From healing hands to healing conversations....My journey from massage therapy to coaching— and adult training

“Why would you change careers? You’re so good at what you do.”

A client asked me this when I shared that I am transitioning from massage therapy into

Hajnalka - from healing hands to healing conversations!

coaching, with adult training as a future direction.

I heard the kindness in that question. When someone has trusted you with their wellbeing, the thought of change can feel unsettling. Perhaps they wonder what will happen to the service they value. Perhaps they simply cannot understand why you would move away from something you do well.

It made me reflect, too. How do you explain that you can love the work you have done and still feel drawn towards something new?

For me, this transition is about the kind of work I want to do in the years ahead, and the ways I want to continue supporting people.

What massage therapy has taught me

For more than twenty years, massage has been a significant part of my life and professional identity.

Through Holistic Mobile Massages in Paphos, I have met people in their homes, holiday accommodation and workplaces. Each appointment has involved more than a technique or a treatment plan. It has required listening, understanding what matters to that person, respecting boundaries and adapting my approach.

Someone may arrive wanting relief from tired shoulders. Another may need a quiet hour away from a demanding routine. Some want to talk; others value the space to say nothing at all.

My role has been to respond with care, without assuming that I know their whole story.

Those years have taught me to value the person behind the appointment. That is something I will carry into my next chapter.

Why coaching feels like a meaningful next step

My interest in coaching has grown alongside my interest in how people understand themselves, navigate difficulty and decide what matters to them.

There are questions that a massage appointment is not designed to explore in depth:

• “Why do I keep putting everyone else first?”

• “What do I want now that my life has changed?”

• “How can I build a way of living that works for me?”

These questions deserve their own space and an appropriate professional approach.

My therapeutic coaching training, together with my studies in existential and neurodiversity-informed practice, has opened a new direction for me. I am drawn to helping adults explore their experiences, recognise their needs and identify steps that feel meaningful and realistic.

Existential approaches invite reflection on meaning, identity, choice and the limits we live within.

A neurodiversity-informed approach reminds me to stay curious about individual differences rather than expect everyone to think, communicate or manage daily life in the same way.

My massage experience gives me a foundation in working with people. Coaching also requires its own skills, boundaries and ongoing learning. I take that responsibility seriously.

Being good at something can make change harder

When you have built a reputation, there is comfort in being known for what you do. There can also be pressure to keep doing it indefinitely. People trust you. They recommend you. You know your work. Becoming a learner again can feel uncomfortable, especially when you are already competent in another field. Yet competence does not answer every question about the future.

• What do I want my working life to look like?

• What am I curious to learn?

• How can I use my experience in ways that are sustainable for me?

Massage is physically demanding work. Thinking honestly about the future of a hands-on profession is part of caring for the practitioner as well as the client. That consideration belongs alongside purpose, interest and professional growth. I believe we can appreciate the career we have built while allowing ourselves to reconsider its shape.

Why adult training is part of my longer-term vision

As I continue developing my coaching practice, I also want to move towards adult training. Over the years, I have enjoyed helping people understand practical ways to care for themselves. Teaching offers an opportunity to develop that further: to create learning experiences that people can use in their everyday lives and work.

I am particularly interested in wellbeing, practical self-care and neurodiversity awareness. My aim is to help adults understand an idea, try it, reflect on it and decide how it might fit their own circumstances. That is a future direction I am working towards. It will require preparation, experience and continued development, just as every meaningful stage of my career has.

What I want my clients to understand

The relationships I have built through massage matter deeply to me. Your trust has been a valuable part of my working life. As this transition develops, as it will not happen over night, I want to communicate clearly about changes to my services and availability. I also want you to understand why I am taking this step. The care behind my work continues. Its expression is evolving. For many years, I have supported people through hands-on treatments. I am now developing another way of working with people: through conversation, reflection and, eventually, education.

If you are considering a change too

Perhaps you have heard a similar question: “But you’re good at your job. Why would you leave?”

It can be difficult to answer when you do not yet have everything figured out. You may value your profession and still want a different rhythm. You may feel proud of your experience and curious about a new field. You may need time to study, plan and test what is possible before making a larger decision. You do not have to dismiss your past to explore your future. A useful place to begin might be this question:

• What would I like to carry forward from the work I have done—and what would I like to change?

That is a question I am asking myself as I move from massage therapy towards coaching and, in time, adult training.

To the client who asked why I would change: thank you. Your question reminded me how much my work has meant to you. My answer is that I want to keep growing, and to bring what I have learned into the work ahead.

It is a much more beautiful, less scary transition, having your support along the journey !

Thank you ! Love & Light, Hajnalka