Kay Troan Bashford, CNMT, founder and owner of Benessere Body in Balance, was introduced to neuromuscular therapy (NMT) as part of her own healing process. She studied and learned St. John Neuromuscular Therapy in 1995, and by 1996 she had earned her NMT certification and had established her practice in Minneapolis. In addition, she traveled across the country teaching the St. John method to physical therapists, massage therapists and chiropractors.
While most therapists average five clients a day, Kay often found herself working 10- to 12-hour days to keep up with demand for her services. "That's what pushed me into teaching NMT," she says. "We need more good therapists. I have some clients who drive over 200 miles on a regular basis to receive treatment." Some of Kay's clients even live as far away as New Mexico and New York. She has also worked on professional athletes, including the Chicago Bulls during their sixth NBA championship in 1998.
It's the hope in her clients' eyes that gives Kay passion for the work she does. Life becomes more limited when someone is in excruciating pain. "They come in hoping you can help," says Kay, "and when you do, it changes their life. When you see people become strong and healthy, they beam. You can see it in their eyes that their love of life is back. They start to challenge themselves in ways that they thought they had to stop, like running a marathon, climbing a mountain, or even just getting out of bed without screaming in pain."
Kay always dreamed of expanding her practice and creating a health and wellness center. That dream became a reality in 2005 with Benessere Body in Balance. Now, an entire team of Wellness Consultants and practitioners support Kay in fulfilling her vision of holistic care, which puts the health of clients at the center of everything Benessere does.
