The first time Marie Ruxton remembers working with her hands, she was 13 years old, living in a row house in Philadelphia. Sitting on the steps of her house, someone asked her to rub their neck, so she began massaging their neck, shoulders, hands and head. Before she knew it, friends were lining up to get the same treatment.

She forgot about the scenario until she was in college at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. Here, she met a nun from the adjacent Dominican Retreat House that introduced her to the idea of holistic nutrition. It piqued her interest enough to start reading more about alternative modalities—and launched what would become a 25-year study of homeopathy and a lifelong interest in holistic health. 

Although it was not her full-time vocation (she had built a career in management), Ruxton became a homeopathy teacher and study group founder. After helping one chiropractor learn more about the medical philosophy and practice, he wanted to send her to a gifted massage therapist as a thank you.

“I was severely overweight and mortified to get a massage,” explains Ruxton. “But, the therapist—a male—connected in a way that made me feel perfectly safe. He worked on me for three hours and after, I felt as if I had been totally restored. It was very powerful.” 

Then, in the late 1990s, Ruxton had a back injury that made it difficult for her to walk. Visits to the chiropractor and homeopathic medicine helped her get back on her feet, but it was the recollection of that visit to the massage therapist that caused her to make a big decision: she was going to go to massage school.

“Once I enrolled it just felt so natural—I knew this was what I was meant to do,” says Ruxton. She became a licensed massage therapist and a myofascial release therapist, and in 1999, she launched her private practice, Marie Ruxton Therapeutic Massage. Over the years, she has continued to add to her list of credentials in an effort to provide comprehensive care for pain relief and wellness. Today, she uses advanced myofascial release therapy, deep muscle massage, positional therapy, energy work, reflexology, Reiki the Polarity Way and other techniques to help individuals on their healing journey.

She views her sessions as a partnership with clients. “We combine our knowing and your body-mind messages along with my experience, skill and compassion to intuitively customize the modalities you need to support you on your healing journey,” she explains.

For the initial visit, Ruxton has a basic questionnaire for patients. “I like to do a really comprehensive intake and ask questions that nobody has asked before,” she says. “I try not to be invasive, but I want to find out their likes, their dislikes and their goals. Establishing a connection lets patients know that I care and they feel safe.” In fact, she says many have been searching for answers for so long, that when they finally have a professional who listens, they relax and go into “safe mode.”

For those experiencing physical discomfort, especially those with chronic pain or injuries, or for those that are feeling stressed due to circumstances in their lives, Ruxton offers a mind-body makeover package. This intensive form of treatment releases the emotional and physical pain patterns in the body and reeducates the body and restores balance.

The customized package can be scheduled for a weekend or a few weeks. Clients can even choose to stay at Ruxton’s home to rest, read, meditate and clear the mind, body and soul.

“The mind-body makeover is a great way to reconnect with your own inner self and become more aware of the choices you make in your life,” says Ruxton. “In my opinion, it clears a lifetime of debris. People can stand up straight and breathe for the first time in years.”

Other services include the meltdown massage, a two-hour session combining deep tissue therapeutic massage, reflexology, cranial and energy work and myofascial release therapy, a gentle stretching technique used to free restricted connective tissue and joints and improve posture and flexibility while encouraging the release of emotional and physical trauma.

For Ruxton, making a difference in the lives of her clients is beyond rewarding. “It inspires me that I can assist someone with their health and well-being and help them find balance in all areas of their life. My own journey has taken me through many life transitions, both emotional and physical—grooming me and filling my toolbox of resources so I can pass them forward to help others find relief and hope for healing their mind and body through knowledge, education and information.”

For more information, call 610-965-2500, email [email protected] or visit MarieRuxton.MassageTherapy.com.