My Story
TouchMatters — I chose this name for my business because I believe it speaks of a truth and a power more significant than the words themselves.
TouchMatters is a belief, and a truth. From a new born child to the most senior members of our community we all need and know the value of touch to thrive and grow. We touch each other in numerous ways. A smile from a stranger when we have felt alone. The hope filled laughter of small children. The compassionate touch of one heart to another when grief is visited upon us. The soothing touch of skilled hands when our bodies ache from the trials and bruises that life has given us.
Minds touching, revealing the greatness we have to offer others. Consider the experiences you have had in your own life that touched and invited you to be your ”full size” to be truly seen.
Touch does matter. It helps us to feel connected with our own hearts and with the hearts of others. Touch can offer respite, safety, and solace.
Matters and manners of life touch us daily to remind us who we are and what we have to offer each other. Over the years in my clinical practice, I have witnessed many times the positive and enduring effects of touch.
Sandra McCarthy
My journey into health care began with an Honours Bachelor degree in Physical Education (H.B.P.E.). As fortune would have it I received a therapeutic massage treatment to address 15 years of chronic pain I developed following a winter activity injury where I broke 2 vertebrae in my lower back and my coccyx . I knew at once the healing ability of touch and continued my education at Sutherland & Chan School and Teaching Clinic where I graduated as a Registered Massage Therapist (1990).
Upon completion of my certification I was invited to join the teaching staff where I assisted students in effectively combining their theoretical knowledge with clinical skills. It was here that my love to empower individuals through knowledge began.
I have been in clinical practice since 1990 where my approach to client care has and continues to be a combination of skill, experience and education. I continue to explore new methods to add to my skill set offering the best solutions for the clients I see.
Why Touch Matters
Touch is one of the first ways we learn about the world — and one of the deepest ways we connect with it. Long before words, touch tells us we are safe, that we belong, and that our body is part of something larger. It’s through touch that the nervous system calms, the breath softens, and the body remembers how to rest.
In manual therapy, touch becomes a conversation — a way of listening to the body’s story without words. Gentle, supportive touch helps quiet the vigilant nervous system, allowing deeper layers of tension, pain, and holding to release. It guides the fascia and connective tissues to soften and reorganize, creating space for better movement and natural healing.
The human body is designed to self-heal when given the right conditions. Through skilled and mindful touch, manual therapy offers those conditions — safety, awareness, and presence. As restrictions ease and the body feels supported, it begins to reawaken its own intelligence, restoring balance and harmony from within.
