About Adinah
About Me
In 2007, I became a Massage Therapist and helped people reconnect with their bodies and heal from injuries and chronic pain. Being in the healing field for 13 years, also helped me address many of my own wounds and get help from many of my fellow healers. I was able to train my nervous system that it was safe enough for me to be present and to feel.
In 2017 I realized that Massage Therapy wasn’t quite the right tool for what my soul was calling me to do, and that is to help end violence in our world by ending it in my relationship with myself and helping others do the same for themselves, so I decided to become a Life Coach.
I hired my own coaches and dove into courses and training on emotional healing, leadership and personal development, trauma-informed practices, healing from sexual abuse, Shame Resiliency, Nonviolent Communication, and ending oppression. I learned from people like Tony Robbins, Brene Brown, T. Harv Ekr, Shelby Leigh, and Dr. Kathryn Kloose.
In 2020 I took the leap to end my massage career and go full-time into Life Coaching. It was one of the scariest and most rewarding things I’ve done, and I feel so grateful to be doing the work I love with amazing human beings who want to heal their relationships with themselves and others and help end violence in our world.
I feel inspired by the results my clients get from finally talking to themselves the way they would their best friend, really loving their body and feeling connected to it, finding the partner that they’ve always wanted, and being the parent or friend they always knew they could be, but couldn’t quite reach. I feel excited every time a client moves from wherever they were stuck and changes their habits in a sustainable, long-lasting way.
I am honored and humbled by the trust my clients give me and by this sacred work I get to do with them.
Services by Adinah
Life Coaching
Somatic Dialogue
Massage Therapy
Trauma-informed Somatic Bodywork
“Every once in a while, you meet a person who excels in their profession, who raises the bar and becomes the one you compare everyone else to. Adinah is such a person. There are massage therapists, and there is Adinah. She is a healer.” –Miriam Phinney
“Adinah has that special sauce that helps her clients stay accountable, process emotional work, and move forward in creating a life with purpose. She thinks outside of the box when it comes to tough situations, and she is straightforward in her approach to complex topics. She has incredible wisdom, and I trust her as a coach because I know that she practices what she says. I reached a point in my own journey where I realized I was ready for change but I didn’t have a guidepost or any healthy role models in my circle of friends & family whom I could turn to for help along the way. Changing my mindset was key to moving forward and Adinah has been that encouraging voice, friendly cheerleader, and voice of accountability to provide the support I have needed as I have moved through some life transitions. Adinah Barlow is the real deal! If you’re looking for someone to light that fire inside of you to move to a healthier place in your life, Adinah is your coach!” -Charity
FAQs for Adinah
What do you enjoy doing in your down time?
I love being outside and playing with people in a way that engages my body. For this reason, hiking and Acroyoga are my greatest loves. Besides that, reading, singing, biking, dancing, travel, and anything else adventure-like. I love challenges, so you may find me on a ropes course high above ground trying to not die. 😉
What do you want to accomplish before you die?
I want to help end violence and abuse; especially among families. I believe that when we learn to pay attention to the sensations of our body, to fall in love with it, and make it our best friend, we make better choices as we treat ourselves better. When that happens, we will naturally treat others with care and kindness.
What have you found to be most healing in your life?
Besides getting massage and other therapies, singing and dancing! I grew up singing with my sisters and parents. I went to a private school in grade school and middle school where I sang in choirs and plays. Now I enjoy composing songs about whatever I am working on or healing in my life. It’s like my own medicine.
As a teenager, I found dance to be a way to break the confines of my own mental judgments and cope with my shyness. I would close my eyes and pretend no-one was watching. I’d feel my own self-judgments and try to dance them out of my system.
In 2013, I found Ecstatic Dance and fell in love with that. The improvisational and flowy style of dance creates a lot of emotional release and seems to provide mental flexibility for me as well.
Do people’s negative emotions affect you when you massage them?
It used to, because I didn’t know how to take care of myself. When I learned to eat, drink plenty of water, and rest, I could support others without negative impact on me.
Getting massages myself, doing strength training, and having a strong play practice helps immensely as well. When I neglect myself and my body, helping others is very taxing. It’s hard to help others get out of pain when I’m in it!
Now it’s only when a person is complaining about things as though they want help with it but in actuality are refusing the changes necessary. That’s exhausting!
If someone wants to be magically fixed without doing any lifestyle and mindset changes, it doesn’t work – and it frustrates both of us.
What is the story of Lifelong Wellness?
I graduated May 2007 and went to work at an injury rehabilitation clinic in Utah. I learned so much there!
In September of 2009, I moved to Portland and worked for a chiropractor for a few months. In January 2010, I started my own practice and called it Lifelong Body Therapy.
Since I went to massage school, I dreamed of creating my own wellness center. So in 2016 when I hired a few other practitioners, I changed the name to Lifelong Wellness Center.