Many People ask Me, What exactly do you do?

Well, my journey into healing didn't begin in a classroom - it began in the hallways of a nursing home in a small southwest Missouri community, where I would wander as a child while my grandmother opened the building where she was a director of nursing. 

My maternal grandmother was a remarkable woman. A widow with five children, she put herself through nursing school by babysitting. She went on to become a highly respected nurse, a nurse educator, and the Director of Nursing at our community's nursing home for many years. She was the matriarch of our family and of our community. Her circle included some of the most talented healthcare professionals I've ever known. I grew up immersed in medical language, medical knowledge, and genuine compassion for the sick - it was simply the air I breathed. 

That foundation led me naturally into healthcare. I became a Licensed Practical Nurse and practiced for just under thirteen years across a wide range of settings, including but not limited to long-term care, LTAC, sub-acute care, pediatric hospice, home health, adolescent and geriatric mental health, private duty alzheimers, and I work as a certified wound care specialist with an agency nursing for over a decade in the Kansas City area. My clinical experience was broad and deep, and it gave me a thorough understanding of the human body and the many ways it can struggle. 

But my education didn't stop at the professional level. I have lived experience with illness that most people - and most clinicians, have never faced personally. I was born to a mother with mental illness; I was personally diagnosed with ADHD at four and have suffered my own mental health issues. I was diagnosed with cancer twice, have had multiple deep personal traumas, and I spent just under ten years disabled, fighting my own battles on multiple fronts simultaniously. 

At some point during my cancer treatment and recovery, medicine let me down. The recovery support I needed simply wasn't there. That absence sent me on a long and sometimes overwhelming journey of research and self-directed learning - into the root causes of illness, the mechanisms that keep us sick, and the pathways that lead to genuine healing.

What I discovered changed everything.

As a result of my breast cancer treatment, I developed lymphedema - a chronic condition affecting the lymphatic system. Rather than simply managing it, I dedicated myself to understanding it fully. I completed a 135-hour clinical-level certification program and became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. I bring that specialized knowledge and hands-on experience into my work every single day. This is why I have a passion for oncology and lymphatic therapy. 

I know what it feels like to be sick. I know what it feels like to be failed by a system that was supposed to help you. And I know what it feels like to find your way back. That is what I bring to every client I work with, not just training and technique, but genuine understanding.

My Skills

include but are not limited to:

• Myofascial Release
• Pain & Headache Management 
• Swedish Massage (light or medium pressure)
• Intelligent Deep Tissue (deep and very deep pressures)
• Gua-Sha (Asian Modality)
• Hot Stone Therapy
• Soft and Hard Cupping ( Asian Modality)
• Reflexology ( Asian)
• Cancer Massage-during treatment
• Palliative Massage-end of life
• CLT - Certified Lymphatic Therapist (includes post-op, glymphatic, primary, secondary, and undiagnosed swelling) **For your safety, if you have kidney or cardiac diagnosis', clearances from these providers are necessary before treatment can begin. No         exceptions. We can discuss upon consultation
• Sport Massage 
• Adolescent Massage (Athletes) 
• Compression Garment measuring and fitting
• Scar Tissue Work
• Acupressure
• Restorative Movement and Skin Care
• Client and Family Education

Every session is shaped around the individual - their history, their diagnosis, their goals, and their body's current capacity. This is not a one-size-fits-all practice. It is a partnership.

Your First Visit

Georgia Baker Body Work is located in a private residential setting in Webb City, Missouri. For safety and privacy, the address is provided directly upon scheduling.

Your first appointment begins with a consultation. Plan to arrive 10 minutes early and we'll take that time to talk about what's brought you in, what your body has been through, and what you're hoping to achieve. We'll get to know each other a little, and then we'll talk honestly about how I can help.

And if I'm not the fit? That's okay, too. I am a proud and enthusiastic resource for connecting people with the right practitioners, whether that's another massage therapist with a different specialty or a specific medical professional. There is no competition in my office. Every practitioner brings different talents, skills, and availability. What matters is that you get the help you need. I can also help you navigate the medical community so you're not left running in circles trying to figure out which specialist to call for your particular issue. Consider me a guide as much as a therapist.

 

For your reference: Georgia Baker Massage Therapist license #2018009610
Certificate #202501218 Norton School of Lymphatics 135 hour course