Integrating Advanced Nutritional Therapy into a Current Massage Practice.

My name is Shelly Slocum and I am an AMBP member and licensed massage therapist in KY. I am writing because I know that a lot of massage therapists are health oriented and would like to integrate their current practices to include herbs, supplements, and nutritional coaching for their clients. For massage therapists, we are accustomed to spending $250- $1000 for continuing education. So my solution, as you read my story, was to expand my practice to include wellness services.

After graduating from Berea College and Lexington Healing Arts Academy, I started working at the Massage Center where I became more focused on abdominal massage to aid clients with reproductive and digestive troubles. My teacher Marty Ryan, really sparked my interest in teaching clients about how their digestive systems work so they could include better eating choices to their diets, along with abdominal massage. I enrolled in a professional program called the Nutritional Therapy Association, NTA for a year long program that integrates palpation techniques from Chapman reflex points (developed by Dr. Chapman, DO) along with nutritional coaching.

Recently I have started working with a Radiologist from Lexington named Dr. Julie Miller (from Lexington's "Meet the Doctor" tv series.) Her start-up anti-aging wellness clinic needed a nutritional therapy component. She is encouraging me to pursue my graduate degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport. I am going to pursue it this fall!

My passion in clinical nutrition is in the field of nutrigenomics which is the study of how nutrition affects genes and vice versa. Recently I have gotten involved as an independent afflilate with a company that tests your DNA and based on your genes, the lab creates a custom formula out of 534,000 possible combinations. Nutragenetics Nutritional Assessment is designed to identify variations (SNPs) in up to twelve key genes that are important to your body’s overall health, specifically your genetic propensity for: Oxidative stress; Environmental challenges; Cardiovascular health; Detoxification; Immune health; Neurological health: Pulmonary health, Eye/Vision health; Bone health.
Along with the DNA testing and custom supplements, at the anti-aging clinic, I will use my NTA knowledge and abdominal massage therapy skills to teach clients with digestion issues, how to take care of one's own unique body.

Additional Training:
Metabolic Testing with Dr. Harry Eidiner at a Biotics Conference
Spectracell testing with Dr. Yvonne at a Biotics Conference
Neuroscience testing for sleep issues at a Biotics Conference
DNA testing and Supplement Sales
Nutritional Therapy at NTA