Meet Emilee Trudo, She/Her

Owner/Founder of TruConnection LLC

President/Founder of The Healing Cave Inc.

Certified Indiana Massage Therapist

(Usui) Reiki Master/Teacher/Practitioner

(Sekhem-Seichim L1) Reiki Practitioner

Myofascial Release Practitioner

Artist, Friend, Nature Lover

I grew up in two small towns of the small state of Vermont, blessed with close views of mountains, lakes, big open skies, little light pollution, and billboardless roads. My first years in Vermont, after leaving my birth state of Texas at 5 years old with my single mother, were spent in Bridport.  Did you know that there is only one ‘Bridport’ in the U.S.A.? Also, to this day, there are still more cows than humans in Bridport. It’s not uncommon to be driving down the road and be stopped by crossing cows…or alpacas.

My 7th-12th grade years were spent in Vergennes, Vermont, the smallest populated city, and the first city, of the state.  Each town provided me a close community that uplifted togetherness and kindness, and instilled a yearning for knowledge and new experiences. I was actively involved in all the school musicals, chorus and softball….funny, I was giving my teammates massages back when I didn’t even know that’s what I wanted to do! During my Junior year of high school I became the Vermont State Oratorical Champion (an accomplishment sponsored by the American Legion.) My winning speech, that I brought to the National Championships (that was held in Indianapolis!), was about the very first amendment, Freedom of Speech. I carried this passion for the first amendment into school board/community meetings with some peers, as we voiced our opposition to funds for the arts getting cut. As my senior year of high school approached, I was convinced I wanted to be an Occupational Therapist who worked with children on the spectrum, with psychology as my undergraduate degree, in large part because I knew I wanted to help people and I had just spent time shadowing  an occupational therapist.

In 2014, I moved to the south side of Indianapolis to start my freshman year at the University of Indianapolis. Soon into my courses I learned that the science courses I would need to take for eventual OT school were not a fit for how my brain works, and what I actually enjoyed learning. So I contentedly decided to finish out my Bachelors in psychology at the University of Indianapolis, and not do grad school. (I contemplated social work for grad school, until I realized I was burnt out on formal traditional education, and that burnout for social workers can be quite high.)
Although I do not have a job or career that requires a bachelors degree/psychology background, I feel that every single day of my personal, professional, and social life I am using, even if subconsciously, the information I learned. This especially is helpful in a business where I work so personally with clients who are being vulnerable. I am NOT a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Counselor, or Mental Health/Psych Therapist. However, I have a greater understanding and empathy for those experiencing any sort of mental illness/condition/diagnosis than if I did not have this degree.

I also am grateful for the lessons of inner growth I made during my four collegiate years, and for the best friend, friends, and memories I gained. I even tried out water polo for a few semesters!

During my sophomore and junior years of college, I was involved with community organizations such as the Burmese American Community Institute (BACI) through the University, and the John H Boner Community Center (JHBCC) through Near Eastside Education (NEE) AmeriCorps.

At BACI, I had the honor and opportunity to assist Burmese-American high schoolers from Southport and Perry-Meridian High Schools in their college preparatory work, and in turn I learned a little about their culture and what it’s like to be a child of an immigrant from a country with an entirely different culture.  At BACI, I also had the honor and opportunity to assist (generously using that word) a few of the ESL classes for adult immigrants, and to sit in on a citizenship prep class. I am forever grateful for my time at BACI and all it opened me up to. Sometimes the experience is the lesson. This beautiful organization still exists and any support is always appreciated.

With my NEE AmeriCorps team, I had the honor and opportunity to fill a position of Socio-Emotional Learning Fellow, in which I was assigned a handful of students from a few grade-school classes at the Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School. With these students, I learned what socio-emotional learning barriers they were experiencing in school, and then created lesson plans for our short periods of time together each day. These lessons would be a mixture of various sensory-driven interactive projects, conversations, and games.  I also was there to hold space for them if they were having an emotionally intense moment in the classroom and needed some space outside to ground and center and feel safe.  The lessons I learned with these precious souls–their gifts and barriers, their joy and sorrow, their rage and their sweetness– are forever invaluable to me.

Also during my sophomore and junior years at UIndy, I decided to enroll at the Indiana Therapeutic Massage School (ITMS). Somewhat on a whim, I thought, “what is a better part-time job for me in college than restaurant work?” I heard that little voice called intuition say “Massage Therapy!” and away with my internet searches I went. The first school I toured was the one I chose, it felt right even before the tour began. What was intended to be a part-time job while in college, turned into the avenue that led me to one of my soul’s passions– to help people heal their mind, body, and spirit by helping them tap into their own self-healing mechanisms.

In the spring of 2017 I graduated from ITMS and passed my licensing exam shortly after, and became a legally certified massage therapist of Indiana (please don’t call me a masseuse!) Wanna know something sweet? My mom, who lives in Vermont, attended my graduation, and was overtaken by how resonant this type of work is….a short while later, she became a certified massage therapist of Vermont!

