Stress Reduction 101
by Moryt Milo

They number in the hundreds of thousands. They are stressed-out and anxious. They are often tempted to use drugs or alcohol. They live in a world of peer pressure, competitive academics and parental expectations, in a society that pushes them to become adults when they are barely out of their teens. They are today's high school and college students. In their world, nurturing touch is often lost and a sympathetic ear is greatly needed. It's a world Larry Warnock knows well.

Larry Warnock began volunteering as a massage therapist at his son’s high school athletic department, and there he became known “as the person who could help students recover from injuries.” Soon, Warnock, with his 21 years of counseling blended with his massage skills, evolved into the person the boys found “to confide in and listen to their worries.” In the winter of 1998, Warnock moved into the college world where a massage therapist position was established for him at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. This position came about after Warnock and several other massage therapy students volunteered for 10-minute Stress Buster event right before finals. The event was a hugh success and Michelle Bowdler, director of the university's Health Services department, approached Warnock and suggested they consider offering massage at the university health center.

Beyond the physical relief Warnock's sessions bring Tufts students, massage offers students an alternative to drugs and alcohol.

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Morty Milo is a free-lance writer living in Northern California with her husband and two children.

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