FAQ

What is your gender?
I am female.

What is your relevant professional background?
I graduated from the Healing Spirits Massage Training Program in Boulder, Colorado in 2010 with 755 practice hours. The program’s biggest strength was how it balanced clinical proficiency with the holistic arts. My California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) License # is 95959.

What makes your work different from that of other massage therapists?
The 4-Way Massage Therapy technique is a system of moves that I developed because I saw a huge hole in more mainstream massage curricula for both clients and practitioners. Prioritizing each client’s unique needs, my system is characterized by synchronized touch from several sides of up to all four limbs to offer clients a “4-handed” experience by one person. And a complex, thorough treatment. My techniques are innate to how I inhabit my particular body with all of its strengths and challenges. Dance, acrobatics, and aerial arts have been cornerstones in my life.

Are we a good fit to work together?
I would love to have a text, email or phone conversation with you to discover if we are a good fit to work together. Some of my clients prefer a more traditional massage or subtle energy work and they come because they vibe with me for me and I am happy to offer what is best for them. I always encourage you to trust your intuition.

How does a session go?
Upon arrival, you will be invited to have a glass of water and use the restroom. We will have a conversation about what your needs, preferences and goals are for the session. We will determine if there are any contraindications. My table has an optional warmer. There is also a blanket available. I will ask you if you’d like any peppermint essential oil in the face cradle to help keep your sinuses clear. You will be invited to unclothe completely or down to your comfort level. Undergarments can be on or off. Either way, you will be professionally draped at all times. I will step out of the room for a moment while you ready yourself on the table. You will be invited to let me know if I can make you more comfortable at any time throughout the session.

What if I experience strong emotions during my massage?
Sometimes strong emotions like grief or anger can come up at any point during your bodywork session. These can be anything from feelings related to daily life or deep ancestral trauma. Emotional release during a bodywork session is normal, natural, welcome, healthy and encouraged. In fact, experiencing an extraordinary emotional release from the tissues can even go so far as to heal chronic pain completely. You are welcome to cry, laugh, move, vocalize, verbalize, yawn, breathe audibly, or do what is needed to process your emotional release on the table. Bodyworkers are ultimately sacred space holders, and it is an honor for me to offer you the space and time for your unique process to unfold.

What can I expect after my session?
Particularly if you have requested a deep tissue session, it is normal and even expected to be varying degrees of sore for a day or two after your massage. By day three you will likely have moved through that stage and will be flying high with increased range of motion and cellular clarity. Deep tissue massage is a detoxification process, and old cellular waste has been freed from where it was trapped in the muscle fibers so it can move out of the body, so hydrating thoroughly after your massage is a must. Even better with electrolytes. It’s ideal to rest for at least a few hours or otherwise take it easy right after your session to best allow the benefits to take hold.

Sometimes those who have had a powerful emotional release during their session will experience lasting impact in the days following. This can take many forms, including grief for the passing of old patterns. I invite you to hold yourself in compassion and celebrate these often uncomfortable seeds of inner transformation. You’re welcome to reach out to me if you need support.

I’m concerned that 4-Way Massage is going to hurt.
There are two types of clients, both perfect as they are. The first favors skillful deep tissue that balances bearable discomfort with the promise of maximum relief afterward. The second client constitution contracts at the “no pain no gain” approach. Working within their bounds is a priority. Your session is a customized, collaborative effort between both of us and you are always invited to communicate no matter where we are at in the session. I am able to offer the 4-Way technique at controlled medium pressure and I stay intuitively connected to you while you are receiving. I integrate traditional techniques for clients needing lighter pressure. Notably, clients have told me that receiving knee-based deep tissue is significantly more pleasant than receiving elbow-based deep tissue because it comes with a broader surface.

I don’t have any relevant physiological concerns right now. Are there other ways I might benefit from sessions with you?
Yes! Response coming soon.

What lotions or oils do you use during the session?
I use unscented Biotone Pure Touch Organics Massage Creme. An ingredient list can be found here. Please let me know prior to arriving for your session if you have any relevant allergies.

Do you still do mobile massage?
Right now, I do on a case-by-case basis if you’ve got a sturdy, professional quality table already set up in your space. Otherwise, mobile massage including table setup is on hold until further notice.

What is the difference between massage therapy and bodywork?
Bodywork is a broad umbrella term that includes massage therapy and other specific clinical modalities like myofascial release and trigger point therapy. It also includes the guided therapeutic exploration and release of emotional and ancestral traumatic holding patterns stored in the tissues. “Bodywork,” and “bodyworker” are increasingly my preferred terminology for my practice and the scope of my practice, but I use both because “massage therapy” and “massage therapist” are more commonly recognized.

Is 4-Way Massage like Thai Massage?
While I hear often that 4-Way Massage kind of looks like Thai, their goals and applications are quite different. The intention behind 4-Way Massage is to synchronize multiple points of therapeutic contact to the muscles, soft tissues, and fascia. 4-Way Massage is done on a table unclothed with draping and lotion, as gliding effluerage is a big part of the experience. Thai yoga massage is practiced clothed on a floor mat. Its emphases are stretching, exploring range of motion, and compression techniques along the body’s energetic meridians.