Mary Sanchez

Mary Sanchez graduated from the March 2002 DA05 class at Arizona School of Massage Therapy and has been quite busy. Right before graduation, Mary was awarded one of five scholarships offered by Massage Magazine to aid in tuition, supplies, etc. Mary wrote a set of five essays that told why she wanted to become a massage therapist and how she plans to use her skills once out in the field, and after reading the first one, the committee decided to award her one of the scholarships. Look for Mary’s story to be highlighted on Massage Magazine’s web site and in their August 2002 issue.

When Mary first decided to become a massage therapist, her vision was to "gently affect a greater healing of the planet one body at a time". Although previously she had denounced allopathic practices, she now realizes that she can bridge the gap between Eastern and Western by working hand-in-hand with conventional doctors to assist in the healing of their patients. Even though her time in the Professional Program at ASMT is finished, she still anticipates more training in physiology, pathology and medical terminology.

The decision for Mary to go back to school was not easy. For 14 years Mary chose to stay at home with her children. Once she decided to further her education, she started investigating schools in the Phoenix area. She chose ASMT due to the "thoroughness of their program and the high degree of professionalism" displayed when she inquired about the school. Due to the many modalities that ASMT offers that many area schools do not, Mary decided that ASMT was the right choice for her. The clinical experience she would gain and the accreditation by COMTA aided in her decision as well. Although the school is two hours away from her home and she spent five days a week away from her children, Mary knew that her children would see her dedication and learn from her example.

Now that Mary has graduated, she has started a private practice in her community on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. She plans on working not only in a traditional hospital setting, but also in the orphanage and in the rehabilitation center with adults going through alcohol or chemical withdrawal programs. She has seen first hand the power of therapeutic touch and wants to help the people in her community take advantage of the power that she possesses as a massage therapist.