This personal statement traces the applicant's journey from nursing in Latvia — including work at a cancer clinic and a children's ward in Riga — to pursuing an Associate Degree in Massage Therapy at the Swedish Institute in the United States. The writer connects her clinical background in oncology and pediatric care to a philosophy of holistic, client-centered massage therapy. She emphasizes empathy developed through years of observing diverse patients in varying states of health, the physical and emotional discipline nursing demands, and a commitment to helping clients achieve greater freedom of movement and improved quality of life.
My first, formative experiences in the field of health care began in a different country — my home nation of Latvia. There, as a nurse, treating the sick was my primary role. In Riga, I worked at a cancer clinic and then on a children's ward. My work was often emotionally and physically draining, yet it was always rewarding. As a nurse, I began to gain a greater sense of my life's passion: helping people improve the quality of their physical lives and their states of mental health.
Seeing people struggle with issues of death and dying on a daily basis made me wish to help both healthy and ill people live their lives in a fuller and more meaningful fashion. Nursing was also a good way to build up the stamina and discipline necessary to embark upon my new, chosen career in the United States as a massage therapist. Working with children after working with cancer patients made me appreciate the free and open motion of a child's body. I would like to reawaken this sense of freedom even in the toughest and stiffest limbs of an office worker, cramped after a long day in a chair.
My concept of a massage therapist is a person who uses massage to help a client lead a more comfortable and physically free life. A client should not simply feel relaxed, but should gain a better sense of his or her body through the use of massage. A good massage therapist helps clients approach their favorite activities — such as weekend sports or simply walking around the neighborhood — with greater joy and range of movement. As noted by Mayo Clinic, massage therapy can address a wide range of physical and psychological conditions, supporting this holistic view of treatment. The fact that I have seen people in so many different bodies and in different states of health and illness will be my greatest strength as a future therapist. Every client has different needs, and every client requires a unique prescription of therapeutic techniques.
"Cross-cultural empathy and individualized treatment"
"Parenthood deepening patient empathy"
"Program fit with holistic philosophy"
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