We recently connected with Susanne McMurry and have shared our conversation below.
Susanne, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
Thank you so much for allowing me to share! When the pandemic hit in 2020 I was working in corporate governance at a real estate investment company. As the world shut down and we were home 24/7 I began to realize the long hours and stress of Corporate America were not for me. And while I’m thankful for the experience I wanted to work in a field that would help people, especially with so much suffering during that time. With the support of my awesome husband I resigned from the company having no idea where it would lead me. I signed up for yoga teacher training just for fun, and started volunteering with a few non profits around Atlanta. My mom invited me to a wellness fair and it was then I realized my future needed to be in Wellness! I applied for an office manager position at Advanced Wellness of Atlanta and I soon began working with Dr. Tedeschi and the AW team. I had a strong feeling that there was something else I needed to do, but it wasn’t quite clear yet. So, I attended some very lovely workshops at Decatur Healing Arts and realized my path was to become a Reiki Practitioner. My first experience with Reiki was in 2016 after losing our dad to glioblastoma, it’s literally the only modality that helped me get through the stress and grief. After my first session I knew I wanted/needed more, feeling lighter after each one. I’m so grateful to be in a position where I can offer it to others, it’s pretty amazing to help people calm down.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
The mission of Serenity Healing Arts, LLC is to provide a comfortable space for people to chill out, rest and heal. That may be in a studio or an in-home session. I provide both Restorative & Yin yoga as well as Reiki healing sessions. Both yoga and Reiki work to restore balance in your body; emotionally, physically, and energetically. Reiki is a form of energy healing that promotes relaxation, reduces stress and anxiety through gentle touch. It’s been life changing for me and I just want to share it with everyone! Reiki is a beautiful gift that I love being able to offer to my community.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, but I’m most proud of being certified as a Reiki Practitioner. I studied under Eve Smith and I’m currently working towards my Master certification and should have that completed in April. I’ve practiced on anyone who would let me (including my rescue pitbull Riley) and I quickly realized that I was very intuitive in finding areas of the body that needed healing. I absolutely love how Reiki brings people into a calm state of mind so they can heal.
Reiki is now being used in integrative departments at hospitals across the United States. People are becoming more aware of the benefits of using Reiki before and after surgery, as well as during chemotherapy or other medical treatments. The calming benefits are amazing, as well as the ability to help with the unwanted symptoms or side effects of treatments. My goal is to eventually be able to offer Reiki sessions at a very reduced fee to hospice patients and their caregivers and families. I also want to get more involved in community workshops and retreats.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Being open to new opportunities as they present themselves is so important. You don’t have to say yes to everything, but definitely explore your options. Staying grounded and being honest with yourself and others are both extremely important to succeed in this field. You are helping people deal with their deepest emotions, trauma, and physical ailments so you have to go into this without judgement and have an open mind. Also, stay involved with your community. It’s a win win!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Growing clientele in the wellness industry can be difficult, social media is saturated with practitioners and products. For me, the most effective strategy is simply helping people to feel comfortable and treating them with the same respect and care that I would want. Provide a high level of service with compassion and stay organized with your schedule. Leave time for yourself so that you don’t get burned out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/serenityhealingartsatl
- Instagram: @serenity.healing.artsatl