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Writer's pictureShanda Harper

Seasons of Change

With the changing seasons comes new beginnings.

I absolutely love everything about autumn, the season literally fills up my soul (it probably helps that I am a September baby too!). This year fall delivered all it's normal magic, but it also brought with it so many new beginnings for me both personally and professionally.


The last few years operating a small wellness practice created space for me to balance the needs of my family with the utmost flexibility around connecting and working with clients. I have learned so much about myself as a manual therapist during this time, and I have been able to reflect on my personal and professional goals moving forward. This past spring I sat down and evaluated my small business, and identified small changes I wanted to make as we moved further into 2024.


In the summer I started the transition of moving Wild Soul Therapeutic's manual therapy practice from my home into a clinic in Okotoks where I joined the team at Thrive Family Chiropractic. The decision was a blend of meeting my families needs as well as the opportunity to grow as a therapist. We are so grateful as our basement transitioned from a clinic space to a new home for our extended family members, and provided me with a better schedule to support our home-school lifestyle. As a therapist, one of the pieces I missed working from home was the collaborative team approach of working in a clinic setting, and I am truly honoured to be able to join the team of gifted practitioners at Thrive. In the big scheme of things, this was a lot of changes and transitions over the past few months, but I will say everything lined up so effortlessly that I believe the timing was perfect. I am getting better at trusting the process.


Looking into the future, I am excited for the opportunities ahead and excited to share some of what I have planned for my growth as a manual therapist:


  1. Never stop learning - If budget wasn't a factor I would be a student forever - I genuinely love shiny new textbooks, laminated study sheets and colourful highlighters! I am diving head first into ongoing studies in the manual osteopathic modalities which include craniosacral therapy and visceral manipulation, and recently I have added neural manipulation to the list. This fall I am attending another course in visceral manipulation (learning about the restrictions specific to the chest and torso) and then next year I finish out the visceral manipulation training series with the pelvis. Additionally, next year I am excited to be traveling to Austin, Texas as well as Denver Colorado to complete training specific to concussion related injuries (this hits near and dear to my heart).


  2. Bucket List - It's on my professional bucket list to attend the Upledger Institute in Florida  as a guest therapist (certification required) and participate with the veteran's intensive program. In addition to this, I have fingers and toes crossed that one day I will have the opportunity (and privilege) to attend a dissection lab and learn in such a hands-on experiential way.


  3. Specialization - As a manual therapist we often get asked if there is an area we "specialize" in, and while I don't know if I will/would ever consider myself an "expert", my focus as I continue to learn and grow comes from a very personal place filled with compassion and my own healing journey. My goal as a manual therapist is to be well-versed and skilled in concussion recovery, women's health/pelvic care and TMJ dysfunction.


  4. Knowledge is power - As a therapist I truly believe client education plays a huge piece in supporting clients in achieving their therapeutic goals. For the past few years I have been toying with the idea of a client based resource platform to share tips, specific exercises and/or therapeutic movements, and general knowledge from within my scope as a massage therapist and yoga teacher. I have decided to launch an instagram page dedicated to this and see where it goes. If you are interested, you can follow along here.


  1. New Chapters -I am one month into the new clinic location and it's been a great transition so far with minimal growing pains. I feel so fortunate that I have been able to retain the therapeutic relationships with my clients, and excited for the opportunity to connect and work with new ones. So where can you find me? The clinic is located in Okotoks, Thrive Family Chiropractic, you can check out their website here.


    My current schedule is:


    Mondays - 9 - 12:30 pm

    Tuesdays - 2:30 - 6 pm (this evening shift can accommodate later times)

    Fridays - 1:30 - 5 pm

    Saturdays - 9 - 12:30 pm (currently one Saturday per month)


  1. Movement - As of right now, I am not sure what my movement classes or offerings will look like moving forward - but I know that it filled up my bucket to teach the Grit Yoga series earlier this year after taking a break from teaching public classes. One of my goals is not to force anything, so I am letting the ideas and brainstorming around this emerge organically and authentically - stay tuned!


So, as we dive into the changing seasons and new beginnings, I can say that I am truly so grateful for the last few years of obstacles and growth - they have got me (and my family) to where we are now. I have the most incredible support from my family, friends, and clients. I can say whole-heartedly that I believe I am exactly where I am meant to be, and I am excited for the opportunities for growth that lie ahead.


Cheers to new beginnings.


Shanda







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