About Me
I’m a Licensed Massage Therapist with a fitness background and a passion for addressing the effects and management of long-term stress (psychological and physiological) on the body, as well as providing outside resources for client’s needs - approaching health and wellness in a team-effort manner.
My hunger for continuously learning about the human body was established during my 8 years of competitive gymnastics that showed me the capabilities of our bodies as well as the need for effective prevention and treatment of injuries, pain, and dysfunction within the movement chain. After high school, I became a Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I graduated from Hands On Approach School of Massage in early 2022 and promptly began working in a clinical setting where I worked with a team to address common musculoskeletal issues through bodywork. Throughout 2023, I pursued continuing education to better serve those I work with, and am excited to use those skills to help my clients wherever they find themselves in their wellness journey. Through meticulous business practices and professional development, I’ve developed a trauma-informed practice that aims to facilitate whole-person health both inside and outside the treatment room. Feelings of safety and security are absolutely paramount to effective manual therapy, and as such I greatly value the opportunity and responsibility to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone that steps foot into my space.
Publications and News:
Credentials:
License #: MT136430
Board Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork - NCBTMB
Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies - TRF
Corrective Exercise Specialist - NASM
Certified Personal Trainer - NASM
The “why” behind the name:
Willow trees are often representative of resilience and flexibility under pressure, as their branches bend to extremes before breaking. The same is true for us, in body and in spirit.
There are several physiological truths that we see demonstrated in the body, one of them being the fact that before a collapse or break happens, adjustments and adaptations will occur to try to prevent damage, to try to self-preserve.
This happens at the cellular level, and extends to all aspects of who we are; from muscle to bone to mental processing. However, while recognizing the incredible resilience of not only the human body but also the psyche, a major goal of mine is to create a space of healing and “unwinding” in order to address those physiological functions that have been impaired or negatively altered in order to survive; we want to move from a place of surviving to that of thriving, and part of doing that is assessing and working with those aspects of our movement and daily life that have taken the backburner, and bringing them to the front. My goal is to integrate an atmosphere of hope, adaptability, and that same strength under pressure for you - the ones in pain, the first responders, the chronically ill, the overworked, the burned out, the masses of everyday people suffering from the effects of chronic stress and overload that we were not meant to undergo…at least, not alone.
Just as every individual body system serves its own unique purpose while remaining inherently interdependent on the rest of the body, every aspect of one’s life should inform their healthcare and wellness, and should not be discounted as separate and unaffected. It is my goal to not only serve each of my clients by approaching their treatment from a holistic, “whole-person” view, providing the manual therapy that is best suited to you and your specific needs, but also by involving other healthcare providers and outside resources in a team effort to achieve best health and true healing. Whenever I feel that my clients would be better served by working with a different provider or with one in conjunction with me, I will refer them to another in my extensive network of trusted providers, as well as offer support in finding the next steps when it comes to seeking help for other issues. While healing must be initiated and spearheaded by the self, it is with an allied front of support systems that the healing process takes place.