We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Clarissa Stewart. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Clarissa below.

Alright, Clarissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

Ten years ago after a career in the business and restaurant industry, I wanted to switch paths to something that gave me more personal fulfillment. I decided to become a Registered Yoga Teacher through a 200 hour Yoga Teacher training. This opened my eyes and helped me realize how much I am able to help someone (in this case, with just my words) and started my new journey to where I am today.   Through continued self-reflection and positive experiences, I envisioned how much more I can make an impact on those around me through the power of  healing touch and being present. To be able to help others in a different way, assisting them in their life journey, and helping them find their balance no matter the specific need is an extraordinary gift.
While I was able to talk and help coach individuals in my own way, Massage Therapy felt like the avenue to which I could gain a wide variety of expertise and give me the freedom to choose the form of healing that I want to provide. With a husband working full time and two very young children at home, I took classes at night to become a Licensed Massage Therapist. While it was hard, with limited income, I was passionate and gave this education my full effort, never missing class and doing extremely well on my practicums and assignments.
After I graduated it took me a while to fully understand the time it would take to build a client list. I worked privately out of my home office and spent years working for larger therapeutic companies such as Therapeutic Massage Works in Lititz, PA and Penn Medicine in Lancaster, PA. It took me 5 years to build my clientele and have the courage and confidence to go on my own.
Still the work was and is never done, during that time I also formed a company; Create Balance LLC. I also needed to develop advertising by making a website, creating business cards, developing a social media presence; spreading my name to those who can use my service. To those who are new and thinking about any journey, Patience is the hardest part (especially for me). Things take a long time to come to fruition and it requires endless work. Many jobs, when you are finished with your “shift/day” you can go home and relax, as a business owner you are constantly working on something else that has to be done.
If I had to do this again, and had to pick something to do differently it would be to accept the idea that one should trust the process and know that everything will happen in its own time. All of my jobs and life experiences somehow play into my daily work and my ability to understand the specific needs of my clients. The connections and people that I have met in my previous careers have allowed me to learn how to operate a business successfully and continues to shape how my business will grow.

Clarissa, 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?

Create Balance LLC  currently operates as Create Balance Wellness Center. Create Balance Wellness Center is a comprehensive holistic therapy provider that is passionate about treating all of our clients so that they can connect mind, body, and spirit. We are unique in that we offer a diverse set of holistic therapeutic solutions for a variety of client profiles. In addition to our traditional and maintenance massage techniques such deep tissue and Swedish, we also offer distinctive options such as Lomi Lomi and Pre/Postnatal massage. Our therapists have trained extensively in sports injury recovery through stretch therapies (Thai Yoga Massage), neuro/trauma recovery (Craniosacral & Reiki), oncology/plastic surgery recovery (Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Certified Lymphedema Therapy), beginning through advanced yoga (Yoga Tune Up © Certified), and more. As a Woman Owned Business, collaboration and education is paramount to our success and the success of others in the field. Create Balance offers continuing education courses to professionals wishing to further their education. We have collaborated with companies and organizations such as DoTerra, JadeYoga, Lemon Tree Essentials, Moonflower and Sage, and Hempfield Botanicals to provide the highest quality of therapeutic and movement products for our clients. We have added two additional therapists to our team to meet the needs of our clients. We offer these products along with additional recovery options such as a Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna to provide additional health recovery and maintenance options to all of our clients.
Onward and Upward! For 2023 Create Balance Wellness Center has again expanded their services. Now expanding into Digestive Health I have completed education and training in Colon Hydrotherapy and I’m elated to add this to my holistic offerings.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Lancaster, PA has always had a strong network of massage therapists however with such a strong tourist industry it was primarily focused through the spa and retail sector. Within the last 10 years, public understanding of alternative forms of care and remedy has allowed me (and my peers) to transform self-care from a leisure activity to one that is instrumental in healing the human body and mind. Create Balance is known for our ability to assist individuals processing through a wide array of health needs. We continuously offer new and innovative holistic therapy options that are difficult to find locally and regionally. For 2023 we continue to expand – now into internal and digestive health. We now offer Colon Hydrotherapy, a modality which stimulates peristalsis and digestive movement. These unique offerings in addition to our continued compassion to treat each client individually and distinctively set us apart from other wellness centers.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Patience, Compassion, and Self-Care are the biggest things to understand in order to not only be successful but to sustain yourself through the hard times of achieving success. Working in a field where you spend your time “holding space” for individuals can be very taxing on the body and mind. Remembering to take time to self-reflect, be there for your family, set boundaries to protect yourself, and being mindful to not extend yourself too far is the greatest asset to succeed in a field.

Contact Info:

• Website: CreateBalanceWellnessCenter.com
• Instagram: Createbalance_holistictherapy
• Facebook: Create Balance Holistic Therapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarissa-stewart-3ba7b597

Image Credits
Stacy Kleinhaus Photography