The story of Hannah's Healing Wellness Studio

When I was a little girl, anytime an adult asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had a list: a teacher, a choreographer for the LA Lakers because I loved Paula Abdul and an interior designer. Looking back, one of those dreams came true. But funny enough, people always comment on how beautiful my studio is, so maybe I do have a hidden talent for interior design after all.

The real journey to my calling began in 11th grade, when my Spanish teacher, Mrs. Burns, asked me to be a mentor for the Banana Splits program, a support group for middle schoolers struggling with their parents’ divorce. That’s when I met Alyshia, a shy, curly-haired sixth grader with thick glasses and the sweetest spirit. Every week, we’d meet during lunch, coloring together and talking about her day. After that very first meeting, I knew—I wanted to be a therapist.

Of course, the signs had been there all along. In sixth grade, I was interviewed by a local newspaper as a Daffodil Princess nominee, and I confidently told them I wanted to earn my master’s degree in counseling. That dream became a reality in 2004 when I graduated from The College of Saint Rose. During grad school, I chose my internship placement at Four Winds Hospital in Saratoga, NY. That experience was an intense crash course in acute mental health, and by the time my internship ended, I was hired as a full-time therapist. I spent five incredible years there, learning, growing, and serving in one of the best working environments I’ve ever known.

Then, in 2005, something unexpected happened—something that would change my life forever.

That was the year I discovered Reiki. I still remember the exact moment I walked into my Reiki Master’s home for my Level 1 Usui Reiki training. The sight of ten massage tables set up in the room gave me an unshakable feeling, like I had come home to something I didn’t even know I had lost. It just felt right. I took my time with my training, dedicating two years to practicing each level before moving on. In 2008, I became a Reiki Master Teacher, and from that moment on, Reiki became an integral part of my daily life. Since then, I have taught over 200 students and conducted more than 13,000 Reiki sessions—though, truthfully, I lost count a long time ago.

After leaving Four Winds, I returned to Greene County, where I grew up, and did whatever it took to build my private practice. By day, I worked as a play therapist. By night, I worked for a health insurance company. During the holiday season, I even picked up shifts at Bath & Body Works just to make ends meet. It wasn’t easy, but I was determined.

2008 was a pivotal year. I co-founded a production company and started making documentaries about life after death. I also partnered with an acupuncturist to create a nonprofit wellness center serving combat veterans. That work led me to become the Psychological Health Director at Stewart Air Force Base. But after three years of a grueling two-hour commute, I knew it was time to go all in on my private practice.

For years, I taught non-credit wellness courses at Columbia-Greene Community College and a local yoga studio, which gave me the bug to open my own studio someday. Then, after my seven-year marriage to my high school best friend ended, I found myself drawn back to the magical town of Saratoga. I rented my first office on Van Dam Street, and soon after, an empty Pilates studio down the hall caught my eye. It was bigger than my office. I could teach Reiki there. And just like that, Hannah’s Healing became Hannah’s Healing Wellness Studio. From that first set of keys, the journey took off—Reiki trainings, Zumba classes, Reiki Mediation Music, book clubs. I later expanded to a beautiful three-room space in the historic, haunted white arcade building on Broadway in Saratoga, where I could offer Reiki, therapy, and classes all under one roof. It felt like everything was aligning.

And then, one day, almost 3 years after I moved in, I walked into my studio and felt something shift. 

A pit formed in my stomach. A voice whispered, You need to downsize. Ask to get out of your lease. It’s time to move. At first, I ignored the demanding voice. I LOVED that studio—it was warm, cozy, full of healing energy. But the voice persisted, every day for a week. Every time I stepped inside my studio that week, the feeling grew stronger. Finally, I surrendered. I found a smaller office and moved the studio to Ballston Spa.

Six months later, my mother was killed while crossing the street at night.

Five months after that, the world shut down due to the pandemic.

Had I not listened to that whisper, I would have been drowning in financial obligations, unable to take time off to grieve. But Spirit had guided me, and my business was saved. In the wake of my mother’s passing, with my caseload overwhelmed by a world suddenly in crisis, I realized I needed a break from therapy. I craved something lighter, something joyful. That’s when I discovered sound healing.

During the pandemic, with so much uncertainty in the world, I found myself craving something new. I was bored and looking for inspiration, so I bought my first set of crystal singing bowls, not realizing they would change everything. As I began incorporating sound healing into my sessions, I was amazed at how quickly my clients were shifting their energy. It felt like I had unlocked a whole new level of healing, and I was completely in love with this new modality. But sound healing wasn’t the only thing I was ready to welcome into my life. After a seven-year stretch of being single, I decided it was time to put myself back out there. Just as I was discovering the incredible power of sound, I also found myself drawn to a different kind of frequency—the energy of love. I hopped onto a dating site, and amidst the chaos of the world shutting down, I met the man who would become my husband. Falling in love with sound healing and falling in love with him happened simultaneously, both bringing me a sense of joy and expansion I hadn’t felt in a long time. But grief doesn’t disappear just because you ignore it. Almost 2 years after my mother’s death, my body began screaming at me. Severe pain, endless doctor visits, inflammation through the roof—yet every test came back normal. I had stored my grief in my body, and it was time to let it out. That’s when I turned to painting. I took a 24-week course, where I learned to use abstract art to express my emotions.

 My first painting? A set of crying lungs. Within 48 hours, my physical symptoms eased. So I painted again. And again. And again. This healing process led me to develop the technique I now teach in my Paint & Meditate classes, helping others release heavy emotions through art and meditation.

When the world reopened, I was invited to rent space at Suite 21 in the Malta Commons. It was perfect—until my collection of sound healing instruments outgrew the space. I needed a studio again. In August 2023, I moved into Suite 50, keeping Hannah’s Healing Wellness Studio alive in Saratoga County. I'm proud to say my studio survived through it all and has been in business for twenty years. So many twists and turns. But every shift, every challenge, every nudge from Spirit has shaped me into the healer, teacher, businesswoman and human I am today. And through it all, one truth remains—when you listen to the whispers of your soul, they will never lead you astray.