Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mutsumi Adams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mutsumi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
Yes, taking a risk, going against what the society believes, and doing things that nobody is doing was one of my defining moments of my career. Launching my business was probably one of the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I come from nothing and if anything, I grew up with many self limiting beliefs that I had to overcome and constantly challenge. Being a first generation immigrant, and having struggled with mental health, struggling with racial identity and micro aggression, and you name it. I had quite the adversity to overcome but that’s what gave me the vision and direction of my business. Most massage businesses are either retail and if not, they often specialize in a modality. People often ask me what I specialize in and they are always amazed with my answer. I specialize in the type of population I serve, which is BIPOC and LGBTQ community. It’s because I wanted to be the type of therapist that they can come and feel heard and seen. And that they see themselves in me so that they know they are safe and I am here to hold a space for them. I am a bodyworker but because of what I’ve gone through, I have a passion for raising awareness for mental health as well. I believe that as they feel heard, they can begin a process of healing whatever that may be for them at the time. And by having a business like this, I believe I get to contribute by increasing better representation in our health care setting and also creating a special space where people in the community can come to seek care.
Mutsumi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Mutsumi, the owner of North County Therapeutic Massage. The very first massage practice in North County SD that specialize in providing inclusive therapy for BIPOC and LGBTQ communities while raising mental health awareness. The service I provide is bodywork and Reiki but in essence, the problem I solve for my clients is to provide a safe space where they get to feel heard and seen while supporting them through customized bodywork sessions. It is client-led, client focused, and unlike other places, I see myself as a helpful facilitator in the role and I love to work with my clients rather than simply doing massage onto them. It’s the same nuance of talking with someone vs talking at someone.
I believe in the power of feeling heard and seen. And our BIPOC and LGBTQ communities badly need that. I am here to provide that service to them while ensuring to offer excellent service.
I want my clients to know I’m a first time immigrant from a small island of Okinawa with the vision and passion for equality in our health care.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Definitely a mindset. In order to affect anything, I believe that we first have to have the right mindset and be in the right state of the mind.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
So many. Most of the things I learned in childhood, I had to unlearn. Many self limiting beliefs and even emotions that are trapped in my body were from early trauma and simply from people that placed those in my mind when I was a child and couldn’t think or defend myself. It took a lot of therapy, self-reflection, praying, finding a new identity in God, and really messy messy mistakes to refine and get to the state of my mind I am in today. It’s all process.
Contact Info:
- Website: northcountytherapeuticmassage.com
- Instagram: northcounty_therapeuticmassage
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCTherapeuticMassage/
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/EWdTWDxg-y-EJQUG-AaGyg