need to have this school open and operating.
I don’t consider myself a risk-taker. I would say I am conservative about taking risks and I only do it out of necessity. I am careful, thoughtful, and resourceful. My risks are calculated with fingers crossed, prayers to the gods, pennies for Ganesh, and shiny offerings to the fairy folk. I consider myself willing to take risks, being brave enough to do the right thing even it doesn’t seem logical to others at the time. If I take a risk it’s because I believe with all my being that it is necessary and it must done.
Pricing:
- $2.50 per minute Therapeutic Massage; $150 60 minutes, $225 90 minutes
- Private Yoga Instruction $40 per hour
- Sound Healing $30 per attendee
- Boulder School of Massage Therapy $18,900 Tuition for one year, 700 Hour Program, in-person only education.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artsyhealer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artsyhealer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artsyhealerllc
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/crista-de-la-garza-7b0424227
- Other: https://www.bsmtcolorado.com/
Image Credits
Bethany Koehler (business card photo)
