Menu Close

Shelly Acker
Owner, Imagine Living Well, LLC

Michele “Shelly” Acker is a licensed massaged therapist, certified Bodymind & Cope Health Coach, 3rd degree Reiki practitioner, and the owner and founder of Imagine Living Well, LLC. 

Shelly spent more than 40 years in modern medicine – including as a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) and serving as Director of the Cardio-Pulmonary Department for one of America’s mid-sized hospitals. As she continued to see the medical model focusing more on medications and insurance eligibility, she often explored new ways to serve her clients and patients. She saw the system working to put a Band-Aid on the problems instead of finding solutions, often to the detriment of patients and staff. Throughout her career Shelly explored other wellness oriented and healing modalities both for herself and to help others in live their best, healthiest, authentic life –  physically, mindfully, emotionally, and spiritually. Her studies included coaching, counseling, massage, myofascial release, Reiki, energy work, transitional care, patient navigation, the mindbody connection, consciousness, dream work, and shamanism, among many others. 

In 2020, Shelly came to the conclusion that it is time for all of the healing modalities to come together in collaboration in order change the focus from fixing disease to wholly being well. Through Imagine Living Well, LLC, Shelly pulled together a task force to create the Whole Person Centered Optimal Health and Wellness Model and build the Healthy You Dashboard, which later became the staple programs of I Am Well Foundation, a national nonprofit organization working to empower all people to reach their own unique highest and fullest health and wellness potential. 

Today, Shelly continues to provide coaching, massage, and energy work to clients, while serving as President and founder of I Am Well Foundation. She invites others to join her on the journey and to “Imagine Living Well!”. 

“For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to help people feel better and be well. I used to carry a first aid kit in my purse on the playground when I was in 5th grade. Both of grandmothers were healers, and by desire to help people combined with the knowledge and experiences that I shared with my grandmothers has taken me on an eclectic path of modern, traditional and not-so-traditional explorations of healing pathways.”

Mission & Vision

Our mission is to empower people to reimagine and design their own unique best life through: 

  • BodyMind Coaching Pathways;
  • Retreats;
  • Massage and Energy Work; and
  • Promoting Wellness and Best Life Discovery Strategies to the residents of Darke County, OH and surrounding areas in collaboration with strategic partners locally and across the United States. 

We envision a future where all people feel empowered to live their best life. 

Core Beliefs

  • ​Every person has within them the ability to discover his or her best self.
  • Personalized presence and attention is critical to the discovery process.  
  • BodyMind  and Health Coaching holds the container for personal empowerment and transformation through focused conversations, bodymind connection and personalized action plans..
  • Establishing a wellness routine incorporating massage and energy work can be both preventative and therapeutic.
  • Massage and energy work can reduce the need for or increase the impact of surgery and medications. 
  • Community partnerships are essential in providing comprehensive resources to wellness and access to care.

Guiding Principles

  • One role of the bodymind coach and massage therapist is to facilitate and create a safe space for the client.
  • Massage and bodywork therapies should be considered as part of the “First Resort”, and work alongside the medical community to minimize the need for surgery or pharmacological intervention.
  • Customers and clients, particularly those who are most vulnerable, should be able to experience personalized, one-on-one relationships, guided by safe, caring, compassionate, non-sexual touch. 
  • Equitable payment for goods and services is important to receiving and providing the highest quality care.

Values

Integrity & Professionalism – Clients and partners should be able to expect practitioners to operate with honor and integrity at all times. Trust and honesty are important to creating a safe healing environment among practitioners and clients. 
Maintaining & Honoring Personal Privacy – Each client’s mental, emotional and physical health needs are unique to themselves, and should be maintained in confidence. 
Accountability – Authentic communication and feedback helps practitioners and clients stay on
course towards achieving their goals. 
Genuine Partnerships – Collaboration, mutual support, and empowerment, are necessary to  healing our communities. 
Involvement in the Community – Be an active member of the community to find solutions and innovative means to provide an atmosphere of wellness and thriving.
Nonstop Learning – Lifetime learning allows us to provide the most up to date and effective modalities.
Excellent Customer Service – Friendliness, openness, mutual dignity and respect, honest communication and transparency are essential to the healing environment.