Today we’d like to introduce you to Aimee Orta.
Aimee, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Two weeks into my first 9-5 job I realized 100% desk work was not for me and I signed up for massage school. I went to school on nights and weekends while working full time at the desk job.
After graduation, I opened my own studio and started developing my own practice, while still working a day job. During this time I explored many different specialties including pregnancy massage, teaching infant massage to parents, Shiatsu, Polarity Therapy, Reiki and I traveled to Thailand for Thai massage training. After 7 years, I had the experience and clientele to leave the 9-5 and devote all my attention to my practice.
I eventually needed another massage therapist to help with the workload. In 2005, I expanded to two treatment rooms and also gained an acupuncturist. From the start, we connected with clients who regularly struggle with physical health issues like daily back pain, weekly digestion issues or monthly migraines. The business grew from strong relationships with regular clients who were managing their physical pain as best they could without surgeries.
In 2008, we needed even more space and again expanded to a larger space, which is our current location at 7646 W Touhy in Chicago, one block east of Park Ridge. We added treatment rooms and even more ambiance.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
During the first 8 years, many of my business struggles were logistical.
We’ve always been “the place where you enter in the back”. Since 2005, we’ve shared space with various yoga studios. This means one of us uses the front door and the other, the rear. I’m always in the rear. The perk? Parking is only a few feet from the door.
Between of the discrete rear entrance and mindful, Zen ambiance new clients always walk in the door and say, “well, look at this a hidden gem”.
In 2010, my struggles shifted to a personal strain. I married and wanted to start a family. After some time passed, we opted for fertility treatments to help get our family started. For anyone who knows fertility treatments, the frequent doctor appointments become a part time job. I also felt out of sorts from hormone hangovers that made it difficult to run the business at my previous pace. I did the best I could to carry on and also started training in an additional technique, Craniosacral Therapy.
After a few failed fertility treatments, we had success in 2012 and I was pregnant with twin girls. We were beside ourselves excited and started prepping for our little ones. At the end of November, one of two my waters broke. Unfortunately, I was only 5 months pregnant. The babies were stable but the situation was not. After a week in the hospital, the doctors convinced me that there would inevitably be an infection and a healthy delivery wasn’t likely. After a long struggle, I conceded to inducing delivery. We said hello and goodbye to our girls all in one afternoon. I felt broken.
I was supposed to go to advanced Craniosacral training in a few weeks. I was so out of it I wasn’t capable of basic tasks much less traveling and training. When I call my instructor to cancel, he said, “Well, you can stay there and try to process this on your own. Or you can come down here and we can help you.” This meant deep emotional work – ugh.
If you have ever done deep emotional work, you know it is incredibly helpful and a relief in the end. However, being present in your sadness and vulnerable to all your wounds can be intense and uncomfortable. But, I wanted a family and I knew the only way I could keep moving forward was to “deal with my stuff” first.
The week in Florida didn’t heal everything but it made a huge dent. I continued the work with the practitioners at Balance. Our LCSW, Sharon helped me continue the grieving process and integrate the experience so it was less of a trauma with her combination talk and silent integration therapy. The massage therapists helped calm my central nervous system and release the physical holdings from labor and delivery. Our natal astrologer helped me come to terms what pieces of this experience are outside of my control and what is within my control. The acupuncturist helped me prep my body for the next IVF cycles and keep me well enough to deliver a healthy girl and a year later a healthy boy.
After the dust settled, I saw how well the Balance Healing Center team naturally supports clients who are coming from a traumatic experience or grieving a loss physically, mentally and emotionally. A new focus and opportunity to help clients was born – so to speak.
Please tell us about Balance Healing Center.
Balance Healing Center helps people manage the stress and discomfort of the human experience.
We have always been a massage studio that helps people manage chronic pain with regular care. Once people enter their 40s, they start coming to treat random “I slept wrong” or “I tore this” issues. They quickly discover how the regular maintenance helps them feel and live like they did a decade earlier. We also help clients diagnosed with MS, Epilepsy and spinal fusions minimize the stress and strain that can aggravate their condition.
Today, we are also a healing center that supports people who are looking to cope with a loss or trauma (recent or old) in a healthy, whole way. These clients want to address their issues so they can to live in peace and joy. Some clients without a specific trauma just feel that there is something more. They want to find their life path, connect with their intuition or better understand what goes on within themselves and their life.
While it is wonderful working with adults, we find it most important to support children so we offer pediatric services as well. Children’s struggles are very real and their early coping habits set the tone for the rest of their life. Sometimes parents feel stuck, unclear or out of ideas on how to help their child. Other times, parents already know how to help their kids but because we’re not the parents, we can connect with their kids in a unique way. If we can help children (and their parents) create healthy, emotionally intelligent ways of managing struggles, they will have a strong support for life. We’re here to help bring clarity, alternatives or just a welcome break for parents.
Altogether, what keeps us going are our amazing clients who are the ones doing all the work. Every day they are finding peace in their heart, clarity in their mind and personal insights into themselves. It’s addicting to watch people walk out of the office feeling so much better about themselves and their life.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have been more diligent about writing out my intentions, goals, plans and strategies. I followed my heart and larger vision solely. A little more thought on how to deliver may have saved me some time and energy – or maybe not.
Pricing:
- Therapeutic Massage $84+
- Heart-Mind Wisdom $97
- Craniosacral Therapy $84+
- Clarity for Kids $84
- Craniosacral for Kids $74
- EnergyBlueprint Counseling $84
- Acupuncture for Injuries $84
Contact Info:
- Address: 7646 W Touhy
Chicago, IL 60631 - Website: BalanceHealingCenter.com
- Phone: 773-774-5610
- Email: aimee@balancehealingcenter.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balancehealingcenter/
- Other: Sign up for our newsletter for 40% off your first service. https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=dzonnycab&p=oi&m=1102478490403&sit=5cvmi65db&f=3ed1c9f1-38a5-448c-ab63-0c48c6098242
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.
