We were lucky to catch up with Monique Angelyca Valenzuela recently and have shared our conversation below.

Monique Angelyca, appreciate you joining 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?

I have been a licensed massage therapist for nearly 14 years, initially I had always worked in the corporate spa industry. For years I was totally content to continue working for someone else, it was easy. Until I discovered sound healing. In my personal world sound healing helped move through and release crippling anxiety that had left me in a robotic routine of work, eat, sleep. After a few years of consistently receiving sound healing, I started to have this idea…….. of blending these two modalities. Massage therapy to soothe and release from the physical body and sound healing to soothe the nervous system and tend to the mental and emotional bodies. It all started with this idea! The very next day after having this idea my teacher in sound therapy, Hamid Jabbar, announced that he would be hosting a Sound Practitioner Training course in just a few short weeks. It felt like a sign from the universe, and I said yes. I committed to the program before I even had the full financial investment. The first of several big, scary investments into myself and my business.

Then I just started, it was Jan. of 2020! I would pack up my massage table and the few instruments that I had at the time, and I would travel to my clients homes to provide massage & sound therapy sessions. Que Covid….as you can imagine my massage practice was paused momentarily. However this is when another aspect of my work was birthed. Prior to covid I did not see myself hosting group sound healing sessions, at this point I was laser focused on building my massage & sound therapy practice.

I could feel the fear rising in the community and the isolation already taking its tole. I knew that sound healing could be of great support to so many during this time. And so In June of 2020 I held my first in person, group sound healing experience at Abundant Space in Scottsdale. I have continued to facilitate monthly sound healings at Abundant Space ever since. My 1:1 practice is expanding and I have moved into a private studio suite in Tempe, where I host community gatherings, drum circles, private sound experiences as well as my massage & sound therapy session that started it all.

My advice for anyone considering taking a risk on themselves is to find an aligned coach or mentor and invest in them. The right coach will change your life. Attend the masterminds and put yourself in growth promoting atmospheres.

Monique Angelyca, 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?

Hello! My name is Monique Angelyca Valenzuela and I am an Az native. I absolutely love this beautiful state and spend lots of time at the salt river playing my instruments and reading. I am a total book worm! I always have at least two books on me. Books have always brought me great comfort and a positive outlet growing up. My upbringing was quite turbulent and left me with severe anxiety, depression and even addiction at a very young age.

During my senior year of high school I was homeless, it was the deepest struggle. I wanted to give up so many times but I was so determined to graduate high school and do things differently. My high school had a vocational program with the East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa and I enrolled in their Massage Therapy program. And so my massage therapy career started just after high school in Jan of 2009. I worked in the corporate massage industry for years just going through the motions of life without actually living or enjoying life. I stayed in this loop until 2017, when I haphazardly discovered sound healing. I had never even heard of sound healing when I walked into Current Meditation, a sound healing studio in central phx recently relocated to Houston. I walked in and asked…..”what is this place?” I was met with a smile and a spiel about their concept of sound meditation while suspended in a silk hammock. I was intrigued and signed up for my first class with zero expectations. That place became my healing sanctuary. I would attend classes 5 times a week for two years!! This practice changed my life. I started healing and releasing trauma. After a few a months I was no longer taking anxiety medication, I started stepping out of my comfort zone and growing. After a while my intuition was greatly heightened and I started to become aware of stress & tension in my clients that was deeply subconscious. They would say “I am so relaxed!!” meanwhile they’re clenching the jaw and gripping tightly with their hands. They didn’t even realize they weren’t actually relaxed..

And so after I received my Sound Practitioner Certification I started incorporating sound healing into my massage practice with great results! My clients began to describe a deeply relaxing experience for the body and the mind. These session help to support people through an array of instances whether its physical, emotional, mental or spiritual my work bridges the gap between mind, body and spirit to offer healing to every part of our being. I support my clients from a deep place of compassion, understanding and embodiment as everything I offer has evolved from my own personal healing journey.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

As I mentioned earlier, I am a total book worm and books have absolutely played a role in the success of my business. The first book that greatly impacted my entrepreneurial journey was “Over Coming Under Earning” by Barbara Stanny. This book is a resource and a tool to help shift your relationship with money. “Sacred Sucess” is another Barbara Stanny book that I highly recommend.

I also highly recommend “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I have been able to grow my clientele by showing up authentically, holding them in the deepest compassion and nonjudgment. Truly serving them from a heart centered place of service. It is NEVER about me,

Contact Info:

• Website: https://calendly.com/inthismomenttherapy
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniqueangelyca/

Image Credits
Juliette Ordonia