Karen Beahan

Why I am an LMT?
At one point, the stresses in both my personal life and career caused chronic pain – so I started receiving massage. That initiated amazing changes in me. It awakened my awareness of the mind-body connection. So, I took some time to go to massage school because I want to help others heal.
Education
I became a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2005 after graduating from a private massage school in Seattle, Washington. I completed 1000-hour classroom training course consisting of four quarters of classes. In addition, 450 hours of giving/receiving massage outside of class was required. Our standard classwork included learning common modalities, for example: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Neuromuscular Therapy, Sports, and Muscle Energy Technique. I also participated in many elective classes, such as Hot Stone, Prenatal, Chair, and Myofascial Release – and have taken many continuing education classes since graduation. The massage techniques were based on curriculum providing an in-depth understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathology, assessment, and kinesiology.
Experience
My massage career has included many types of positions. I have worked in a chiropractic office, several spas, diverse kinds of wellness centers, and a health club. The variety of settings, services, and clients provided so many learning experiences and required flexibility in how I gave massage and interacted with people. That variety and flexibility helped me refine my skills and identify my strengths as an LMT.
My primary career was in the Information Technology business as a project manager and business analyst, which provided an extensive experience in client services and communication. I retired from working full-time at the beginning of 2020. For two years, I was employed as a part-time LMT, until opening Four Elements Massage in January 2022.