Heaven Sent: Massage therapist makes house calls for pets - The Courier-Times

[massage]

Lisa Cleveland enjoys helping people and animals through her work as a licensed massage therapist.

Originally from Madison County, Cleveland now resides outside Middletown with her three German Shorthair Pointers. A graduate of Pendleton Heights High School, Cleveland attended Purdue University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in farm and business management. She also attended the Alexandria School of Scientific Therapeutics and is a licensed massage therapist and Pfrimmer deep muscle therapist.

During the day, Cleveland is a massage therapist for human clients at Selah Salon & Spa in downtown New Castle. Her personal business, Heaven Sent Therapeutic Massage, has been in operation since 2013 and offers house calls for pets.

“It’s my personal opinion that animals will do better in their home environment, especially when they have a strange person touching them,” Cleveland said. “Basically, animals are really no different than people when it comes to massage. Start by asking yourself, ‘If I had a similar injury or issue would I seek out a massage therapist?’ If the answer is yes, then your pet would be a good candidate as well. This is not something that is reserved for senior pets. It's good for pets of all ages.”

While Cleveland’s animal practice is mostly house calls, there are instances where she travels to a central location to work on several pets at once for groups such as the 4-H dog club.

Along with the massage fee, Cleveland charges mileage for pet house calls and prefers to work within a 60-mile radius of her home.

“I provide services for mainly cats, dogs and horses, but I will also work on show stock,” Cleveland said. “About the only things I won't work on are rodents and reptiles.”

Cleveland offers canine and equine clients both standard massage and what is known as the raindrop technique.

“Raindrop technique uses nine different essential oils which are dropped, like rain, above the spine,” she said. “The oils are then worked into the spinal area with very light finger movements. Raindrop technique assists the body in detoxing, lessening inflammation and gives the immune system a boost.”

Besides massage, Cleveland also offers Integrated Energy Therapy (IET) and animal communication.

“IET is an energy healing technique whereby I provide a safe place for the client to release negative emotional burdens they are holding and then integrate positive emotions in their place,” she said. “Usually if an animal is displaying behavioral issues there is a reason and that is when IET would come into play. There are times when an animal just doesn't like massage, not unlike we humans, but it's been my experience that this is pretty much limited to cats.”

According to Cleveland, being an animal communicator is an important part of the IET process.

“All living things have an energy field,” she said. “When I work on an animal, I tap into their energy field. This is how communication takes place also. There are generally three ways they are able to communicate. They will show me pictures of the situation, I can feel the emotions they are carrying from the situation or they can actually communicate in words just like you and I. Every animal is different in how they get their point across.”

Over the years Cleveland has had many memorable moments, but one in particular stands out.

“The most memorable would have to be an English Mastiff that suffered severe neglect as a puppy,” she said. “As a result, he didn't like people at all. I did IET with him remotely and was asked to come see him in person a week later. Not only did he never bark or growl at me when I arrived, he actually laid in my lap for his entire session and ended by very gently taking treats out of my hand. I shed a few tears of joy over that one.”

For more information about Heaven Sent Therapeutic Massage, call 765-354-9203 or email [email protected]. For human clients looking to book a massage appointment, Selah Salon & Spa is located at 1321 Broad St., New Castle and can be reached by calling 765-529-0062.