At 50 years old, Monique Calma wondered if it was too late to go back to school and begin a different career.

She decided to challenge herself anyway.

After spending 14 years caring for people as a health care aide, Calma turned to massage therapy. Now, she is taking another step in that journey by bringing her own business, Monique’s Healing Hands, to Slave Lake.

Calma began offering massage therapy in Slave Lake on Sept. 1. She operates independently as a sole proprietor and rents a room located within the Downtown Physio space. Monique’s Healing Hands is a separate business and is not part of Downtown Physio.
For Calma, opening her own space is something new.

Previously, she worked as a massage therapist in Calgary as a contractor on a commission basis. She says Slave Lake is giving her an opportunity to independently operate her business and build her own clientele.

But Calma’s career in caring for people began long before massage therapy.
She started working as a health care aide in 2010 and spent 14 years in the field, including working in palliative and hospice care.

The job could be both physically and emotionally demanding.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Calma says she frequently covered shifts when other workers were unable to come in. Years of lifting patients and repetitive physical work also took a toll on her lower back

Working in palliative and hospice care also took an emotional toll on Calma, as she provided personal care and support to patients nearing the end of their lives.

“It was very depressing and emotionally heavy,” she says.

Eventually, friends and family encouraged Calma to consider another career.

“At first, I thought, ‘I’m too old,’” she says. “I was 50 when I started studying massage therapy.”

With encouragement from her husband and people close to her, Calma enrolled at Makami College in Calgary.

She completed the college’s 3,000-hour Advanced Clinical Massage Therapy diploma program and graduated in October 2023.

Her training includes nerve flossing and craniosacral therapy, and she received a Certificate of Distinction and an Award of Excellence. She is also recognized by the Certified Registered Massage Therapist Association.

Although Calma changed careers, she says her purpose remained similar.
“When I was a health care aide, I was helping people; now, I’m continuing to help people, just in a different way,” she says.

Her 14 years as a health care aide have also shaped how she approaches massage therapy.
Because she experienced back pain and repetitive strain herself, Calma says she can relate to people who work physically demanding jobs.

“When clients with heavy-duty jobs come in, they don’t even have to say much,” she says. “I can understand their pain points and trigger points immediately.”

Calma offers therapeutic massage for specific concerns as well as deep-tissue, prenatal and hot stone massage. She also offers fire and dynamic cupping and craniosacral therapy.
She says each treatment depends on what the individual client needs.

For deep-tissue massage, for example, she adjusts the amount of pressure according to a client’s tolerance.

Calma has also received recognition for her work, including a Best Prenatal Massage award from The Clever Canadian.

It was encouragement from her daughter, Nicole that eventually brought Calma’s services north to Slave Lake. Calma says she heard there were fewer massage therapists in the community compared to Calgary and decided to give operating her own business a try.

“I just want to try offering a massage here,” she says. “Hopefully, it goes as planned.”

Under Monique’s Healing Hands, clients can choose appointments ranging from 30 minutes to two hours. Calma says people can also request a silent massage, aromatherapy or a scent-free environment depending on how they prefer to relax.

She offers direct billing for most insurance benefit plans and says mobile massage may also be available for people who cannot travel to her space.

For Calma, however, success is not only about growing her new business.

She says one of the most rewarding parts of massage therapy is connecting with clients and seeing them experience relief.

“My main goal is to help people feel better and help them relax,” she says.

After years of caring for others in a different setting, Calma hopes Monique’s Healing Hands can become a place where people can temporarily leave the stresses of everyday life behind.

“I want my space to be an oasis for anyone looking to relax and unwind from the stress of a busy life,” she says.
“I hope to give clients that one hour of peace they deserve.”

For anyone interested, visit facebook.com/moniquehealinghands.

Julia Magsombol
Lakeside Leader