Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Holthaus.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Buffalo, MN and have spent many of my professional years working in health care (from insurance to pharmacy benefits to scheduling) and moved into direct patient care with The Bodyworks Collective.
I got into neuromuscular therapy initially as a client. Outside of being a neuromuscular practitioner I am a flamenco dancer. After a knee injury in 2016 from dancing, I turned to natural healing methods for recovery. Through corrective bodywork at The Bodyworks Collective, I experienced significant improvement in my knees, overall health, and body function. Being excited about the improvements in my own health, I became interested in helping others in their own healing journey.
The neuromuscular therapy technique that I do focuses on creating motion and mobility in the joints and joint systems because our tissues can’t be happy if our joints aren’t happy. Our company tagline is “Corrective therapy for lasting function”.
I have been a neuromuscular practitioner for nearly four years and it has been fascinating watching my clients’ bodies change over time. I have seen hip and shoulder pain go away, chronic pain be relieved, mobility return, and more.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, going through my own healing journey wasn’t an easy one. I started with the western medicine approach with my knee injury. An MRI found I had torn meniscus, osteoarthritis, and bone spurs in my knees. The doctors told me to wait until it was bad enough for surgery and avoid stairs. As a professional dancer, the idea of waiting to get relief wasn’t good enough. I had to ask them to get physical therapy (they did not offer or suggest it). I found some help there, but it wasn’t the deep relief I was looking for. I started acupuncture, changing my nutrition, and going deeper into meditation (mental support is just as important as physical). Going further down the natural rabbit hole, I was able to get the help I was looking for. My acupuncturist suggested neuromuscular therapy at The Bodyworks Collective, and my pain and mobility really turned a corner. I currently do not pain in my knees and am dancing with more strength and ease in my body than I ever have before.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a neuromuscular practitioner, I specialize in helping people with neuromuscular therapy (a different sort of massage-like treatment that focuses on creating motion and mobility in the joints and joint systems). I am most proud of helping people feel better in their bodies and especially watching people prioritize their health to live a better quality of life and independence. We are told that aches and pain comes with old age, and really those aches and pains are the way our bodies are telling us to take care them differently. Our bodies are really doing the best they can under the environment we give them, and even with small shifts, we can see positive change.
What sets me apart from others is that I see people where they are and meet them where they are at to help them achieve their health goals. Each of us are on our own individual health journey and it needs to be treated as such without comparing ourselves to others. It takes a lot of compassion, empathy, and support to help others heal. Going through my own healing journey, there are so many twists and turns, trial and error to find what works, and the journey isn’t always an easy or clear. There are many ways I show up for my clients in their healing journeys–showing up with bodywork knowledge, suggestions to incorporate other healing modalities, teaching movement exercises, or showing up as their cheerleader.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Kindness, patience, empathy, honesty, compassion, and living with integrity.
Pricing:
- $125 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebodyworkscollectivemn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebodyworkscollectivemn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBodyworksCollectiveMN
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-holthaus-7454b7b3/
- Other: https://tcflamenco.org
Image Credits
Bill Cameron and Elizabeth Peak
