How I changed careers from beauty therapy to Kinesiology

People make lots of excuses about why a career change won’t work. They may come from yourself, well-meaning friends and family members, or even complete strangers. Do any of these sound familiar:

Reason 1: You’re too old to change careers now

Reason 2: You don’t hate your job, so there’s no reason for a career change

Reason 3: You haven’t been in a classroom for many years, so it will be too difficult to learn again

Reason 4: You won’t have enough time to study

Reason 5: You have children relying on you, so you can’t possibly go back to school. You have to put your family first

Reason 6: You’re successful in your field, so why change?

We have seen so many students succeed professionally, personally, and financially. And they’ve become so much happier after embarking on their new path, so we know it can be done.

Neesha Hanna and Glenda Napier were career beauty therapists. Both were entrepreneurial business owners. Both worked in their profession for decades. Both have families. And both loved what they had chosen for a career but at one point decided it was no longer right. We spoke to Neesha and Glenda about their journey from beauty therapy to Kinesiology.

What was your career in beauty therapy like and why did you look at changing professions?

Glenda: “I started beauty therapy at 21 and I did that until I was about 49. I started my own day spa business and ran it from home. That worked well for me and the business was doing well. But when my children grew up, it just felt so empty and alone. I found there was nothing challenging about it anymore. I was starting to go down a natural path with natural cosmetics and chemical-free products, so that was an area I was interested in. I knew I wanted to study again.”

Neesha: “I started at 15. I did my hairdressing apprenticeship and I’ve been around hair and beauty since, for more than 30 years. In that time, I’ve owned salons, had staff, and worked and travelled all over the world. It’s provided me a beautiful lifestyle. I had Kinesiology when I was pregnant, and it was something I was immediately drawn to. I loved beauty, but I wanted a complete career change.”

How did beauty therapy help your Kinesiology career?

Glenda: “Probably the hands-on aspects of beauty. It’s amazing how people respond and change just from touch. When you’re doing a neck and shoulder massage, you press the pressure points, you touch reflexes, and people immediately relax. In Kinesiology we use touch as healing, too.”

Neesha: “From my experience, it’s the people skills and knowing about touch. When you’re working on someone’s body, you break through that personal barrier that’s there. You can become really in touch with a person through their body. Kinesiology does the same thing. You see it, feel it, change things. That’s where I get excited about Kinesiology.”

Is there anything you struggled with on your return to study?

Glenda: “You worry you’re doing it wrong.”

Neesha: “Time and discipline. I didn’t even finish year ten, so going back into the classroom was a big challenge. Even if you’re committed and passionate about it, there will be some challenges. I got brain integration [kinesiology treatment], which was good, and learning about proper study habits was good too.”

How has your Kinesiology course helped you, personally?

Glenda: “Having a dependent daughter with Down Syndrome and another with high-functioning autism, I guess I was like a lot of mothers and carrying guilt and other emotions. For the first 12 months [at the College], I was crying after every treatment. You don’t realise how much emotional baggage you’re carrying. And Kinesiology has really helped me change the way I think about my body. I was 100kg and in pain when I started. After the second year, I had lost 20kg and was pain-free. I wasn’t even trying – it just happened. We were learning about the body’s systems and I started to respect my body more.”

Neesha: “I’ve had two full knee replacements on the same knee and I didn’t walk probably for two years. We were studying muscles in Kinesiology at that time. One morning I just walked down the stairs and I didn’t even think about it. It was easy five years since I’d been able to do that. I couldn’t believe it. I also had brain integration [kinesiology treatment], which is amazing. I was slightly dyslexic but I can now read a full sentence and my concentration doesn’t drift off.”

What would you say to others in beauty who are considering a career change to Kinesiology?

Glenda: “It’s rewarding and so fulfilling. It is an amazing career choice.”

Neesha: “It’s a serious career change. A beautiful, rewarding career where you can work alongside lots of other healing professions.”

 

Follow your dreams and forge a new career path. Contact us today on (08) 9330 7443 or visit our course FAQ page.

Share this Post
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Stay Connected

Subscribe to Our newsletter