We were lucky to catch up with Marissa Charland recently and have shared our conversation below.
Marissa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
My official training and work in energy healing & wellness began back in 2012, but really, my involvement began in early childhood. It was a gift, though I did not know it or understand that it had a place in the world at that time. It was just normal for all I knew, and I assumed everyone could see and fell what I felt. After enduring some pretty big life turns in my mid-20’s, I remember seeing a listing in the local Community Ed pamphlet for a class called “Intuition.” This strong current swirled within me when I read it. I wanted it, though I remember feeling ridiculous (ego) for wanting it. I had been asking/manifesting/praying for something REAL to present itself, something to help me begin healing, and something truly strong enough to help me accomplish what I desired, so I listened and I signed up. I will never forget this time frame of my life. I was excited and terrified, and felt like I was coming home to a place I hadn’t been too in a long time. I remember showing up to the first day of that class (late)- feeling the room, observing all of the energies present, trying to remain “open” and simultaneously “on guard,’ and so intensely listening to and feeling everything that poured out of the instructor’s mouth. I remember watching the way she moved when she spoke and knowing, “Yes, you can trust her. She is legit.” It was such a massive hallelujah rebirth moment for me. I learned so, so much from her. I went on to take several courses in healing, health and wellness, learning and earning certifications, degrees, and so on.
For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
Please provide as much detail as you feel relevant as this is one of the core questions where the reader will get to know about you and your brand/organization/etc.
I am Marissa, and I am a multi-passionate creature. I am calm, nurturing, and a raging storm of deep emotions all rolled up into a human body. I love and accept my dualities, and I love encouraging others to explore their own. I am a mother, a healer, a humanitarian, a peacemaker, a protector, a wife, wild, deeply happy, connected, and free.
My official training and work in energy healing & wellness began back in 2012, but really, my involvement began in early childhood. It was a gift, though I did not know it or understand that it had a place in the world at that time. It was just normal for all I knew, and I assumed everyone could sense what I sensed, in the ways I sensed it. After enduring some pretty big life turns in my mid-20s, I remember seeing a listing in the local Community Ed pamphlet for a class called “Intuition.” This unexplainable current swirled within me when I read it. I wanted it, though I remember feeling ridiculous for wanting it. I had been manifesting and praying hard for something REAL to present itself, something to help me begin my healing journey, and something truly strong enough to help me accomplish what I desired. So, I checked my ego at the door and listened to my body’s response and signed up for the class. I will never forget this time frame of my life. I was excited and terrified and felt like I was coming home to something I hadn’t visited in a long time. I remember showing up to the first day of that class- feeling the room, observing all of the energies present, trying to remain “open” and simultaneously “on guard,” and so intensely listening to and feeling everything that poured out of the instructor’s mouth. I remember watching the way she moved when she spoke and knowing, “Yes, you can trust her. She is the real deal.” It was such a massive hallelujah rebirth moment for me. I learned so, so much from her. I went on to take several courses in healing with her and others and in health and wellness. I learned and earned several certifications, degrees, and so on, and I continue to educate myself.
Today, I operate my own small business, Energy Healing by Marissa, LLC, (@firewaterandlighthealing on IG), offering 1:1 Ember Genesis Sessions and private mentoring. The Ember Genesis sessions are my signature service and a bundle of wonder every time. They are a blend of Chakra Balancing, Reiki, Tibetan Pulsing & reading my client’s body and energy- messages for what’s going on, what’s coming in and needs to be shared, and what needs to move out. I have offered other services in the past, such as Reiki alone, readings alone, infrared light therapy sessions, and various combinations of all of them, but none of them sated me as much as the Ember Genesis sessions and private mentoring, and so I honor that. Apart from my energy healing work, I am also subcontracted through an equine therapy center. Through the equine therapy center, I support individuals in need of guidance, helping them to recover from addictions, abuse, and trauma. What I get to do and how I get to do it is a beautiful, integrative marriage, really. My formal psychology education and experience weave into my energy healing work, and my energy healing work undoubtedly weaves into the psychoeducation piece.
Common obstacles that my clients come in for:
My energy healing clients come in seeking support for a variety of reasons, oftentimes multiple: stress, anger, anxiety, supportive care during cancer treatments, grief, support with scummy romantic partners & friendships with agendas, trauma, collective or social pains, feeling stuck, and/or shadow work. Most often, my healing clients just need their energy fields cleared and polished up, to feel stronger and lighter again.
Common challenges that my equine therapy center clients see me for are oftentimes more severe, and for things that are very challenging, sometimes impossible, for one’s heart and mind to fathom as real.
