Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Hurst.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cheryl. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a health psychologist with a chronic illness myself, I understand holistic health from the inside out. I’d been working in physical rehabilitation with inpatients who had recent amputations, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis from spinal cord injuries, and post-stroke patients when I became a patient myself. At age 27, my active lifestyle was threatened by the possibility of ending up in a wheelchair after I developed painful neuropathy in my legs and feet that lasted for months. Being surrounded by people with much more severe conditions helped put my new diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) into perspective. I adopted the self-healing practices that I was teaching patients, and turned my focus toward my work as a healer. In 1999, I joined the integrative movement in cancer care where I counseled people newly diagnosed with many forms of cancer, led support groups and trained participants in meditation, guided imagery and breathing techniques to help balance the autonomic nervous system and boost immune functioning, mood, and overall health.
Later I built on this foundation to study yoga ethics and asana–the poses we think of when we think of yoga in the West. Yoga poses can be adapted with props and sequencing to benefit people of different abilities, and yoga in the Iyengar tradition makes the poses accessible to all. Under the guidance of Gabriel Halpern, who studied under Yoga Master BKS Iyengar himself, I was able to learn and apply the system of Iyengar yoga therapeutics to my own condition to overcome most ill effects of my MS and boost my well-being physically, mentally, and spiritually. My personal initiation into yogic healing led me into intensive training in therapeutic yoga for injuries, pain, and chronic conditions. I also sought a specialized certification in yoga-informed psychotherapy to round out my services. Now at Private Practice Yoga, I’m delighted to provide yoga therapy and psychotherapy, separately and in combination, depending on the client’s needs and goals.
Has it been a smooth road?
An ongoing challenge is that the two fields I’ve brought together are too specialized to be well known, on their own or in combination. While people are often familiar with psychology services and with yoga, in general, I usually need to define and explain health psychology and yoga therapy for starters, then describe their integration. I see it as my duty to educate and inform the public about these amazing services and practices to attune consciousness, reduce suffering, and boost well-being!
Everyone knows psychology, but health psychology refers to psychotherapeutic work focused on a physical condition, usually with medical patients or athletes. Everyone knows yoga poses and yoga classes, but yoga therapy refers to the customized application of specialized yoga techniques based on individual assessment of a physical or psychological condition. I offer psychotherapy along with yoga therapy when clients want to address emotional issues or relationships in addition to stress management and yoga practice.
Living with MS while running a business has been my greatest challenge. Overcoming the impairments of MS on a daily basis gives me key insights into obstacles experienced by other people with major health conditions. I’ve been able to turn my neurological condition into an advantage in my work. These insights inform my work in using health psychology and yoga therapy to help other people live their greatest life!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
At Private Practice Yoga, I’m delighted to provide yoga therapy and psychotherapy, separately and in combination, depending on the client’s needs and goals. Clients grow into better, happier versions of themselves, self-actualizing over the course of their sessions. Whether they are coming for assistance with stress management or for relief from a painful condition, to speed recovery from an injury or to improve overall functioning during a health crisis, clients are individually guided in customized adaptations of yoga poses tailored to suit personal needs using a wide variety of yoga props and specialized yoga equipment at the studio.
Many clients have said that my services pick up where their outpatient physical therapy services left off. Others say my services complement their medical treatment to optimize their health care. Most say they wish they had found Private Practice Yoga sooner!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Ecologically and energetically, the Chicago lakefront offers a good mix of culture and nature. My studio overlooks Grant Park and Monroe Harbor with Buckingham Fountain in the spotlight. In downtown Chicago, countless cityscapes and lake views bring peace of mind which helps the unconscious mind to open internal space for focused healing work. There are many psychology private practices and yoga services here in downtown Chicago. The high population density drives a large demand for holistically-oriented services in both fields. New business owners really need to develop a niche practice and pursue a specialty within their broader field in order to set themselves apart.
Pricing:
- Initial Assessment (75 minutes) $140
Contact Info:
- Address: Fine Arts Building
410 S. Michigan Avenue, Studio 607
Chicago, IL 60605 - Website: www.cherylhurst.com
- Phone: 312-315-5557
- Email: cheryl@DrCherylHurst.com
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
