We had the good fortune of connecting with Arlena Crouch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arlena, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
This is such an area that hits home for me. In the past I’d go to bed and wake up at any given time depending on what work was like in different phases of my life. In some of those phases there was no balance and in others, I struggled for the balance I did have.

I’m a Mom now and my priorities have of course shifted quite a bit. My toddler is a rambunctious velcro child that demands a lot of my attention, so managing my relationship with Christ, parenting, family, work, and self-care has its challenges and rewards.

What’s worked for me in this phase of life is waking up earlier to spend time with God, getting at-home work done before my baby wakes up, spending time with him when he awakes, doing all the Mommy and baby things until his nap time–which is where I get more things done.

From there, it really depends on what’s on the agenda for that day as to how we go about navigating the rest of our day. I’ve learned to give myself grace regarding both not overloading myself with tasks for the day and to better structure the schedule so that I can (realistically) get everything within reason taken care of. Not overloading myself was a really hard lesson to grasp because I would just want to do all the things and get mad when things weren’t happening.

For me, balance is allowing and working within the proper time, space, energy, and effort towards everything needed and desired. It is a real life picture of the Shalom (peace) of God–nothing missing, nothing broken or lacking. True wholeness. This means my spiritual, professional, and personal life in every facet is being held up by God (and my obedience to His voice concerning it all).

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business, started as Arlena’s Heavenly Hands, then closed to give way to Heavenly Hands Massage And Bodywork which was founded in March 2015. The inception of my ministry-business began in the year 2000 on a church trip. My family and I all went on a family excursion to Atlanta and due to walking the very hilly streets with salt-laden soul food being taken in daily that we all enjoyed, my Mom’s best friend had swollen ankles and feet. I began to massage her out of love and the inner extinct to want to help heal that God gave me. She raved about my healing touch and the gift I had. She told me I needed to go into business for this. She was so sure of her words and I was so “out to lunch” about my gift that I humored her at first–until I realized God really did place something special in me this way.

When it comes to both holistic health overall and massage therapy, I utilize a multi-pronged, multifaceted approach. However, it’s not any specific technique that’s life-changing for my massage clients, it’s this gift that my Mom’s bestie discovered–the gift from God, the working of The Holy Spirit in and through me that comes out of me when I work with clients that gives them the results they receive. I use the tools available to me regarding a combination of modalities (e.g., deep tissue; myofascial release, etc.) and the like, but it’s what’s coming from within me from God that gives them the help they need.

Along with this, I walk alongside my clients in their healing journey with education, teaching them to build their healing team, referring them to those who can be a part of it, and what to do between sessions with me and other practitioners to be well. This isn’t a common practice amongst all therapists, though there are many who may offer their own versions of any of this.

This is how the health coaching side of my business was born. I was “armchair coaching” clients before stepping out to call myself anything in the realm of a coach, consultant, strategist, or the like. It was a growing moment for me to step out and proclaim to the world that I can help you with anything other than massage therapy even though I’d been organically doing it for eons! I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in this lane, and it’s set to grow from here through the grace of God.

Navigating life and it’s challenges made the road hard for me, initially and along the way, especially when I began to realize and confront limiting beliefs that held me back. Some limiting core beliefs showed outwardly and others were hidden until tripped over like a speed bump as I began to make bigger moves in business. I discovered where I was and what I needed to learn really quickly in the areas of leadership, fear, and management (of both me and my business), so after a hard few years from 2020-2024, I suffered some great losses, setbacks, and hard lessons. This was in pretty much every area of life and yet one of the biggest blessings came in 2023 amongst “all of the everything” that happened to and around me. I had my first child in 2023. This was motivation to get my life and business back in synch with Christ. After two years of not working my business in a major way, I ran right back to God and let Him reinvent me. Shortly after giving birth, I launched the coaching side of my business (then called Vivaciously Victorious Services). In 2024, I consolidated this business with it’s parent company, Heavenly Hands Massage And Bodywork coaching, and in early 2025, I rebranded my business as a women’s only health company.

There were major nerves going into this, because I was doing something new after already starting over again and cutting out half of my client base. But God. God is faithful.

What I want the world to know about me, my brand, my story is God is everything. He’s truly my everything. I’ve had people leave, reject, hurt, abandon, and laugh at me. This all while God quieted me, gave me strategy on how to heal and how to handle myself and everything around me. Included in this are my mind, relationship with Christ, my body, and my business. This is who and what I am, it’s how God built me. I’ve learned to get my identity from God Himself and no one else, not even those I love and respect so that I can step into everything He’s got for me that’s already written in heaven.

