Manchester Native Lisa Marcrom’s fingers glided across her client’s tense muscles, a particular relaxation method that seemed to soothe the body and mind. The client’s crumpled brow started to soften as her hands moved with practiced precision. Deep breaths escaped their lips; every exhale was a sigh of surrender to the gentle pressure. The tension in their shoulders melted away, and a sense of serenity spread through their body. With each technique, a layer of tension peeled away, revealing a deeper sense of calm.
Marcrom’s interest in health care was profoundly inspiring. It started when her mother received a life-saving liver transplant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, a moment that forever altered Marcrom’s perspective on health care.
“She would have died,” Marcrom recalled. “The care she received, especially from a small town without much health care access, was phenomenal.”
Witnessing firsthand the magnitude of the medical care her mother received, Marcrom knew she wanted to be a part of that world.
Five years later, her brother donated a kidney to their mother, which made Marcrom want to pursue the medical field even more. So, she set out on a path to nursing, specializing in surgery. She eventually earned an internship at Vanderbilt. The moment she walked through the doors, she felt it — a full-circle moment when she realized she was working alongside the very surgeon who had performed her mother’s transplant years earlier.
“I was tripping out every day,” she said. “It was surreal.”
Marcrom’s career flourished, but as she moved from surgery to emergency rooms and trauma centers, the high-stress environment began to take its toll.
“Nursing is such a selfless job,” she reflected, “but my mental and physical health was deteriorating.”
The constant pressure from her work and the demands of being a mother to two young children made her reevaluate her future. That’s when the idea of massage therapy entered her life.
“Massage therapy felt like a way I could still work with the human body, still provide care, but also take care of myself,” she explained.
Initially unsure about leaving the world of nursing, Marcrom gave massage therapy a shot, and it paid off.
“It’s been amazing,” she said. “Honestly, I wish I had done it sooner.”
Now that she’s running her own practice, The Vibe Room, in Tullahoma, Marcrom has finally found her home in massage therapy. While her nursing career will always be a part of her, she has embraced this new chapter, where she can provide physical and emotional healing to her clients.
Marcrom is motivated to grow her practice and plans to incorporate more modalities over time. For now, she’s focused on providing exceptional Swedish and deep tissue massages in time frames ranging from 30 minutes to two hours.
As a licensed massage therapist, she tailors her techniques to her clients’ needs. She enjoys the one-on-one connections and the ability to offer healing in a different yet equally profound way.
Marcrom shared a particularly moving story from early in her massage career when working at a fast-paced spa in Franklin.
“A woman came in, and from the moment I met her, I could tell something was off,” she recalled.
The energy between them was undeniable, and during the massage, Marcrom felt as if her hands were guided by something beyond herself.
“I’m very methodical in my approach because of my surgical background, but this time, it was different. It was like I was being pulled to different areas where she needed healing.”
By the end of the session, the woman was in tears and revealed that she had just found out her husband had been diagnosed with cancer. She felt overwhelmed and unable to cope, but the massage brought her clarity and relief.
“Lisa, you’re doing God’s work,” the woman told her, adding that Marcrom’s hands had massaged her soul and given her the clarity and strength to keep moving forward.
Marcrom remembered, still moved by the encounter, “It was divine intervention. She felt like she could breathe again.”
Marcrom takes the time to understand each client’s unique needs. Before every session, she consults with her clients to tailor her techniques to make their experience effective and deeply personalized.
“I focus on what the client needs at the moment,” she said, “whether it’s a lighter touch for relaxation or a more targeted deep tissue massage to alleviate specific pain.”
Marcrom believes in the therapeutic power of touch and strives to create a peaceful, healing space for her clients.
“I may not always know what someone is going through, but I do my best to help them feel cared for,” she said.
Her caring hands, led by medical expertise and intuitive understanding, have enhanced people’s quality of life. In the Vibe Room, she provides a safe space for bodies to find relief and souls to find peace. Even the simplest gestures bring profound healing.