My energy healing clients, as well as my equine therapy center clients, are undeniably nothing short of modern-day warriors.
What sets you apart from others?
I walk what I talk, and I am not afraid to be vulnerable, curious, raw, or blunt. I am confident in my integrative approach and my willingness to understand and know that no matter how much I know, I am a forever mastery-level student, here and beyond. I know my worth. I know who I am, what I am, and what I am not. I can hold space for conflicting viewpoints without it derailing me. I am committed to Divine guidance and truth- not personal or wound-feeding agendas
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud that I chose to answer the door when this calling knocked, that I trusted it, and that I didn’t give up. I am proud of how I serve, of my growth, and how I have learned to trust and love myself and all of my facets and layers. I am proud that I have learned to transmute all of my experiences, rage, and pain into powerful, potent doses of wisdom, love, and healing that I get to share with others, especially my children. I am proud that I continue to learn and expand and know that as I do so, I am able to pour more back into this life and hopefully leave the world a better place than it was when I was born into it.
Main things you want your potential clients to know about your work:
This is my heart’s art. When we are in session together, you are safe, respected, and honored. We go where your energy needs to go. Your curiosity is promoted, your tears are cherished, and you will learn to release what no longer serves you. You’re guided to nurture the most important relationship you will ever know- your relationship with yourself. You will reconnect and you will know, feel and witness your worth and truth.
Even if we never work together or cross paths, please accept this nugget of love: Make your intuition your trusted advisor in everything you do. Choose to listen to what your body is communicating to you. Nurturing this relationship with yourself naturally protects you, fuels you, and helps you see everything around you with clarity and confidence. Allow yourself to change your mind as you learn more, and forgive yourself as you do. Energy speaks so much louder than words, and frequency can’t be faked.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Oh my, so many. Still un-learning! There is a lot of misinformation out there in terms of what a healer is and what a healer is not and it took me years to unlearn these perceptions. Prior to my unlearning, I felt a lot of pressure to be available for everyone, to help them through their adversities, and to be this saintly representation of human sunshine and unconditional love 24/7. Woof. Nothing admits a person of service into burnout faster, and I watch healers go through this time and time again. I released that pressure and welcomed all of my humanness to the table. I now have a powerhouse of a support team, the capacity to decline clients and invasive people without guilt, and to take rest. I am overflowing with compassion, fire, and the deepest faith, love, and loyalty a human can possibly feel and emanate, and also, I am not for everyone nor am I available to everyone. It took a really long time for me to learn this.
Nurturing can be your nature, but that doesn’t mean you have to offer assholes or low-frequency people with alternate agendas a seat at your table. Not everyone deserves access to you. Recharging your battery and working on your own alignment is so critical- personally and professionally.
I have an amazing mentor that I connect with regularly, who challenges me, helps me get out of my own way, and models an admirable level of grace that I aspire to embody daily. Also, I periodically hire high-level coaches, to rattle me out of my comfort zone, call me out on my blind spots, and help me move through the barriers. I have a team of healers and body-workers, to help me move stored trauma in my physical body so that I, too, have the safe space to melt and heal and morph back into something radiant. I am fortunate to have an amazing partner, family, and circle celebrating and supporting my every move- even when they don’t fully understand it.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Just learning to pivot, and that I get to pivot, has been invaluable for me. My mission is to seek and live in my authenticity and that has required a lot of pivoting. I have pivoted so many times, and each time has brought forth a new layer of personal freedom and truth, and humility. I would be doing my readers a great disservice if I didn’t mention that each pivot, or “shedding cycle” as I like to call it, had me temporarily terrified and paralyzed with level of anxiety that felt nuclear. I had a very successful almost 20 year career in Animal Health, full of pivots in and of itself. We don’t have enough time to dive into all of the details on how I came to close this chapter in my life, but I will say it wasn’t a healthy or safe culture for me to remain in long term. Toward the end of that chapter, the majority of my time in the day was spent emotionally supporting the people I interacted with, and less on actually performing my job description. Ironically, this made me more successful in my job, but I wanted THAT part of my job full-time and to be paid for it- not for the sales number I hit that day, or for the rank I achieved comparatively amongst a global list of people I would never know. At large meetings, colleagues would request energy healing sessions on our breaks. I reached a point where I was like, “Ok. I got it. Loud and clear. This will work out. It’s been great, veterinary world, and peace out.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @firewaterandlighthealing
- Other: marissa@firewaterandlight.com
Image Credits
Markfortography