It’s what my business has elevated into–healing the inner and outer you. How to obtain and maintain healing and balance through inner healing and deliverance, functional fitness, biblical health nutrition, and holistic health practices with a healing team to support you in it. I always tell my massage and my coaching clients: “YOU are the CEO of your health. Not a doctor or any type of practitioner. You. You’re the boss, we’re the managers, we simply help you to manage. Hire and fire at will based upon you educating yourself, your convictions and preferences as well as the overall “right fit” for you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh my word, I love Mexican food, so in Arlington, I’d say El Ranchito; Los Jarros; or Papaya Mexican Grill depending on your preference of style. For a fun time, there’s The State Fair (when it’s in town); Six Flags Over Texas; Texas Live! for friends who want to catch a game and play a few, Sam Moon and the malls depending on what kind of shopper is visiting, First Watch and XoXo in Dallas for brunch (there’s so many brunch spots to name), Gloria’s in Arlington, and the Coyote drive-in movie theator in downtown Fort Worth just to name a few things.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh where do I start! God first because He is the author and finisher of me, my life, my everything.

Humanly speaking, as a child I always had a lot of questions in my head about everything and had a mind even then to want to know how the entire world worked. I peppered my mother with so many questions and she ALWAYS had an answer. I thought then that a mother knew everything, so I should be one of those, lol! When I’d watch The Cosby Show, the character Claire Huxtable and her brilliance, I am woman, hear me roar, etc ALWAYS struck a cord with me. I was seeing facets of my mother in her. My Mom has always supported this business from the start. She took me around looking for massage therapy schools in our area and brought me to the school I would go on to enroll in and attend, paid for it, encouraged me every step of the way. She even brought me to Austin, Texas where we used to have to travel to take the state exam, and more. It all changed my life and got the ball rolling to where we are today. I’m past grateful to say the least.

Her best friend, my bonus Mom (“MeMe”) Iris Bowie. She’s the one that suggested, encouraged, and pushed me to begin a career in massage. She knew I had a gift before I did.. and she nurtured it in her very special way until it was the full bloom of what we have today. She even bought me my first ever massage book (which I still have today), I’ll never forget it.

I’ve had mentors that changed my world in many ways and my friend Joseph Stevens, Jr. is one of them. He was my first business consultant. He was the first person to make me feel, think, and operate like a business/a business owner. He taught me a lot in a short amount of time. He pushed and stretched me to think bigger and I’ll always remember it.

My family- No matter how I’ve taken a tumble or a leap forward in progression and flourishment, they have all encouraged me and kept me grounded in Christ, in love, and encouragement (jokes too!) I love them dearly.

Candace Holyfield-Parker was the first massage/business coach I had that thought and operated on such a level that I thought was “out of the box” genius in such a way that I saw myself stretching and striving to get where she showed us we could go. This was huge for me as I’d previously lived in a “pit” of negative self-talk and more which drove my actions. As God began working me through people like her, seeing her achieve and set the bar so high made me afraid yet intrigued. Under her guidance, even with fear and limiting beliefs not yet broken, I made some of my first major moves and began to really develop in the business realm. So much of what I learned from her still sticks with me today.

Kim P- She’s a friend that’s private, so I’ll just use her last initial, but this angel from God has helped me grow, pushed me, prayed for me, and looked out and covered me in so many ways for such a long time. She’s a sister now and I’m grateful for her life, friendship, and mentoring. She’s helped me, spoken life into me in some of the darkest days and moments in my life and celebrated with me in the sunshine. She is sunshine in my life.

Dr. Vanessa Martin Williams- She has taught me so much regarding life and my walk with Christ. She’s been a beacon in my life for a long time, covering, pushing, praying for and with me, she’s a gift to know. To say that I’m grateful for her covering is an understatement.
Dana H- Another friend who’s really a sister and has been a support, builder, therapist in her own right, and more.

Dr. Betty Runkle- She introduced me to a company and an entire world that changed the game for me in life and business right along with so much more. She is an entire God send.

Georgia H. (“Dr. G”)- She has taught me a world of knowledge in a vast variety of areas such as but not limited to microcurrent therapy, iodine therapy, light therapy, and much, much more. She has been a walking encyclopedia of help to me personally and professionally. I’ll always appreciate what God’s used her to do in my life.

Porsche Perez- This friend has been there as a client, a friend, a sister, a coach, and a therapist all rolled into one. She’s seen me through some of the darkest hours of my life, encourages me to stretch myself to the next level, and is genuinely filled with joy with right alongside me when all is sunshine in my world.

–And these are just a few of them!

Website: https://linktr.ee/heavenlyhandsmassage_bodywork

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavenlyhandsmassage_bodywork2?igsh=MXloZHM5dG1lNHJv

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlena-crouch-42943514b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

Twitter: https://x.com/arlenabessard?t=Kw-OZYJR1kCWahiIm6_FwQ&s=01

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Fho8wGX5Y/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@heavenlyhandsmassageandbod5116?si=sot_QJ20VsG98p4Q

Other: This is the link for booking a call with me for coaching: https://calendly.com/purposeroomcall/push

Image Credits
Photographers: Brandi Walters of Brandi Griffin Photography and Lauren Bethany of Lauren Bethany Photography

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