Meet Sonya Prater | Licensed Massage Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sonya Prater and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sonya, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Being able to help people move without pain motivates me to come to work each day. All problems are not solved in one session, but the client continues to gain more and more pain-free movement with each visit, until only maintenance is needed. As a possible alternative to pain meds, massage is a way I can assist in someone’s health journey. My passion is helping/serving others, and I feel like I can do that with massage therapy. That is what keeps me going.

What should our readers know about your business?
I never started out wanting to have my own business. I felt I was a great employee and frankly I was content with not having the overhead or worry of being a business owner. However, as time went on and my career path shifted, it was evident that I wanted more flexibility in how I treated patients/clients. I am not a social media person, and I keep getting told that is how I will get business. I still say that word of mouth is best. I am only one person. I do not want to have a massage empire focusing on the number of people I can get through the door. I want to have a niche practice that is more of a medical alternative for people who truly want to improve their “movement” health. As we age, it is so important to be able to move. My desire is to help people move pain free and improve their quality of life as they age. That starts at a much younger age than we think. I am a results-oriented therapist, and I customize each session according to a person’s need at the time. Each session should be a progression of improvement. Massage is not just for relaxation as we were taught many years ago, instead, it should be part of your wellness plan. Even though insurance may not cover it, FSA and HSA will. The days of letting insurance dictate treatment are over. People want more and deserve more. They want their health back. I hope to be a small piece of their health journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many things to do around the Atlanta area. Each downtown seems to offer different shops, restaurants and their own little flare. I am not one for crowds, so I tend to stay away from festivals and overcrowded venues. However, I do love to visit new places and take time to appreciate the surroundings. I am a foodie at heart, and love to create and cook in my own kitchen. So, the first places I tend to explore are the restaurants. My goal is to stay away from chain restaurants and focus on local flare, if possible. Trying new flavors that are unfamiliar to me or ones that I wouldn’t typically pair are especially interesting. The outdoor theater at Cumming City Center has become a favorite of ours during the summer. It offers a great space to bring friends for great music, food and a relaxing social time. Homestead has become a favorite restaurant there, along with Los Rios, for a quick bite. Heading to the Georgia mountains is always fun; great sightseeing, hiking, tubing and of course, other restaurants to explore. Towns like Dahlonega and Helen are great for walking and shopping. Each town is unique and learning a little history behind them makes the time there even more special. In the last few years my husband and I have really come to enjoy the FOCAL theater productions. It is a beautiful and quaint community theater in Forsyth County, and the quality of the productions are outstanding. We have taken several friends there at various times. Nothing like dinner and a show without breaking the bank!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It is always interesting to hear how people got to where they are today. For me, I also have a journey that I did not anticipate. I went from a career of being a dental hygienist, doing myofunctional therapy part time, to Block Therapy, to massage therapy. It was an unexpected path but all of my training from TMJ Dysfunction, Sleep Apnea, Breathing and Posture patterns, etc. led me to massage therapy and I haven’t looked back. I could not have done this without God’s help. I firmly believe that ALL good things come from God….all of my talents and abilities. Every person that influenced my career choices, every CE course, every training session, and every unexpected desire to have a career such as this, came from seeking and trusting God’s best in my life all these years. My family was also always there to cheer me on and encourage me along the way, even when I felt like I wasn’t making a difference.

Website: https://www.MyAlpharettaMassage.com