March 20, 2017

Meet Katrina Cryder & Melissa Merritt of Touch of Health in Sandy Springs

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katrina Cryder & Melissa Merritt.

Katrina & Melissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was 5 my mom suffered from headaches. She was encouraged by my aunt to try chiropractic to help relieve her pain. After several visits she was no longer experiencing headaches. Our chiropractor encouraged my mom to bring my brother and myself along for adjustments. Through continued chiropractic care we saw our chronic ear infections clear up. I remember going to the chiropractor as a family. I really connected to the premise that the body was designed to function and heal itself and a clear nervous system helps you to do that. Eventually I was old enough for a part time job and my chiropractor offered me an after school position. I spent my nights after high school helping patients through the practice. I was so inspired by so many of the stories of patients recovering from illnesses and achieving better health and vitality. I really thought that if I could help people feel better, that would be a cool job to have. So at 16 the journey began. Chiropractic school was a long arduous journey. It prepares you for the technical aspect of being a chiropractor but leaves little training in the business part.

I worked at several different offices in Sandy Springs before I met Melissa. Within a couple weeks of working together it was apparent that we worked really well together. Our friendship in and out of the office grew. Melissa was in my wedding and we were enjoying helping others. I worked for several different offices but my dream was always to own my own office something like health co-op where people could come and have several different health related services to gain and maintain their health. That opportunity was presented to us in the summer of 2010 and we jumped at the chance to build an office together. It’s been a wild ride ever since but neither one of us would change a thing. In the years of working together our relationship inside the office and outside the office has grown. We have been through many life changes together: Melissa was present during the birth of my daughter and my husband, myself and my daughter were in her wedding this last year. The support we have provided each other in and out of the office is one of the things that makes us so successful. Business always comes with challenges and for us being friends has helped us to get through them together. ~Katrina

Massage found me at a young age. My dad broke his neck as a teenager, and after his business trips he would sore and in pain. Rubbing his neck was the only thing that would help, and I remember thinking how cool that something as simple as touch could be so healing. I made my first business card in middle school, and massaged my friends in high school. Massage became a big part of my life in connecting with others and helping others deal with discomforts. I moved to Atlanta after high school to attend Massage school and that was as far as I had planned. When I met Katrina it was instant friendship, but we also had the same work ethic, service and friendliness within the practice and knew we would have our own practice together. ~Melissa

We have grown a lot together in our personal and business lives. We’ve celebrated huge life milestones, shared knowledge and new ideas and having a partnership really helps us keep going forward.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always many challenges in business. But communication in general can be a challenge. As women, being able to clearly articulate exactly what we need to say without care taking other people’s feelings can be a challenge at times. Being in business as best friends has really caused us to become better communicators, having honest, clear conversations to avoid confusion and make effective business decisions. It’s a delicate balance being Best Friends and business partners.

Please tell us about Touch of Health.
Touch of Health is a wellness studio in Sandy Springs offering gentle chiropractic, therapeutic massage, nutritional counseling and health related classes and services. We provide quality holistic healthcare to families and the community through natural, non -invasive techniques for pain -relief, integrative solutions to difficult health concerns and guidance for a healthy lifestyle. We specialize in acute and chronic pain relief, prenatal/postnatal and family care for all ages.

A Touch of Health uses Innovative technology and advanced cutting edge techniques to relieve pain, increase health and provide education to support and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We believe in high-quality service and strive to create a relaxing, healing environment for our community. We are knowledgeable and experienced in a variety of medical conditions, allowing us to work with the patient to create custom health plans for optimal healing and support. We also recognize the importance of mind-body-spirit balance and have resources for all types of healing.

We are most proud of the changes that our clients have made toward better health. We love hearing their stories of improvement and even the stories of setbacks and how they overcame with our help and support. It’s satisfying knowing that the community around us is living happier and healthier lives through our involvement.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania a large portion of my childhood memories revolve around being outside. Snow days where it actually snows and sometimes several feet where my favorite as a kid. Getting the day off from school and playing outside in the cold for hours on end: sledding and building snow forts followed by hot chocolate and movies with my friends. Snow has this amazing ability to make you slow down. I remember how quiet and beautiful everything would get after a storm. The first snowfall always made everything look so magical. I miss being a kid in the snow. ~Katrina

Growing up my Grandfather did a lot of mission work in Mexico, so I went with him and a few cousins. Being from a small town it was quite the experience to explore a foreign country and experience such a vibrant culture. On the last night our hosts made a feast of tamales and invited all of the neighbors. I just remember being so grateful for their hospitality, kindness and even though they didn’t have a lot, they were willing to share. Traveling to Mexico inspired me to want to experience diverse cultures and travel. ~Melissa

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