Sharon E Dean, PhD, Licensed Massage Therapist

I am passionate about helping people and want to give back to my community. For more than 25 years, I worked as an anthropologist, curator and administrator in various museums around the country. I produced exhibits, worked on collections and also did projects with Indian tribes in California, Oklahoma, Mexico and Brazil as well as indigenous peoples in West Africa in the area of culture and language recovery. I have written books and numerous articles about my work. The people I have collaborated with and continue to visit are warm and wonderful and have opened up their homes to me.  However, for the time and life stories they have shared over the years, I do not feel I have given enough back. I want to do something more meaningful; something that helps people more immediately. 

Massage therapy has always been part of my life. My father was an Osteopathic physician and showed me numerous techniques that he used to relax and give pain relief to his patients with chronic illnesses.  I observed how massage helped many of his patients with cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries and those who were elderly.  I have always been convinced that a healing touch can help patients in almost any circumstance. In 2014, I decided to leave my museum career to pursue my passion. I recently completed my studies at Columbus State. I am now licensed in massage therapy and certified in Trigger Point work and Oncology Massage.

I want to work with patients of all ages, who are post-surgery, have injuries or chronic illnesses. Hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers already recognize the value of massage therapy and are employing therapists to work on their patients. More and more basic science research is being done on the physiological benefits of massage, including neonatal, oncology, neurology, as well as recovery from injuries and surgeries.  Ohio is the only state in the country where the State Medical Board grants licenses to massage therapists and recognizes it as an allied health profession. Come into Embody Health and Wellness and experience the benefits of massage and a healing touch.  

  I also enjoy the benefits of a relaxation massage. A lot of times we go to the doctor for stress related illness that may cause chronic conditions to appear.  Most times all we need to do is to take time to de-stress and give our bodies the opportunity to relax.