Our Story
Liza and Ryan initially connected through their mutual passion in the healing arts. While dating, they had dreams of combining their skills with others to create a wellness center. They moved to Hickory, NC shortly after getting married to begin their wellness center dreams. They have practiced individually and under the same roof during their years of living in Asheville but they now offer combined services. Clients will receive massage or bodywork immediately followed up with acupuncture. This effective and unique treatment is carefully crafted to the individual and their goals. They believe Chinese Medicine and Bodywork are great adjunct treatments to many other therapies and medical practices. Liza and Ryan's unique connection, understanding, and communication sets Hickory Healing House apart.
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Their clinic aims to offer cohesive treatments, with plans to integrate additional therapists and modalities.
About Liza
Liza is a North Carolina native, and a graduate from Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts with a Masters degree in Chinese Medicine.
She began her journey with Chinese Medicine while in undergrad at Appalachian State University. Discouraged with the limits of Western Medicine and a longing to understand her own body, she decided to try acupuncture. She was instantly fascinated with the philosophies and effectiveness of Chinese Medicine. She knew right then and there that it would be her life path to pass these incredible tools onto others.
After graduating, she began practicing at The Acupuncture Center of Asheville. She relocated to Hickory, North Carolina (where she was born) with her husband to plant roots. Liza is inspired to offer a unique approach of wellness and care to clients in the Hickory area.
In addition to acupuncture, she uses modalities such as herbs, nutrition, cupping, gua sha, and lifestyle modification when providing her patients care. Her treatments integrate these modalities to provide each patient with individualized care and address the root of their imbalances.
Liza is dedicated to holding space for each person she encounters with compassion, respect, and knowledge of the medicine. She enjoys helping others heal from acute and chronic pain, low energy, anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, digestion issues, insomnia, and autoimmune disorders.
When she is not at the clinic, Liza enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and dogs, paddle boarding, mountain biking, and seeing live music.
About Ryan
Ryan started his journey into Bodywork in 2010 at Mountwest Community and Technical College. There he learned the fundamentals of clinical massage and oriental bodywork. Since then, Ryan pursued a deeper understanding of the body, body mechanics, and physiology with his BS in Exercise Science which he received from Brevard College in 2020. He also has taken that same passion into his studies of Oriental Bodywork through many continuing education courses in Thai Massage & Shiatsu. Ryan's expansive knowledge of anatomy & physiology is balanced with a soft demeanor, intuitive touch, and a philosophy that often times more can be done with less.
His massage is both physical and energetic. Often times in one session a client will receive a combination of oriental bodywork, sports massage, trigger point therapy, deep tissue, energy work, breathing techniques, and cupping or Gua Sha. Ryan has worked with everyone from Olympic Gold Metalist and professional, elite athletes to the elderly, and everyone in-between. Many of the modalities that Ryan uses requires zero removal of clothing which allows many individuals who are not comfortable removing their clothing for a more "traditional" massage to still receive much benefit from his work. His work is slow and detailed, aimed at taking care of the underlying issues at hand. Range of motion, mobility, muscle function, and decreased pain with a shorted recovery time is at the top of his priority.
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When not at work you can find Ryan playing with his dogs, performing with his band, paddle boarding, out on the local trails on his bike, or simply enjoying all the things that the greater Hickory area has to offer with his wife and best friend, Liza. Please reach out with any questions you may have.