Karen Gillian

Karen Gillian graduated from the Arizona School of Massage Therapy in May 2002. She recently opened a private practice, Hands with a Heart Therapies, and is focusing primarily on parent/infant massage instruction. She is working on becoming a certified infant massage instructor through The Loving Touch Foundation.

Karen's mother influenced her to check into the field of massage therapy. After learning of the curriculum, the Clinical Internship and the Career Services offered by ASMT, Karen decided to enroll. The challenges Karen faced were raising 4 children by day and taking classes at night. When she started school, her family consisted of 3 boys (2 biological, 1 foster), but in October of 2001 she added a premature baby girl (foster) to her home. Karen was caring for 4 children under 5 years old while attending school at night! Karen’s husband took over baby duty while she attended evening classes and he kept the household running smoothly in her absence. He gave her the ability to study when she needed to and attend her Clinical Intern shifts. Karen thoroughly enjoyed being in school and is integrating her education into her practice and actively pursuing her dreams.

Karen Gillian is currently working on taking infant massage to other foster parents and becoming a volunteer in valley-wide, neonatal medical units to work with premature infants. She is also working with families with special needs children and has taught classes for a local Down Syndrome support group. Karen plans on furthering her education in advanced training courses for Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Reflexology and dove-tailing these into her current infant massage work.