Trading in Wall Street for a License in Massage 

Laura Conroy had worked on Wall Street for nine years, starting out at a small brokerage firm as assistant to a CFO and making her way up to interim CFO. She was going to the top of her profession, but was unhappy.

"I found my work very stressful, especially as the industry was undergoing drastic changes at the time," said Conroy, who eventually became director of an equity research department. "It was just after 9/11, and I re-evaluated my life and realized I wanted work that would make more sense to me."

Conroy had always been interested in direct ways to help people and wanted a new career that would allow an independent life style. She investigated the possibility of becoming a licensed massage therapist and went to an open house for the Massage Therapy Program at the Swedish Institute. "I wanted to enroll in the 16-month program right away, but was agonizing over how I would manage it with my job. When I got laid off a few weeks later, I enrolled in school immediately."

Laura Conroy at the Swedish institute
just before her graduation from the
Massage Therapy Program

She says that studying massage therapy exceeded her expectations of what she would learn. "I didn't realize massage was so far reaching, and that it had so many viable applications. I felt it would be less stressful than my prior job, and more meaningful."

Conroy completed the program and passed the New York State exam for licensure. "I was able to find three part-time positions right away," Conroy reported. Short shifts in different places allowed her the opportunity to evaluate the placement that would suit her best. She now has a full-time position at a luxury spa in Manhattan, where she works four days a week, seven hours a day. Her appointment schedule is completely booked. Did it meet her expectation of being less stressful? "Oh, definitely," she replied. "There can still be stress, but it's not the same. At the end of the day, I'm a massage therapist and I'm helping people. I don't question why I'm doing my job."

For more information

Find out about Open House dates for the Massage Therapy Program. Our graduates receive assistance throughout their professional careers from our Alumni Services Department.  An online Alumni Network allows graduates to search for jobs. Our Locate a Practitioner feature allows the public to search our database of graduates for a licensed massage therapist or acupuncturist. 

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