On a flight to Ireland in October 2006, Mary Shackelford suddenly experienced chest pain, sweating and nausea. “I thought I was having a heart attack,” says Shackelford, a registered nurse. Although the incident passed, additional episodes during her trip and after returning home sent her to the emergency room. Diagnosed as having a panic attack, she was relieved, but the prescribed drug and therapy treatment didn’t sit well. Determined to learn more, Shackelford began a life-changing journey that not only opened her eyes to holistic health care but also gave her the tools to help herself and others lead happier more positive lives.
Born in St James, Mo., Shackelford married at 18 and moved to Columbia. As the seventh of eight children with a strong work ethic, she attended Lincoln University and became an R.N. before returning to receive her bachelor’s in nursing. She worked as a medical floor nurse at Memorial Hospital (Capital Region), but after the birth of her two children, she switched to patient Medicare pre-certification and eventually joined MO-PRO (Primaris), where she oversaw quality care issues and performance improvement processes for hospitals and managed more than a dozen people.
As Shackelford climbed her career ladder, she started experiencing bouts of anxiousness. “I was doing all the things I was supposed to: going to college, taking promotions, etc.,” she says, so she couldn’t understand why she was at odds with herself. Her anxiety escalated after her panic attack on the plane, and the attacks became more frequent. “I could have 10 to 12 major anxiety attacks a day.”
Searching the Internet for answers, she stumbled upon the American Holistic Nursing Association, whose philosophy of treating the whole person, mind, body and spirit touched a chord with her. Additionally though, the organization stressed self-care for nurses, something Shackelford felt was missing from her life. About this same time, Shackelford also took “The Passion Test,” by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood, to help prioritize her life and uncover her true passions. With the AHNS approach to holistic medicine on her mind and the results of her Passion Test in hand, she began envisioning a different direction for her life.
“I wanted to cultivate and facilitate health, well-being and passion in others,” she says. “I didn’t know then what that meant, but I wanted to help others have what I was beginning to find in my own life.”
In June 2010, while still working full time, Shackelford attended Attwood’s certification program, and by July she was administering The Passion Test to others. In her heart she knew this was just the beginning. During the next several months, she attended retreats and seminars on alternative medicine, stress management, nutrition and mind-body healing while personally choosing a healthier diet, practicing meditation, yoga and exercise. Over time, she began to have fewer panic attacks and a more positive outlook on life.
In November 2010, Shackelford gave notice at her job. “Part of me was scared to death,” she says. “I gave up a good job with benefits and a nice salary,” but she was also formulating a new game plan. In the spring of 2011, Shackelford opened the Mary Shackelford Wellness Solutions office on High Street where today she facilitates The Passion Test, offers nutrition counseling and provides building blocks so others can create more positive, healthy and fulfilling lives.
According to Dr. Colin Duggan, licensed clinical psychologist at Capital Region Center for Mental Health and clinical supervisor, there’s a lot to be said for the mind-body connection. “The focus is your fortune,” he says. “What you’re going to focus on, what you’re going to think about, that’s how you’re going to feel and think.”
Today Shackelford acknowledges not everyone can make such a radical change. She was fortunate to have the financial and emotional support from her husband, Lewis, daughter, Megan (23), and son, Brandon (21). “I don’t know where my business will go,” she says. “But I know I’m doing the right things. I am the happiest that I’ve ever been.”n
Hello — I was reading about your Wellness Center in the Jefferson City Lifestyle Magazine.
In the early 1980′s I was working as an administrative secretary for a state office. I started wheezing from 2-5 a.m. and after two whiplash car accidents (I was sitting still both times) I wheezed night and day – and quit my job – finished Lincoln University (I had 1/2 of the R.N.training) and obtained a business degree – and attempted to take time to get well with food rotation, elimination diets, etc. — I was then led to the health food store and Carolyn Borst pulled a book out from under the counter – Touch for Health and suggested I take some training – Ben Rogers, D.C. was teaching the first class in Columbia, Missouri and I went. From there I went on to complete the instructor training, the educational kinesiology instructor training and the professional kinesiology provider training by Bruce Dewe, M.D. — and at the end of that training – he suggested we get involved with the GNLD nutrition as he used to do open heart surgery and had health problems as well — the GNLD whole food nutrition is based on medical studies done in the 1950′s to find out about chronic fatigue and they discoverd the “missing link” to be the lipids and sterols removed in food processing known as “Tre-en-en” — after graduating from Lincoln University I then took temporary jobs until I worked at J. C. Health Foods and obtained massage therapy training as well – traveling to many workshops during that time. After my father passed away I worked at the Holiday Inn on my own doing massage therapy until mother moved to town and I worked just down the street from J. c. Health Foods out of her home until she passed away — I am now located at Cut Loose Haircare, 2705 D Industrial Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109 where I combine the kineisology and GNLD whole foods nutrition. I also grind grains and offer breads, etc. at the farmer’s market – 2 years at Russellville and this past fall at Lincoln University and will do the market at Lincoln all summer this year – I am also hoping to offer gluten-free baked goods which are freshly milled. In milling once the wheat berry is cracked 90% of the nutrients are gone in 72 hours – baking stabilizes the nutrition.
I never intended to get into the work I do now; however I have no more asthma or wheezing or health issues — it is so good to be well.
Best wishes for you in your business.
Mae Benson