Meet Morag

The philosophies and directives of TecNiche Therapies™ were created by Morag Currin, President. Morag has been a part of the spa and wellness industry for many years and has personally witnessed and experienced the detrimental effects of spa treatments that were ineffective, inappropriate and disregarding of special care. It has become Morag’s personal and professional goal to help educate the spa industry about techniques and products for those suffering from disability and illness.

Morag's Story

Personal
Music is one of my passions – learning, singing and playing it bring much joy into my life. You may be surprised to learn, though, that for the most part I never fully hear my passion: I am near deaf.

I have lived in a silent world since the age of three, when a virus irreparably damaged my ears. Born and raised in South Africa, educational programs for the hearing impaired were very limited through the 60s, 70s and 80s. Despite the academic and social obstacles I’d face, my parents and teachers decided on a normal (hearing) school environment for me. Growing-up isn’t easy for most normal kids, so needless to say the odds were stacked a bit higher against me. A hearing aid (which afforded me at least a small range of sound) helped some, but I still sought diversions that required less communication. I came to excel in sports and practical subjects, but I also found solace in an unexpected place: music. The culture of my growing years celebrated loud, heavy, rock-like music. I missed the high notes and words, but I could hear and feel the low, resonating force of the drum beats. Music helped connect me with the world and those around me.

Through the years music remained a source of inspiration. But its power was taken to a new level after I began working with vocal coach Anita Bakey in Fountain Hills, Arizona. She was the most extraordinary in working me and my impairment. By communicating to me my breathing, control, pronunciation and vocalization, she enabled me to “hear” myself like never before. Her methods, patience and determination were highly successful with me, and I clearly saw the value in her approach for others like me, particularly in my professional field. The care, respect and resolve she extended to me should be a core component of any spa treatment, especially when disadvantaged clientele are involved.

Professional
Most kids and adolescents have a myriad of answers to the question “what do you want to be when you grow up”. Not me, and the uncertainty continued into my thirties. The field of professions that I could readily fit into or adapt to was narrow, and I encountered a lot of rejection through my career quest. I eventually turned my focus to the field of aesthetic and massage therapy. Not only had I held an interest in skin care from my early teens, but the method of work (silent and physical) and type of customer (quiet and relaxed) seemed nearly perfect for my situation.

Well, I was mostly right – while I had genuinely found my professional passion and calling, I was never far from an old, new or surprising challenge. Over the years I have worn the shoes of student, teacher, technician and client in the spa environment. Each role afforded me unique insight into implications of disability and disease in the spa environment. I’ve witnessed and experienced first-hand the detriments of professionals failing to properly care for impaired clientele. While such negligence is rarely purposeful, the consequences of accidental oversights are significant. Communication and awareness are essential to the proper treatment of normal clientele, but are immeasurably more so when it comes to the disadvantaged.

These personal and professional experiences are what inspired TecNiche and fueled my determination to become a voice for disabled and ill clientele in the spa environment, as well as an educational guide to the spa professionals who want to contribute to change.

Odds can be overcome, especially with the encouragement and support we give ourselves and receive along the way.