By Lisa Bakewell
Jessica Irelan was one of the winners of ABMP’s Massage Is for EveryBody 2023 contest. As we close out our Massage Is for EveryBody celebration, July 14–20, 2024, we wanted to share more of Jessica’s story, which exemplifies the inclusive values of this campaign. Please join us in celebrating Jessica!
Curated may seem like an odd word to describe a massage and bodywork career, but it perfectly captures the essence of Jessica Irelan’s massage therapy path. For nearly 30 years, she has carefully chosen her career route—mindfully selecting and cultivating her studies while continuously seeking new ways to serve others.
Today, Irelan specializes in treating clients who are recovering from addiction, which requires extra mindfulness and intuition to provide treatment, she says. Her expertise lies in integrated therapeutic massage, and she uses neuromuscular therapy; passive, active, and positional release; sports massage; cupping therapy; and gua sha.
By using her specialized training, Irelan offers support to her clients who are recovering from addiction—including providing relief from physical pain, stress, and anxiety. “The idea that massage therapy can provide a safe and noninvasive approach to addressing the physical symptoms of addiction withdrawal particularly resonated with me,” she says about her reason for pursuing this path.
"I have seen how debilitating these symptoms can be for individuals trying to overcome addiction. It is no secret that the journey to recovery is emotionally challenging, and anything that can help individuals regulate their emotions and cope with cravings and triggers should be highly valued,” she says.
The psychological gameplay that plagues recovering addicts is devastating, yet Irelan found that treating the physical symptoms of addiction is equally, if not more, important than the psychological components. Body discomfort due to withdrawal often leads to a distorted self-image, which then leads to additional emotional issues, she says. But by addressing physical discomfort, reducing stress and anxiety, and fostering self-awareness, Irelan believes massage has the ability to significantly enhance one’s well-being in the recovery process and beyond.
Massage therapy encourages healthier lifestyle choices for those recovering from addiction, leading to greater self-respect and a higher likelihood of staying sober, she says. For those in recovery, massage helps alleviate muscle aches, headaches, and nausea associated with the process. Irelan believes incorporating massage into addiction treatment should be seriously considered as a holistic approach to support recovering addicts. “Massage therapy helps rebuild [the body-mind] relationship and promotes self-acceptance and increased body awareness, which is empowering.”
As someone who witnessed the devastating effects of addiction firsthand, she says, “it was refreshing to learn about a potential alternate treatment that goes beyond traditional methods. Helping addicts through massage therapy has been a profound experience.”
Irelan earned her massage therapy certification from the Minneapolis School of Massage in 1996 and continued her education at Blue Sky Educational Foundation in 1998. There, she specialized in neuromuscular therapy and sports massage. In 2003, she graduated from Bismarck State College with two associate degrees and a practical nursing certificate. She is the director of the massage therapy program and one of the instructors at Josef’s School of Hair, Skin & Body in Fargo, North Dakota. She is also the North Dakota Massage Championship director and was a guest judge at the South Dakota Massage Championship in March 2024. Also in 2024, Irelan participated in the World Championship in Massage in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the American Massage Championships, where she won the 2023 Bronze Medal in Sports Massage. Irelan is also a 2024 inductee into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame for her work in progressing the massage therapy industry’s image.
Related Content:
• Massage Is for EveryBody is ABMP’s annual celebration of massage therapy and the philanthropic efforts of our members. Read more about the event and the guiding principles that drive it.
• Read the winning essays from 2023’s Massage Is for EveryBody celebration.
• Enter your essay or video submission for the 2024 Massage Is for EveryBody event.