Doug

My name is Doug Shontz, Jr., and I have been a client and patient of Ana Maria’s for many years now. My medical history is both a long and dense story beginning with a nine-week premature birth happening long before neonatal care was advanced enough to save babies born so early. My birth event, however, was touched by the Hand of Divine Providence, and it was not to be that my entry into this world would result in an equally quick exit. I survived those traumatic first few months of life, but I was left with many physical ailments. The primary issue I was left with was Cerebral Palsy. By all accounts it was and is a very mild case, but it still carries with it painful tremors, uncontrollable shaking, many torn muscles, and a lot of days where I would still rather stay in bed than entertain the thought of physical movement. In my early life, I remained in need of a wheelchair for daily mobility until the approximate age of nine. I spent those years in constant physical therapy, and was finally able to walk on my own by the time I was ten years old. Now, approaching the age of 40 and over 30 major surgeries later, I still do not need a wheelchair except for those intermittent occasions where the palsy is severe enough that I cannot move my muscles on my own.

Given that background, it goes without saying that I have been under the care of many doctors in my life. Name any medical specialty, and I have most likely seen a doctor in that field at some point. Most importantly, I have seen many chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists. I rely on those branches of physical care fairly heavily as they are able to work with me to keep my body moving without the need of constant medication. I have learned these “alternative” forms of medicine work equally as well and sometimes better than just taking a pill for every ache and pain.

I knew Ana Maria many months before I began seeking treatment from her healing hands. She and I attend the same church, and I openly profess how much my faith has led me to the place I now reside in my life. I sensed a very kindred spirit in Ana Maria, and, when I learned that she was a massage therapist, I knew that was yet another instance of Divine Providence working in my life. I can usually tell from one or two sessions whether or not a massage therapist is going to be a good fit for me, and I would prefer to go without a massage therapist than see someone who does more damage than healing. When I began seeing Ana Maria, I had been over two years without a good massage therapist, but I knew from the first session I had found a wonderful fit.

I believe Ana Maria’s greatest talent as a massage therapist is her ability to intimately listen to the body of the person she is with. Many times, you have to actually tell a massage therapist where to go, what to do, and, most importantly, where to stop. I have found that, with Ana Maria, this is not necessary. When she finds an area of your body that is hurting, her hands know what to do before you could even formulate the appropriate words to communicate to her what you feel. That type of intuition makes the entire session more relaxing since you, as the patient, need do nothing at all the entire time. My own opinion is that she is not just a massage therapist. She is a Divine Healer whose art form happens to be massage therapy. The Healer in her always knows what to do, and it is that Healer in her who goes farther than any other massage therapist could go to make your body capable of doing things it could not do otherwise. After each session with Ana Maria, I not only feel relaxed and rejuvenated…I truly feel Healed.

In the time I have been her client and patient, I have noticed many physical changes. My gait is more consistent; my legs hurt much less; my knees do not give me as much difficulty as they usually do; and my back has much less day-to-day pain. Most humorously, I can feel my left big toe! I have a form of “pan-sciatica” affecting the L4 and L5 dermatomes where the compression of my spine along with the constant spasms in my piriformis muscle causes “sciatica-like” symptoms. The result is that I feel pain through the entirety of my left sciatic nerve all the way down to my largest toe. When it is at its worst, it causes my toe to go to sleep and renders it unable to move. With Ana Maria, I have been able to nearly eliminate that problem from my life as she keeps my hip muscles in better shape than I can through stretching alone. I can, quite literally, wiggle my big toe!

I could continue for many pages to describe how wonderful Ana Maria is as a practitioner of her art, but I believe what I have said here should suffice to describe the type of Healer you will experience if you place yourself in her care. If you are perfectly physically healthy, Ana Maria can keep you that way. If, however, you are like me and find many physical challenges in your life, Ana Maria can help to make those challenges much more bearable.

 Tyler

I am writing this letter of reference for Ana Maria Vidarte, of Hands for You. Ana is a licensed Massage Therapist that we have known for 2 years or more. She has been our son Tyler’s, massage therapist and we just love her. She is a very loving, warm, compassionate person and an excellent massage therapist.

Ana is very qualified as a massage therapist for many reasons. She is educated, licensed and has the caring touch. Our son Tyler has a Neurological Disorder, which causes the right side of his body to be tight. Massage therapy has been a life saver for him, for many reasons, with Ana. She works with Tyler 2 days a week, one of the days is mainly for “targeted area’s of his body” and the other day for “relaxation techniques”, both which are very valuable in his care. It relaxes his muscles on both sides of his body, making it easier for him to walk, sit, and just general overall health. Also Ana is wonderful about follow through and making sure that Tyler’s sessions went well and he is feeling good from his treatments with her. A considerate and professional quality that Ana maintains in her practice and we appreciate.

I would recommend without reservation, Ana as a Massage Therapist and person. She is a blessing in our lives and we appreciate all that she does for our son Tyler.

Joyce

I have been a patient and friend of Ana Maria’s for about 2 years now and I can truly say that I have never met a more caring person than she is. I had a bad episode with my sciatica and back issues and I started seeing her on a regular basis. Because of her background in physical therapy, she knew immediately what she was dealing with and what parts of my body needed the most attention. Not only was I impressed with her magic hands but her caring, loving heart. When I heard the Christian music coming from her sound system, I knew I had met a special person. After I had been seeing her for about a year, she had to give up her space at the Racquet Club of the South due to a buyout by Lifetime Fitness Center. I was very upset thinking I would not be able to see her anymore. But when she suggested coming to my home, I was so happy because I could not envision getting a massage from any other. I’m that spoiled! She’s that good! and, a really special person, filled with God’s grace and love.

Ellen

My name is Ellen Brill and I have known and benefited from Ana Maria’s therapeutic massage services for 4 years now. She is wonderful! She has great knowledge about the way the body works and is so intuitive about injury and pain management. I have spinal stenosis in both my neck and lower spine and she helps me every time I have a massage. Awesome. I work in a school and spend a lot of time walking on concrete floors. She always knows which spots to work on to relieve whatever muscles are being stressed. She is that wonderful combination of kindness, affection and professionalism. I have, and will continue to recommend her to friends who are in discomfort. Her services have been a great comfort to me. She’s awesome!

Vicki

My name is Vicki Miller and Ana Maria has been my massage therapist for over four years. When I met her, I noticed her calm nature and kind spirit immediately. When I found out that she was a massage therapist, I knew that she would be perfect for me and I was right. During my massages she addresses issues that I tell her about, yet she is also able to locate and work on other areas that need attention. She is very knowledgeable about the human body and she shares that knowledge with clients. She gives tips as to how to avoid problems as well as techniques to maintain the benefits of a massage. It is obvious that she cares about clients before, during, and after a massage.

I am a kindergarten teacher in Gwinnett County, so it’s important that I am at my best, mentally and physically, each day. Seeing Ana Maria on a regular basis is one of the ways that I take care of myself. I have seen numerous massage therapists over the course of 20 years, and Ana Maria is, by far, the best of the bunch. Schedule a massage and see for yourself … you will be delighted for sure!

Fr. Carlos-Mario

Por tres años he recibido los servicios de terapeuta profesional de la Señora Ana María Vidarte, viviendo una experiencia muy satisfactoria para mi salud física. Desde el comienzo, la atención, el tratamiento y los beneficios de los precesos han sido de excelente resultados y de una calidad evidente. El conocimiento de su profesión, la amabilidad en el trato y su calidad humana son garantías para toda persona que solicite su atención profesional. Recomiendo los servicios de Ana María, seguro que van a encontrar en ella una profesional idónea de una gran calidad humana.