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Who’s Who: Karissa Fraser: A Knead to Know Local!
By Mike Butler
A few months ago I emceed the MOMFEST event at the Louis Millet Centre in New Minas. This event is a very special thing here in the valley where mothers can go and visit information booths and attend workshops on various topics pertaining to motherhood, raising a child, and health and wellness, while interacting with other mothers and sharing stories and experiences about raising children. The event also features extracurricular activities the valley has to offer for moms and their children. I met a slew of interesting business owners, artisans, and women in the medical professions who thrive on helping young mothers take better care of their families. Businesspersons selling everything from essential oils to Tupperware came to the event, and one very friendly woman caught my attention. Her name is Karissa Fraser.
Karissa Fraser was born in Barrie, Ontario but her dad was in the military so they moved to Courtenay BC when she was one year old. Karissa spent the next 18 years there until her uncle and aunt, who were living outside Halifax, offered her a room in their house if she wanted to attend Dalhousie University. Karissa jumped at the opportunity for something new and completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2009. Immediately upon graduation, she enrolled at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy, where she completed her 2200-hour program in March of 2012.  Her fiancé (now husband) and her decided to settle in Wolfville and start a family, and they’ve been here and loving it for the last five years.
Karissa is a Registered Massage Therapist and practices out of her home. She says, “I always knew I wanted to be in healthcare and I originally thought that was physiotherapy. After some work placements, I realized that was not the type of work I wanted to do. I wanted to do something more hands on, literally, where I was really making the change on the person each session. I absolutely love my job. I love that I meet people everyday who are interested in all-around wellness and that I can help clients feel better mentally and physically. I love that treating my clients heals me as much as it heals them. Massage therapy is so much more than a “rub downâ€; we basically create an environment within your body that is optimal for it to heal itself, whether that is decreasing inflammation or cortisol, breaking up scar tissue, decreasing tension, or just bringing new blood and nutrition to tired tissue. There is a purpose behind every movement.â€
Karissa is the mother of two young girls (1 1/2 and 3 years old), so they dominate much of her time. Establishing her business and working from home is a no-brainer for this super mom and Karissa was an inspiration to a lot of the women and mothers who attended MOMFEST. When she does manage to find some “me time†it usually involves stretching out on a yoga mat, walking her dogs, or going for a bike ride.  Karissa is very excited to be enrolled in a yoga teacher training program beginning in the fall. This new facet of health and wellness is something that Karissa has wanted to pursue for a long time and can now fully take on. She will be basic-level certified next spring and hopefully will begin teaching some classes here in the valley.
On living in the valley she states, “What is not to love about Wolfville?  I personally love all the fresh food, and how close we are to nature. You don’t have to get in a car to see something amazing; you just have to look around and there it is. As well, there seems to be a strong emphasis on personal health and wellness that inspires me to be the best I can be at my job.â€
Do you want to get in touch with Karissa? Are her services something you KNEAD? You can reach Karissa via email at stirlingmassagetherapy@gmail.
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