Meet Ruth Mitchell-Golladay

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruth Mitchell-Golladay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruth, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I love, love, love animals. As a young child I thought I wanted to be a vet. However, when I was about 7 years old, my pet cat had to be euthanized. That event was the first turning point for me in what was to become my professional life as I recognized I could never be the one to do the euthanizing. I have always been a cat owner. I was bitten by a big black dog at age 5 and held onto that fear of dogs for many, many years.

At age 14 I suffered a serious back injury as the result of a diving accident. I was in a back brace for 3 years and underwent physical therapy for over a year. That represented the second turning point for me, as I realized I wanted to pursue physical therapy as a career.

After an undergraduate degree from Wartburg College and a graduate degree in Physical Therapy from The University of Iowa, I returned to Dallas, initially working at Parkland Hospital where 65% of the physical therapy patients were burn victims. I then became Chief Physical Therapist on the Cancer Rehabilitation Program at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (associated with Parkland). When the grant with the National Institute of Health expired after 3 years. I opened a private practice in Dallas in 1978.

After 16 years of practicing physical therapy, I was frustrated by seeing the same pattern of clients improving during sessions only to return weeks later with identical issues. I recognized we were managing symptoms brilliantly but clearly not addressing the root cause of their challenges. With traditional medicine and therapy, we were treating isolated problems rather than dealing with the interconnected family systems where stress, environment, and wellness patterns affect everyone, including the animals. Traditional medicine and therapy excel at crisis intervention (using targeted solutions), but I wanted to provide something that would address root causes and prevent problems before they became crises.

My vision was to bridge the two worlds. I wanted to maintain the precision and safety of conventional healthcare while using the holistic wisdom of natural approaches. I had seen families spending thousands of dollars on separate treatments for humans and animals with no coordination between providers. I was convinced there had to be a better way.

Shortly after I began to feel this frustration, I attended my first Myofascial Release (MFR) course. This was another turning point for me. I had become frustrated with the standard physical therapy modalities producing only temporary results for patients. The MFR opened my eyes to new possibilities for patients. I quickly attended all MFR courses offered and then became an instructor for the man who created the techniques. I eventually taught over 130 courses for him and personally treated him 5 times. On one of our teaching trips, I was able to treat horses with him. This was still another turning point for me. I recognized that I now had the knowledge of physical therapy, and MFR, which I could apply to animals. That was huge, as it took me back to my childhood dream of working with animals. And it was a perfect “fit” for my desire to bring together the traditional with the holistic approaches.

Another turning point came when I was introduced to safe, effective use of essential oils with humans and animals. On a very personal note, as my husband lay dying in the hospital, he complained of difficulty breathing and asked if I had anything to help him. I was able to use oils to give him great relief after which he said: “Don’t ever quit using these oils because they work.” Following that, I spent two years studying to become a Certified Animal Aromatherapy Specialist and have increased my use of oils in my practice for humans and animals with outstanding results.

As a result of these experiences, converting my business into an integrated practice wasn’t about abandoning traditional healthcare but expanding it. I decided to offer families professional-grade natural wellness guidance that complemented their existing medial care in combination with a sustainable home program of self-care that would expand to the entire household including their beloved animals.

The business grew from a deep conviction that families are seeking, and deserve, better than fragmented care.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets you apart from others?
I recognize that a cookie cutter approach to caring for others is not true caring. Each being (human or animal) has an innate ability to heal itself. Unfortunately, it often doesn’t know how to do that. In my early career, practicing conventional physical therapy, I gradually began to recognize that true healing requires tremendous creativity. The therapist must work with the patient/client to find patterns that others have missed, to adapt techniques to the individual’s needs and to integrate traditional with holistic approaches. Because no two people or animals respond the same to either Myofascial Release or Essential Oils, success requires constant adaptation based on immediate feedback (the same as the artist who adjusts their work based on emerging visions). It is critical to use creative problem solving. And, when I teach, each class is unique. Each has its own personality, and it is essential to adapt to these nuances. Creating protocols for each individual isn’t just science. It involves a great deal of creative synthesis. The most effective practitioner is the one who can combine scientific knowledge with artistic intuition, adapting evidence-based approaches through creative application.

What are you most proud of or excited about?
It is a blessing and very exciting to be able to create ripple effects that extend far beyond individual clients in two ways. First, when I help one healthcare professional integrate natural wellness approaches safely, they influence hundreds of patients. The 2400 healthcare professionals who have trained with me in 8 countries go on to help their own communities which multiplies the impact exponentially. Rather than just individual healing, there is a transforming of how we can approach family wellness at a systemic level. Additionally, by maintaining strict professional standards and safety protocols, we legitimize natural wellness within mainstream healthcare. This protects consumers from dangerous practices while ensuring they have access to effective natural options. We are truly bridging the gap between conventional and natural healthcare and demonstrating how integration of the two serves families by providing optimal outcomes. Also, through my books, seminars and training programs, I am advancing the field of animal myofascial release and aromatherapy, giving animals access to this integration as well, which improves their quality of life.

The second ripple effect occurs within the community of patients/clients. They become advocates for household wellness by sharing with their neighbors, friends and colleagues what they have learned and experienced. This then expands the circles of healthier families and animals.

While I haven’t been a biological parent, I have had the profound privilege of mentoring dozens of healthcare professionals as they have built their own myofascial release and natural wellness practices. They were trained to prioritize service over sales, safety over shortcuts and education over ego. The ones who have succeeded understand that sustainable businesses are built on genuine value and professional integrity. These professional “offspring” are making an impact on thousands of families and animals worldwide and are an important part of my legacy. Through these professional relationships I have been able to influence not only individual practitioners but entire communities of families and animals who now have access to safe, effective natural wellness approaches.

