A Journey into Healing
Soft music surrounds the room that Nikos has set up as a therapy studio: a simple massage bed, a few candles, subdued lighting, and the room is decorated in beautiful shades of green. Here, all the senses can calm down — but I'm a little tense as Nikos works intensively on my long back muscles. Now I feel that he has found the source of my pain… and now the healing can begin.
At the end of the session, Nikos stretches my muscles before saying in a low voice: "We are finished, take your time." And indeed: I need a little time to return to the here and now. I came to his therapy studio with severe back pain, could hardly move, but now — after this one-hour session — I can walk upright, and my movements are becoming more fluid again.
"How are you doing this? How could you find the source of my pain so quickly?" I ask Nikos, as we are sitting together after the session. Nikos smiles broadly and is visibly pleased with the compliment.
"You know," he says, "in my profession as a physiotherapist, I see it as my task to help people try to get well again. I want to offer them the possibility for their body to continue working after the therapy. Against this background, a superficial massage with some feel-good effects is not part of my program. Every body is different and requires a different approach."
I'm a bit surprised to hear these words of deep conviction from a young man. After all, they reflect a deep understanding of the human being — and a thoughtful vision of what he wants to do with his life.
Nikos grew up in Xylosirtis, a small village on Ikaria. He is the son of the local priest and, together with his brother, enjoyed a peaceful and protected childhood in that place. There was a lot of freedom, playing outside with friends, and school was a pleasure since there were only 20 pupils — all of different ages.
Later, he joined the high school in Agios Kirykos and started playing basketball — a sport that brings many young people on the island together.
But even from an early age, Nikos was interested in how the body works and how its healing processes function. He read a lot about the interplay between exercise, nutrition, and mental health, and slowly the idea grew in him that he would like to work in this field. So, he decided to become a physiotherapist.
Nikos set off to Athens to study physiotherapy — and he loved it from the very first moment. He knew he was in the right place at the right time.
Later, he worked in large therapy centers and hotels — enjoying both the work and the ongoing learning process. He is interested in different therapeutic approaches and how he can integrate them into his own practice. His dream is to travel to countries like India and Thailand to learn on-site… and perhaps one day he will set sail and do just that.
But in the meantime, he had decided to return to Ikaria and open his own therapy studio in Therma. The COVID pandemic changed everything. As he was not allowed to work, Nikos spent time planning how he could continue his profession on his island in the future.
By coincidence, he learned that a small studio in Therma was available for rent. It took him just one night to make the decision — and then he signed the contract. At that time, he had no clear vision of how "this" would evolve, but Nikos is the kind of person who thinks things through and then acts — he sees opportunities, not obstacles.
The rental contract was the first step in settling again on Ikaria. That was back in 2022, and since then, his small therapy studio in Therma, on the main street, has grown steadily. Nikos works year-round, so he is not just a "typical summer entrepreneur," coming to the island only for the summer season and the tourists, then leaving again.
He came back for good — enjoying the fact that he could reconnect with his old school friends and even rejoin the local basketball team.
Nikos sees his future on this island. He had his share of "big city life," but now he enjoys the slower rhythm of the island. Of course, he returns to Athens regularly, because he continues to study and attends seminars. These visits also allow him to stay in touch with former clients, so he can work with them again when needed.
So, over the last few years, there have been no regrets. Nikos has not only succeeded in building his little therapy studio, but he has also gained a solid reputation among the people of Ikaria.
These are the moments of greatest happiness for him — because they are the proof that he is "doing a good job": helping people to heal their bodies… and he could wish for nothing more.