#152 The Massage Therapist in the Arena: Courage and Clinic Ownership with Nancy Kahl, RMT

Opening a clinic takes courage. It also takes patience, vision, and a willingness to move forward even when the path isn’t perfectly clear.

In this episode of The Radical Massage Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Nancy Kahl, RMT, owner of Align Massage Therapy Kanata, to talk about what it really looks like to step into clinic ownership.

Nancy’s path to this chapter was anything but linear. After graduating as a massage therapist in 2002, she stepped away from the profession and spent eight years working in mental health and recreational therapy, supporting individuals living with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, anxiety, and depression.

Eventually, she returned to massage therapy with a deeper understanding of the nervous system, emotional labour, and the realities of caring professions.

Six months into opening her clinic, Nancy shares what she has learned about leadership, building a supportive workplace, navigating uncertainty, and creating a practice that feels meaningful for both clients and practitioners.

We also talk about something that many therapists experience but rarely name clearly: the mental load of practice and how it differs from physical fatigue.

This episode is an honest conversation about growth, resilience, and building something steady over time.

If you’ve ever thought about opening a clinic, returning to massage after time away, or designing a career that supports your life outside the treatment room, this episode will resonate deeply.

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Contact Nancy Kahl, RMT

Instagram @liftxbadgerxcycle

Contact The Radical Massage Therapist Podcast

Krista Dicks, RMT

📧 krista@theradicalrmt.com

🌐 www.theradicalrmt.com

📱 Instagram: @theradicalmassagetherapist

Mentioned

• Align Massage Therapy Kanata

• Recreational Therapy in mental health

• Mohawk College (guest lecturing experience)

• Sanford Fleming College (Massage Therapy program)

• “The Man in the Arena” poem by Theodore Roosevelt