Today we’d like to introduce you to Rena Ambrose.
Hi Rena, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I always knew I wanted to build an ethical, evidence informed practice centered on women’s health, with the lymphatic system as its foundation, an essential but often overlooked pillar of healing and recovery.
During COVID, while home with my young son, I used the time to clarify that vision. I taught myself how to build a website, which became the blueprint for what would become MEND.
I opened the practice as a leap of faith, with no existing client base and no outside funding, and focused instead on education, relationship-building, and grassroots community outreach. The response was immediate. MEND grew organically and rapidly through word of mouth, local partnerships, and trust, confirming both the need for and impact of a women centered model of care that bridges health science and healing arts.
Alright, 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?
One of the greatest challenges has been finding clinically trained support as the practice grew beyond my individual capacity. MEND sits at a unique intersection of medical and wellness care, and my own background spans both worlds, which sets a very high clinical bar.
In an industry increasingly shaped by high volume, franchise style massage models, it has been difficult to find therapists who are both trained to work at a clinical level and interested in practicing within a rigorous, standards driven environment. As a result, I spent years turning clients away rather than compromising the quality of care.
That patience ultimately allowed the practice to grow responsibly, with the right people in place and the integrity of the work intact.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
From the beginning, I was intentional about writing MEND’s mission, ethos, and clinical philosophy before focusing on scale. Those principles became the framework for the company and now guide every decision, from how care is delivered to how the practice grows.
MEND was built to operate in the third space between medicine and spa. It is clinically rigorous, evidence informed, and accessible to people in their day to day lives without requiring a diagnosis, referral, or acute crisis. Our intention is to set the benchmark for lymphatic care within this space by offering a true clinical alternative that meets people where they are while maintaining high standards of education, ethics, and outcomes.
Those values are reflected throughout the Philosophy section of the MEND website and continue to serve as both a reference point and a north star as the practice evolves.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was happiest outside. I loved making mud pies in the yard and picking tomatoes straight off the vine in the garden out back, eating them with a sprinkle of saltwhile they were still warm from the sun. I was curious, a little scrappy, and always more interested in exploring than sitting still.
I loved animals, books, and science, and I was very much a tomboy. Looking back, that early connection to nature and hands on learning shaped how I think and work today. I am still drawn to understanding how things function and relate and to work that feels practical, grounded, and connected to real life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mendlymphaticmassage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mendlymphaticwellness?igsh=eWZrN2N5ZjU3MHd2
