communityspotlight Life Laser Therapy
for Smoking Cessation & Weight Loss by Lee Walker
I
n 2005, the future began tapping Cathy Horgan on the shoul- der and nudging her in the direction of a career change. Fortunately, the co-owner of Life Laser Therapy, in Fort Myers, didn’t have to totally reinvent herself for a new vocation.
Horgan’s previous
employment with a local ophthalmolo- gist had gifted her with the opportunity to learn about an Argon ion laser and a Nd:Yag laser, sometimes used in cataract surgery. She and her husband now had only to rise to the challenge of becoming entrepreneurial busi- ness owners after purchasing a laser therapy franchise for smoking cessa- tion, weight loss and stress manage- ment. “We purchased the franchise after I first considered elder care. I was passionate about it because I’d taken care of my mom while she had Alzheimer’s,” says the 31-year resident of Southwest Florida, who is a now certified as a laser assistant and nurs- ing assistant.
Cathy Horgan, co-owner
Helping people with their addictions came natu- rally to Horgan, who has facilitated an Overcomer’s 12-Step Recovery program at her church since 1986. “A few other things worked in our favor, such as my lifetime interest in health and wellness and my work during high school years in a medical setting helping
with physical therapy. Additionally, one of our partners is a registered nurse and currently a medical case manager for Workers Compensation, as well as a cer- tified laser therapist,” explains Horgan. Good fortune smiled on Life Laser
Therapy in 2006 when Women’s World magazine sent an editor from New York to cover their weight-loss program. “Our one-year, low-level cold laser therapy program for weight loss was a pioneer- ing modality in 2006. Now it’s fairly well known for helping with appetite control, curbing cravings and keeping cortisol levels down to reduce stress. This is a big help to people who are stress eaters,” advises Horgan, who notes that she has been able to use her background to
create an effective and comprehensive program that includes an important educational element for 18 behavior modifications, weekly weighing and measuring of body fat and journaling. The smoking cessation program
is 82 to 85 percent successful due to the fact that the laser is used on 39 to 49 meridian points on the body, particularly all of those in the ear. “The laser beam goes to a cellular level and causes the body to produce endor- phins, serotonin and dopamine. These are produced when someone smokes a cigarette, but the levels drop quickly. The laser keeps them elevated,” notes Horgan, who advises that she also uses aromatherapy to enhance the experi- ence of calm that the laser treatment affords. “Stress is the number one reason that people relapse, and the complementary laser session that we offer is helpful, although it’s rarely been used. Our infrared sauna and foot detox can also enhance the treat- ments,” explains Horgan. Horgan notes that her career
change has truly been a blessing. “I love releasing people from the bondage to their addictions. As a result of spend- ing so much time with them, we get to build a relationship, and many have become my friends,” she says.
Life Laser Therapy is located at 1871 Co- lonial Blvd., Ste. 104, in Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-433-2897 or visit
LifeLaser.org. See ad, page 25.
28 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72