Story posted Wednesday, December 2, 2009
A Feel Good Story From Park Ridge
City officials, owners and employees of Vive! Therapeutic Massage celebrate opening of the Park Ridge business last month.
A Park Ridge woman returned to her roots and opened a massage business in Park Ridge on Friday, Nov. 13.
Geri Balazs is the owner and therapeutic massage therapist at Vive! Therapeutic Massage, 1416 S. Canfield Ave. Although she has worked in the corporate world for many years, Balazs has a degree in psychology and is in the youth ministry at Mary, Seat of Wisdom Church.
"It just really intrigues me; trying to heal as much as you can by giving your body a little kick start," she said.
At Vive!, Balazs has what she calls a "one-stop shop," offering both relaxing massage as well as therapeutic treatments for people with chronic conditions or who have recently undergone surgery. Among the services are trigger-point therapy, medical massage, sports massage, Swedish massage, and reflexology. "We have a lot of different therapies," she said.
Balazs helps educate clients in maintaining their health. "I show them different stretches they can do for self-care," she explained, admitting, "Some people are good at self care, others aren't. It's just like exercising."
She also plans to offer health seminars in the future. "I like to look at my practice being a total look at one's well being," she said. She has four massage rooms available, three of them themed: desert, ocean, and Asian. The fourth room is still being prepared with a mountain and tree theme. "We have a very relaxing, welcoming environment," she added.
Balazs got her start in massage therapy two years ago at Go Figure, a women's fitness center at 800 Devon Ave. She recently felt the need to expand.
"I needed to branch out and hire another therapist and develop my own location," she said.
She hopes her new, larger space will feel like home for clients. "I want it to be a place where people can feel comfortable," she said. The grand opening seemed to uphold her desires. "People came and sat literally for hours," she said. "I thought it was like a great community gathering."
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