Soon after certification, I received my certificate in Cupping Therapy from CMT Angel Knoll at ITMS.

Since 2017, I’ve held a solo traveling massage therapy practice, and worked for various larger-scale massage businesses (Elements, Soothe, JoyLife).

In 2018, I received my certificate as an (Usui) Reiki Master/Teacher/Practitioner through Christine Eartheart at HeartSpirals, after completing Levels 1-3, assisting in trainings for others, and a one-on-one program. Amidst all these workshops and trainings, I planted the seed that would grow into TruConnection. Not only did Reiki teach me how to help others heal, release, renew, and redirect, it also was a time of deep personal healing and inner work for myself, and even helped me realize I was in an unhealthy relationship (and end it.)

Anyone can learn reiki, and I think there can never be too many people who learn it. So if you’re looking for a sign, this is your sign, yes, learn reiki! Why not? In fact, I have been mulling over the idea of teaching it soon…in the meantime, you can learn from Christine (or someone else) as mentioned above with a link!

During the 2018/2019 academic year, post-graduation, I worked part-time for the non-profit Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide, and in my “Body Safety Educator” role, I would present 30-min presentations to k-6th graders (one grade at a time) that taught them about the names of their sexual body parts, and that these words were not shameful or embarrassing, rather helpful words to know so that they can have autonomy in communicating about their bodies and the safety of their bodies.  The presentation also informed them about various scenarios with adults to be careful of, and identifying which adults in their lives are adults they can go to if someone wrongfully treats them, and what kind of language they can use to communicate such unfortunate events. Essentially, armoring these children with information they have every right to know, so that they can be active in their safety as well. This work was incredibly rewarding and sobering, and lasted about a year.

On May 13th, 2019, I legally formed TruConnection LLC., in my hopes to offer a more genuine, personable, and authentic massage & bodywork experience than what I felt able to do in the corporate spa setting. Since then I have explored and expanded the techniques I use for bodywork and energy work alike. I am wildly grateful for being my own boss…this is an understatement!

In 2025 & 2026,  I’m dedicated to and passionate about practicing, studying and incorporating techniques and modalities that assist folks in releasing trauma that is stuck in their tissues, fascia, and energy bodies.

There are currently three modalities that I find the most successful in this type of release (and integration of new info that fills spaces that have been released!) These are Myofascial Release, aka MFR (The John Barnes’ Approach), Journeying Breathwork (JBW), and Sekhem Seichim Reiki (SSR).

Of the many MFR seminars ongoing, I have attended and been certified in MFR 1 (2021), MFR 2 (2022), and MFR Pediatrics (2023), and I want to and will be attending much more over time.

In 2024 I became level 1 certified in SSR by Megan Rose Healing, and level 2/Master level certified in 2025.

In 2024 I studied JBW under the tutelage of Trista Price through Healing Sacred Space, and have been offering these sessions since early 2025.

What do these three modalities have in common? They all ignite the self-healing mechanisms within each recipient’s physiology and energy. Real healing can’t be forced. And curing is not the same as healing. Real healing also isn’t something we just receive, it’s something we have to engage in. And that’s why I love offering the different types of sessions that I do!I also really LOVE getting to do reiki and MFR on animals (house pets)!

In my free time, I enjoy hiking and exploring nature with my husband Trevor and friends, writing poetry, reading books, and going to local music shows and festivals. I even get to host workshops at Good People Good Times Music Festival. I also practice and perform FCBD and fusion belly dance as a solo artist and duet/trio partner, after spending some years aboard the Troupe Indy Swords and Shimmies.

AND! I am currently learning a new massage modality– Ashiatsu Massage– and I’m excited to share this wonderfully relaxing modality with clients soon!

Lastly, becoming a practitioner of AND receiver of  Reiki, Journey Breathwork, and Myofascial Release has inspired me, and my husband Trevor, to create and build the nonprofit The Healing Cave Inc., which will offer holistic healing to the public at no cost, specifically to those who experience barriers to receiving care more than others; folks who are deaf & hearing impaired, folks who are blind & seeing impaired, folks with low to zero mobility, folks who are English Language Learners, folks who are neurodivergent, folks who are queer/LGBTQIA2+ community, folks in the BIPOC community, folks who are immigrants, folks with service animals, etc. Barriers to care can reach far beyond just money issues. It is systemic in more ways than one. The Healing Cave will be coming up with solutions to this, even if in small ways at first. We are ETERNALLY grateful to CoraLyn Turentine of Resilient Leadership, for her tireless efforts in helping and teaching us in growing this baby nonprofit from the grassroots on up. Learn more at http://thehealingcave.org.

Thanks for reading a little about me, and why I do what I do.

I hope I get to meet you soon!

You can check out my YouTube channel here! 🙂