| |
Press
Room |
 |
| |
Interviews-English
|
|
 |
Creation Begins With Need
Carol
glows when she speaks of her work. "To make what I do easy for people
to understand is to explain it as creative visualization or imagery."
 |
Carol Jensen
Complementary
Health Services |
Carol Jensen was born
as a middle child of six children in Hood River, Oregon, base of Mt. Hood.
As she relaxes back on the sofa, putting her hands behind her head, her
eyes seem to be seeing another time and place as she begins to reiminese
about her childhood. "I had a wonderful childhood," relates
Carol. "My dad ran his father's company started up during the depression
manufacturing a product her grandfather invented
which filled a need as demonstrated by the sales and company growth. My
mother was a mountineer as well as a musician. She belonged to several
climbing clubs and climbed major peaks in the Cascades. She also played
the cello with the Hood River Orchestra. I can remember so well the transformation
from her day to day clothes to her elegant black organza dress she wore
when performing with the orchestra. It would just take my breath away,
remembered Carol. "She was so beautiful and elegant. Mom made sure
we all got some type of music lessons. She also introduced me to a love
of nature and storytelling. My dad and grandfather collected a lot of
local native american artifacts from the Celilo people on the Columbian
River before that area was flooded. I cherish those artifacts that were
given to me as I feel a close connection to the Native American people.
Mom loved taking kids on camping trips and tell us Indian myths of the
area. She would tell us that the mountains were gods and how they had
wars by throwing rocks and making the volcanos go off. She would point
out stars and constellations.
"We lived in a huge family complex, which included the factory,
warehouses, metal shop, print shop and gas station all supporting company
my grandfather founded. I can recall my mom calling the grocer and he
would deliver groceries and we would get milk in bottles delivered, the
bottles still showing cream on top of the milk. As kids, we'd climb onto
the milk truck and take rides around with the milkman. Times were different
then and the community although not as small as
Aromas was still small enough to know just about everyone and feel that
community closeness."
Carol's grandfather, Luhr Jensen's primary goal during the depression
was to feed his family. He owned an apple orchard but couldn't even give
away his apples, less sell any. Food was hard to come by, so one day,
her grandfather thought he would try his luck at fishing at the Hood River.
The only thing he had to make fishing lures was his Model T's front bumper.
So he took it off and stamped out as many fishing lures of his design
as he could get from his bumper. He was so successful at catching fish
that neighbors came by and wanted his fishing lures. Eventually what began
as a sacrifice of his car to feed his family became a very successful
company manufacturing fishing lures, Luhr Jensen and Sons who included
her dad and his two brothers all of which lived within the family complex.
After Carol's dad retired, his youngest brother, Phil (70 years old) continues
to manage the business. Eric, Carol's brother started up International
Long Line in Bellinghame, Washington. Being inventive saved her grandfather's
family, natural charisma from Carol's dad helped to grow the company and
Carol's brother Eric started a complementary addition to the business.
For as long as Carol could remember she loved
swimming. There was a pool down the road from where she lived growing
up and would make that trek daily from a young age. She was on the swim
team in high school and followed through with earning her lifeguard certificate
and taught swimming while attending college. Carol graduated with a Bachelors
in Park and Recreation and although she spent one summer following her
graduation managing a park, she knew right away that this wasn't what
she wanted for a career. She moved to Hawaii and while there learned how
to meditate. While meditating and asking herself what was her next step,
an inner voice told her to study
body work. Carol moved to Seattle and decided to learn massage therapy.
This was during the time when massage was just on the fringe, but Carol
specialized in working with pregnant women. She traveled and taught her
style of massage to pregnant women, made a video and was very successful
at it for fifteen years. But, Carol was still searching. She was on a
quest and even though she mastered the art of massage therapy, she knew
there was more for her to do. During this same time she was learning from
spiritual teachers. At one retreat she attended she met the man she would
later marry and have two children by. He invited her to join the staff
at his parents' Western Institute for Group and Family Therapy in Gilroy.
There she trained in Body/Mind Integration work. After the earthquate
of 1989, the Institute closed. Carol knew she wanted to stay in the area
and be near the water, but where it would be warm. She found Aromas. "This
is the best area to live in,"Carol enthusiastically affirmed. "We
are near the ocean, he weather is great all year around and the community
and schools are wonderful. What a great place to raise two girls."
Carol's continuing quest on how best to use her healing skills has now
brought her to her next level. She prepares patients for surgery and recovery.
Carol glows when she speaks of her work. "To make what I do easy
for people to understand is to explain it as creative visualization or
imagery." I teach people to relax and allow the healing hormones
take over their bodies during the stress of preparing for surgery, the
actual surgery and the recover phase," explains Carol. I make tapes
for the patients to listen to during all three of these phases. Statistically
it has been proven that patients need 50% less pain
medication after surgery and their healing time is greatly reduced by
using this method. Carol gets referrals from doctors on one-to-one basis.
At the time of this interview, she was preparing to speak before 200 patients,
Orthonotic surgeons and dentists at a seminar featuring her as key note
speaker. Carol was introduced to this method by experiencing it herself
by a staff member of her surgeon when she had to go through some female
surgery after her second child. She recovered quickly and and knew that
this was something she could do.
In May, 2001, Carol remarried a great guy, Rob Ryan. To learn more about
what services they both offer, click onto their website:
www.centerforhealth.info. They have a Center for Health community in Santa
Cruz where you can find various types of complementary health
services. Carol has a great deal of knowledge about herbs and aromatherapy
and envisions someday to have a Family Compound of her own. She visualizes
a place where people can both live or visit and stroll through herbal
gardens, meditate, do their art, writing or do whatever enriches their
lives. END
Top
of Page
|
|
|
