Cody Cummings? That name probably rings a bell. It better because he's the medical professional who is helping me fix my back. Yeah yeah. Nobody likes a whiner. But until your vertebrae actually pop out of allignment, you have no idea how much it affects everything you do - from sitting in a chair to walking down the street to sleeping at night.It's sort of like food poisoning. Until it happens to you, you have no idea how bad it is.
Doesn't that look good? DOESN'T IT?
Cody Cummings is that rare triple threat that combines extremely talented with a wicked sense of humour and, finally, man handsomeness (which is not to be confused with lady handsomeness)...and yes, he lives and works right here in Vancouver. That other
Cody Cummings also happens to be one of my favourite porn stars. These two facts have made me decide that anyone named Cody Cummings is destined for awesomeness.
When Xtra.ca asked me to start doing these profiles, I was focused
on a certain type of gay and lesbians. What I learned from Don't Quit
Your Gay Job is that we are in every industry and every type of job
possible. Which is why it's my pleasure to profile this guy:
1) Who the hell are you and what do you
do?
Simple
questions to which there are no simple answers. For starters, I am Cody
Cummings, RMT. I have been practicing as
a Registered Massage Therapist since 2003.
I am currently in my third year of studies at the Canadian College of
Osteopathy. I am also a certified yoga
instructor (hatha, power).
2) What is Osteopathy and how is it
different from massage therapy or seeing a chiropractor?
This is a
really hard question to answer. As
therapists, even if we were trained similarly, we would all take a different
approach to treatment. And that approach
changes for each individual client. I
think what they all have in common is that they all seek to help people
function better.
A visit to a
RMT, Osteopath, or a Chiropractor should all include assessment, treatment, and
in some way inform the client on what they can do to improve him or
herself. These are elements they all use
to build a treatment plan. These things should happen with each and every
visit.
I think
Osteopathy is really special and unique.
Osteopathy looks at each structure in the body, and seeks to balance it
with all the surrounding structures and with the body as a whole unit. We try
to get everything centered. The work is
done using the clients own movement patterns.
This allows the effects to be more profound and long lived.
3) How difficult is it to work in the
wellness industry in Vancouver?
I love what I
do. I worked really hard to become an
RMT and I’m really dedicated to my current Osteopathic training. I get to do a job I love and feel like I’m
helping people.
We don’t get
thanked enough as a society. In my job
that is not an issue. I think it would
be difficult to be a tow truck driver.
Everyone hates that guy!
4) What are the biggest assumptions
people make about you and your work?
The assumption
that if a massage does not hurt, that it’s not doing anything is a really
unhealthy stereotype. This is simply not true. I can work on the deepest
structures in the body and use only light pressure. I can be very specific, effective and
efficient with very light touch. It’s
about working smarter not harder!
5) What kind of clients do you currently
treat?
I treat the
general public. I have a fairly even
male/female client base. It’s difficult
to nail down what segment of the population I work with; it’s a real mixed bag.
6) Do you find yourself with a higher
than average number of gay clients?
It does not
matter to me what the sexual orientation of my clients is. I work out of two locations. Glow Acupuncture and Wellness Centre is a
clinic where I rent a room. I also work out of Spruce Body Lab. Spruce Body Lab is owned by a couple well-known
in the community. I do get to work with
a larger segment of the gay population there then I do at Glow.
7) How difficult is it to be
out in the health care industry?
It really should not matter to
clients if their therapist is gay, strait, male, or female.
My sexual orientation does not
come into play with my job. Though outside my practice, I think it’s
helped me understand people better. For gay and lesbian clients, I
feel that I have an intimate understanding of what they have gone through
growing up, the process of coming out of the closet and also issues related to
aging as a gay man or lesbian woman.
Every experience leaves a
different impression on a client's body and I'm here to help clients through
that process.
8) Would you recommend a career in
wellness to anyone who might be currently considering one?
I would. I would also recommend some business
knowledge. Being a therapist, you can only work however much your body will let
you. Your earning potential is somewhat
limited unless you are willing to undertake opening your own space and renting
it out to other practitioners, or become highly specialized and teach
workshops.
Otherwise,
absolutely! Go through training to
become a therapist. It’s a really unique
opportunity.
9) Where can people find out more
information about you and your services?
I’m working on
a personal website. It will be up soon. For the time being, you can get info
online at www.glowellness.com or www.sprucebodylab.com.
10) How can people contact you if they’re
interested in your services?
I can be
reached by phone at Glow (778) 786-2517, or at Spruce (604) 683-3220. Book an
appointment and come see me for a consultation!