How did you get to where you are today business-wise?
My business has flourished for two key reasons. First, I feel a deep sense of purpose in serving and uplifting others. Second—and equally powerful—I feel we’re witnessing a shift: more people are craving natural, holistic ways to detoxify their surroundings and to take charge of their own (and their animals’) health. I believe that caring for people and animals goes hand in hand. When we reduce environmental toxins, support innate healing systems, and nurture all aspects of wellness—physical, emotional, spiritual, and beyond—we begin to restore balance in our lives and in the lives of the creatures we love.

Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?
Building a business is never easy. Too many people think it is, which, in my opinion, is why so many businesses, sadly, fail quickly. There are risks with starting a business. For me, the biggest risk I ever took was leaving the security of traditional physical therapy to integrate natural wellness approaches. Initially that prompted harsh criticism from colleagues who accused me of “throwing away my career for snake oil.” But my experiences have taught me that the greatest risk isn’t taking chances but playing it safe when you know you can serve people and animals better. Every family I helped to achieve wellness breakthroughs when conventional approaches alone hadn’t done so provided reinforcement to me that this integrated work really mattered. I am willing to take calculated risks based on evidence and values, not emotions or external pressure. In the beginning, I, too, was skeptical. I didn’t just blindly jump into natural wellness. I did my homework by investing heavily in background investigation, proper education and development of safety protocols that exceeded industry standards. While others thought I was reckless, I was just courageously pursuing what I knew was right, even when others didn’t understand my “why.” The families and animals whose lives have been transformed have made every “risk” worthwhile.

Giving up has never entered my mind. It’s just not in my nature. There are certainly days when I feel like I am spinning my wheels or even slipping backward. But I continue to take one step forward at a time because I keep my focus on others. If I were to give up, what would happen to them?

What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way?
Lesson 1: Measuring success by client outcomes, not revenue, is key. Trust must be earned through competence, not marketing. When families trust me with their most precious relationships (their health, the children’s health and their animals’ health), I have earned it through competence and true caring. They appreciate the transformation to lasting wellness resulting from the integrative approach which they, themselves, can use to benefit future generations.

Lesson 2: Early in my PT career I believed work-life balance demanded a rigid separation. Unfortunately, that created constant stress as I tried to compartmentalize different aspects of myself. I finally recognized that working with people and animals is not just what I do. It’s who I am. That lifted a huge burden from me, and I realized that my personal wellness directly improved my professional effectiveness. And, as my practice with animals grew, I learned from them that integration, not compartmentalization, creates harmony. Once balance became integration rather than separation my work began to serve my personal mission.

Lesson 3: Both humans and animals teach me things textbooks never could. When I see families implementing household wellness approaches that benefit humans and animals simultaneously, it validates my belief that integration serves better than separation. Being able to contribute is what makes me happiest. I won’t be around forever so knowing that my work will continue long after I am gone is heartwarming.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
“First do no harm” isn’t just medical ethics. It is the very foundation of sustainable success. Changing minds through positive outcomes rather than arguments will result in success. It is an honor and privilege to watch families achieve wellness breakthroughs they couldn’t find in the compartmentalized environment and then maintain those improvements years later. To me, true success is creating work that will continue benefiting families and animals long after I am gone – through professionals I have trained, the patients/clients who have shared their successes with others and helped them to succeed, and the families who will pass down integrated wellness approaches to future generations.

Those seeking professional-grade wellness guidance for the entire family (including the beloved animal family members) can begin with a complimentary consultation with me to discuss specific needs and discover how integrated wellness can serve your household. With over 50 years of healthcare experience, I help families achieve the wellness breakthroughs that conventional approaches alone often can’t provide. My integrated practice combines the precision and safety of conventional healthcare with the holistic wisdom of natural approaches, serving the whole household as the interconnected system it is with coordinated care that addresses everyone’s needs safely and effectively.

Healthcare professionals looking to expand their practices with proven natural wellness methods are invited to explore how this integration could transform your business with the approach to wellness.

I am passionate about supporting people and animals to live in a toxin-free environment and invite you to book a free consultation with me to discuss your specific needs and discover how integrated wellness could serve your household.

Book today at: https://essentialhealthforall.com/contact-ruth-4519-5016

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Texas food is a highlight for many. We would definitely eat at Hutchins Barbeque where the Texas Twinkie is outstanding and Anamia’s Mexican food where we would enjoy the table side guacamole. For people of a certain age, I would take them to the Sixth Floor Museum which documents the history of the tragic shooting of President John F. Kennedy. North Park Mall is a favorite for shoppers. For the cat lovers, we could visit Whiskers and Soda (a cat cafe). And, nearby is a In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center (a big cat sanctuary). The Dallas Zoo is also fantastic Or, if they would like to go horseback riding, there are many opportunities for that as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My amazing husband, Gary. He was incredibly supportive to me throughout the 24 years we had together. Without his encouragement there are times I might have given up. Our standing joke was that he said he was sent to me to teach me patience but he felt like he was failing miserably as I was always pushing myself to do more for others. A dear friend told him that “this isn’t what Ruth does,; it’s who she is.” So, when I was down, he would always bring me back to center and help to head me back in the right direction.

Website: https://essentialhealthforall.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/essentialhealthforall/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthmitchellgolladay/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruth.mitchellgolladay

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EssentialOilsAnimalsandHumans