Shannon Goins-Blair
CLT-LANA (Certified Lymphedema Therapist),
Integrative Health Practitioner L2,
Certified Cupping Therapist,
Board Certified LMT, MA
NM License #8941
ABOUT SHANNON
Shannon Goins-Blair is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT) who is also LANA Certified, Integrative Health Practitioner L2, Certified Cupping Therapist (CCT), and Board Certified Medical and Myofascial Massage Therapist who relocated to Albuquerque with her husband in June 2018 from the greater Phoenix area.
Get to Know Shannon
My Move to Albuquerque
“We moved to Albuquerque kind of on a whim after I unexpectedly lost my place to live due to health-related issues of the property owner. I kind of saw it as my nudge to move on from Phoenix after living there for a year and a half.
Coincidentally, my boyfriend (now husband) had been offered a job in Albuquerque about 5 months prior that he had turned down. I asked if it was still available. When he found out it was, we decided then and there to move. It was absolutely the right decision.
The longer we are here in Albuquerque, the more we love it. We are especially fond of the reverence for quirkiness that is so uniquely Albuquerque.
After living on the West Side in the Corrales-adjacent area of the city, we moved down to Nob Hill to be closer to my old office. We enjoyed living in both areas, but our hearts were set on living in the woods.
In October of 2021 I moved my office to San Mateo and Menaul, and we finally moved our home up to the East Mountains. I love the outdoors and hope to do more exploring in the Sandias and the East Mountains now that we are in the area.”
– Shannon Goins-Blair
Interesting Facts about Shannon
My Passion for Travel
In addition to being an outdoor enthusiast (and a really big nerd), Shannon’s favorite pastime is travel.
Her first international solo trip was in 1992 when she was 19 years old. She went with a supervised group from her college to visit Germany. When the trip was over, everyone but Shannon got on the plane to go home.
“When our Germany trip was over and we arrived in Frankfurt to get on the plane to go home, I wasn’t ready. This Europe thing was pretty cool, so I decided to stay and have a look around.
The first country I visited totally by myself was Poland – in 1992. No one spoke English at that time. The Berlin Wall had only recently fallen, and Westernization had not yet reached Poland. Although I spoke some German at the time, I was advised not to by several people as Germans weren’t so well-liked.
That left me to pantomiming and drawing pictures to get around the country – and I did it – all by myself at 19 years old. It was challenging, but I learned how to be self-sufficient in a very short period of time. It was a tremendous confidence builder.
In total I’ve visited 37 countries and 6 of 7 continents (Australia is still on my bucket list.)
In 2015 I took a 2 year trip in an RV around Canada and the Western US states with my 2 Jack Russell Terriers (both now deceased). It was one of the best trips I’ve ever had being able to spend it with my dogs in their last couple of years.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop traveling. It has taught me more about the world than any classroom education ever has (and I love the classroom), and it taught me how to interact and relate to people I’ve never met.”
– Shannon Goins-Blair
Shannon’s Training
and Continuing Education
Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Shannon began her training in 2013 in the field of massage therapy and has over 1900 hours of education related to Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) and Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT), Integrative Health and Wellness, Electro-Lymphatic Therapy (ELT), Cupping, Medical Massage, and Myofascial Release. (By comparison, New Mexico requires 650 hours of training for licensure.)
Shannon received her Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT) training from KLOSE Training. Her Medical Massage and Myofascial Release specialty certifications were earned at the Southwest Institute for Healing Arts in Tempe, AZ.
During her training and Medical Massage, she fell in love with Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) work. To that end, she pursued the respected CLT (Certified Lymphedema Therapist) certification to help people who suffer from lymphedema. Her CLT Training included Complete Decongestive Therapy techniques like bandaging for persons with lymphedema.
In June of 2018 she became certified in Electro-Lymphatic Therapy which uses a device called the XP2 that effectively releases stagnated lymph by dissociating protein molecules in lymph – something that can’t be done easily manually.
