By Heather Harrington
Massage for Wellness
608 South Oyster Bay Rd., Hicksville
Phone: 516-931-3222
Fax: 516-931-9470
328 Broadway, Bethpage
Phone: 516-938-8937
Fax: 516-822-5499
Laura Lauridia, L.M.T., founder
Those who wish for a relaxing getaway after a long day’s work might do well to consider Massage for Wellness. The shop, located in Hicksville and recently expanded to Bethpage, offers everything from massage therapy to meditation and detox programs. Message for Wellness was started by Laura Lauridia 10 years ago, mostly due in part to her natural ways for healing her sick children.
“When my children were younger they were always getting sick,” she says. “Through massage and holistic healing I found that their health not only improved but that they thrived as well.”
Soon after this, Lauridia went back to school to get her license in massage therapy. With her certification and a background in business, Massage for Wellness was born. It’s not just she who has a passion for this au natural way of healing the mind, body and soul either—all of Lauridia’s licensed therapists started in similar ways and are dedicated to providing the utmost quality of care to all of their patients. This is an establishment that looks out for not only the health, but the well-being of their clients. “It’s safe to say we all practice what we preach here,” Lauridia says.
And they do. Not only do they specialize in relaxing spa-like massages, Lauridia explains that a lot of the work that they do is very therapeutic in nature: “We get lots of doctor referrals and work with patients of all different needs.” Massage for Wellness has been successfully treating a whole range of patients—everyone from infants to geriatrics—since their inception, and they don’t push their clientele into rebuying or rebooking appointments; instead, Lauridia explains, their patients just come back, simply because “their bodies know it’s time.” They respect their patients and feel that they will know when it’s time to come back for another treatment.
Besides avoiding all the junk typically found in cosmetics—all of the products used in facial and body treatments are made from natural ingredients—the late hours really help with the customer flow. “Most people do come to us for our ability to make them feel better, and for our flexible hours of operation,” Lauridia says. Massage for Wellness is open until 10 p.m. during the week, which leaves plenty of time to unwind from that stressful day at work with your choice of 12 different massages, everything from hot stones to aromatherapy, or if you’re feeling a bit of extra pressure, a full body detoxing wrap. The newest addition to the establishment has also been their most popular: spa parties and couples massages.
The one thing that sets Massage for Wellness apart from their competitors seems to be their passion for going above and beyond in what they do, and it certainly shows. Everyone involved in this establishment is there because they love it; they have a passion and a need for helping people. “We believe in what we’re doing,” says Lauridia confidently. After all, she says, it’s not about the sale, or the business itself. It’s all about what the patient needs.
