Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Beth Bollinger . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Beth , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

The mission I have in my business is mostly guided through the desire I have to help people who deal with depression, ptsd, c-ptsd, and other emotional/spiritual ailments that touch can heal. When I started massage therapy school, I had no idea how much my body was holding onto, as I wasn’t yet keen on the way emotions are stored not just our brains, but our body as well. Whether that came from one tragic event, or many small things throughout your life, unless properly processed and released, that stays with us. Abuse, rape, tragic accidents, racism, drug abuse. That just names a few things that can remove us from our body, disconnecting ourselves from really feeling physically what’s happening. As a rape survivor myself, I stayed stuck outside of my body for a very long time, unaware that while my brain felt “healed” and moved past it, my body felt otherwise. After having many somatic releases on the table (crying, shaking), I learned massage is more than just for athletic pains. Suddenly the every day aches I had were gone, or lessening. When you are with an LMT who is trauma-informed as I am, massage can also be a place of safety to feel yourself in your body again.

Beth , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Beth Bollinger and I’m a licensed massage therapist. While originally from Gettysburg PA, I’ve lived on James Island for almost 10 years. When I’m not working, I enjoy being at the beach with my dog, painting / creating, or enjoying live music. I have a mobile massage therapy business called NERVana Studio that I’ve been practicing through since 2018. I moved to South Carolina already educated in massage, but at the time I had no real idea I’d one day be working for myself. I love everything Charleston has to offer, and it didn’t take me long to observe there was opportunity here for those of us who wanted it. It takes tenacity, the ability to accept rejection, and a deep belief in yourself to keep moving forward.

While I love accepting pain clients through NERVana Studio, my studios real calling has deeper somatic roots. The body is a tripod, effecting us not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. The deeper healing aspect of touch has always been a part of me and now that I can look back, there’s no surprise where I’ve ended up in my career. My private residential clients know and understand the importance of their recurring session because they can feel how once the body is in that kind of flow state, it becomes easier to let go in our day to day lives as well, on top of being pain free. It’s an amazing tool to staying limber and flexible, two things that help our body move forward along with ourselves.

Along with my private residential clients, I also enjoy taking massage therapy to corporate or private events, along with working backstage for musicians and the hard working people who help put the show on!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth! When you do good work, people tell other people. Especially with being a mobile business, I love going to a new client whos been referred by another great client!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

In the beginning, there was definitely a sense of guilt charging people money for a thing you wish we could all have for free. Starving healers syndrome is what it’s sometimes referred as. To give way to limited beliefs, to remember that being a healer doesn’t mean I need to suffer in my every day quality of life. I used to charge $60/hr for a mobile service. After receiving a massage from me, I had a great friend help me see how lowly I was valuing myself & my work. I had been stuck in a circle of “I’m a healer and I’m not in this for the money” and changed that to “the more money I accumulate, the greater the impact I will be able to make on myself, my family, and my community.” How we speak to ourselves matter, and how we show up matter. Now that I’m charging my worth (and still $20-$40 cheaper than most mobile services!), I can show up better for MYSELF, which helps me show up better for my community. I am SO grateful for those clients, who used to pay $60/ hr, are now paying upwards to $200 for their session after tip. They know my worth, and now I do too.      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nervana.studio
• Instagram: nervana_studio3

Image Credits
Veronica Stein Tori Krout