The CLT certification proved to be the ideal advanced training avenue because it built on the foundations of Oncology Massage, Breast Health, Scar Massage, Elder Massage, and Adaptive Massage for various medical conditions that constituted the core of her medical massage training.
Shannon is also a Certified Cupping Therapist, is trained in IASTM (Instrument Assisted Tissue Manipulation), and Gua Sha. These therapies are invaluable for releasing stuck tissue, reducing the fibrosis (hard tissue) that comes after surgery, improving scar appearance, and facilitating lymphatic drainage.
Shannon speaks fluent German (albeit a bit rusty). She is currently learning Spanish to better serve her clients in the Albuquerque area.
Why I Do What I Do
“My own mother suffered from lymphedema following a double radical mastectomy in 1992, but she was given little to no information about the condition. As a result, she suffered severe depression and social anxiety until she passed in 2013.
Even now, so few medical professionals are well-trained and lymphedema risk, prevention, and treatment. I want to serve as a resource for people to get them that information and quality treatment that makes a difference and how they feel and feel about themselves.
Since becoming a CLT, I have learned that lymphatic drainage doesn’t just apply to people with lymphedema.
Lymphatic Drainage can help people suffering from post-operative swelling (including cosmetic and reconstructive), who have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or who just want a powerful detox. It can also be used to enhance athletic performance and improve how we feel. Lymphatic Drainage can also have a cosmetic effect by helping to drain a puffy face.
My main objective when working with clients, no matter what brings them to my office, is to have them leave feeling significantly better than when they walked in.
Making a difference in the lives of others is the most rewarding thing that I can do.”
– Shannon Goins-Blair
On CranioSacral
and Reflexology Work
“Although I have over 100 hours of training in CranioSacral Therapy and another 100 hours in Reflexology, my typical sessions wouldn’t be classified as a ‘CranioSacral’ or ‘Reflexology’ session. I don’t consider myself to be a true practitioner of either since I do not practice either of those disciplines full time.
I pursued advanced training in these two modalities because they give me a wider range of skills from which to draw to help my clients.
For example, a person who is in extreme pain can find immediate relief when they are relaxed into the parasympathetic state. CranioSacral skills allow me to do this quickly and effectively.
Likewise, if a person has a problem such as sluggish lymph that isn’t responding to standard treatment, I can go to their feet and work the reflexology points for the lymphatic system to help it out.
I am always looking for ways to be more proficient in my work. If that means another 100 hours of training in a new discipline, you’d better believe I’m going to do it.
This is what sets me apart from most therapists. I have an unusual mix of skills that make my work with people whose primary complaints are pain and swelling exceedingly effective.”
– Shannon Goins-Blair
How I Can Help You
Are you are suffering with pain, swelling, or toxin buildup?
If you want to
reveal your inner health & beauty
and
Be your best self,
I can help you
be the best version of you.
I do this with my expert skills in Lymphatic Massage, Cupping, and Myofascial Massage.
My specialty is speeding up surgical recovery, especially plastic surgery, but I regularly work on people who have had various surgeries.
I also help people be healthier by purging toxins from their bodies.
Who are My Clients?
Without going into the specifics of conditions that can be improved with therapy at Pain & Swelling Solutions, it’s important to know that the therapies I offer can benefit nearly everyone.
My Clients Typically Include Anyone Who:
- Has had Surgery, especially Plastic or Cosmetic Surgery
- Wants to Jump-Start Their Health & Well-Being
- Wants to Feel Better
- Believes in Regular Maintenance for the Body
- People who have Long COVID
My primary therapy is Lymphatic Drainage. I provide a lot of other beneficial therapies, but lymphatic work is my passion. A very close second is gentle myofascial work. Myofascial therapy is effective at helping with healing from injury as swell as surgical recovery.
Telling People What I Do for a Living
I love to tell people about my work.
Being a Certified Lymphedema Therapist
is a very unique and rewarding job,
but there aren’t a lot of us around.
So, it’s not surprising that
when I tell people what I do for a living,
they often respond with
Lymph-a-what?!?!?!
It’s a big topic,
and the details are what this whole website is about.
Have a look around.
