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Richard J. Ritz
Hi. Before I get into my history I would like to thank you for visiting my website, and I do hope you email or call if you
have any questions or are interested in knowing more about what I do.
When I was young I would give my mother, Barbara Ritz, shoulder massage after she would come home from a long day of work.
She would guide my hands to where the work felt best on her shoulders. After a while, I would be able to intuit where the pain
was originating from and go there without asking her to guide me. This "talent" that many have is an innate human ability.
Today we are just lost in a society deprived of knowing how to touch and not knowing how to be comfortable in touching others.
Everyone has the ability to help others with their hands; it's just a matter of developing the ability, as we have lost our innate
capacity for healing each other. Allow me to step down from this soap box.
I went to college at the University of California at Santa Cruz. There is a Chinese medicine school in Santa Cruz called
Five Branches. These schools arranged to have instructors come from Five Branches to the UC Santa Cruz campus to teach
students at the University. During my year at the school I took three massage and acupressure classes through this program.
These were a welcome introduction to massage and, after experiencing this great form of therapy, I realized this is what I wanted
to be. I was eighteen. I was also enlisted in the military and went active duty at age nineteen. This postponed my career as a
massage therapist by about 4 years.
In 2003 I started my official education in massage at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego campus. I was taught
by some of the most amazing body workers in the country including Bill Helm, Robert Nations, Brian Bender(Classical Five Element
Acupuncturist), and Ariel Talmor (Reflexologist), and Byron Barth. This was my introduction to Tuina and Reflexology, as well as
an extensive foundation of Chinese medicine theory. I learned that the body is an amazing structure with layer upon layer of
energy, function, and great potential for growth, healing and enlightenment. In my final semester at Pacific College of Oriental
Medicine I was introduced to Foot Reflexology. My instructor, Ariel Talmor, took me under his wing and I became an apprentice of
his, as he would treat me weekly so as for me to learn by experiencing. To this day I still tell my clients of my personal
experience of receiving from a Master.
I worked as a massage therapist in San Diego, California for approximately a year and a half and gained a lot of experience,
often times working on around 40 people a week. My fascination with Reflexology wasn't cultivated until I moved here to Austin,
Texas. When I moved here in July of 2004 I was searching for a reflexologist in the area, to receive treatments, and learn from.
To my surprise, I found One person and… he wasn't certified. Here in Texas we Reflexologists don't have to be licensed to
practice (http://www.foot-reflexologist.com/massagereg.html), so certification is the next best thing to prejudge a persons work.
Personally, I usually go by what others say about someone before I see them, so if no one has vouched for this person (certifiers)
then how am I supposed to know whether it will be worth my time or money. To make a long story short, it was at this time that
I decided to become a certified Reflexologist through the International Institute of Reflexology, as my research affirmed
their efficacy in instructing competent Reflexologists. After a year of attending workshops and practicing I have now officially
become certified by the International Institute of Reflexology. I am one of about 4 Reflexologists (certified) in the Austin
area.
I am always interested in learning new techniques and ideas so if you are a practicing reflexologist I would love to trade if you are
interested.
Please feel free to call or email me anytime with any questions or to schedule an appointment.
CONTACT INFORMATION
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