Shannon Linahan

Why did you decide to go to massage therapy school?

"It has kind of been in the background of my life for a long time. My mother gave us children’s massages to get us to go to bed. It just felt natural. Everything just clicked when I had decided to do it. Things fell into place and everything was right."

What makes it important to you?

"Going through school at Lauterstein-Conway was just an incredible experience. You find yourself — you have all of this time to contemplate while you are lying on the table and you take that time to internalize and search. It really does boost your confidence and how you interact with other people. If you are getting bored, you can do continuing education and it totally sparks that fire again. You get commentary on your skills, and you find what you are really good at and what you can offer people. It just works."

What is your favorite thing about being a massage therapist?

"Each client that comes to you is going to leave feeling like you touched specifically on what they needed even if they don't realize it. It is just an amazing therapy. It is very intuitive. It allows me to communicate through touch and I don't have to vocalize everything."

Why did you choose Lauterstein-Conway?

"I visited a school in Atlanta. It felt like I was walking into a doctor's office. It was very stressful walking into a place like that. I didn't feel like it was going to be conducive to education. I immediately ruled that out. My stepmom got a referral to the Lauterstein-Conway and she told me check out their website. Then as soon as I walked through the door, I knew this was the place. The staff here is a team of exceptionally talented therapists. They support you when you are a student and a graduate. They are continually giving you opportunities for work and to meet other people."