I know how important self-care is because I work full-time while being a single mother of 4 teenagers (who think they know everything). I have 1 dog who is full of optimism and hope for all of creation, despite the fact that all 6 of us are actually being manipulated like puppets on a string by 3 cat overlords who won’t give anyone a break unless their food bowl maintains a certain level of full. I’ve been practicing massage for 5 years now. I hold certifications in Neuromuscular Massage, Prenatal/ Postpartum Massage, Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Stone Therapy (hot and cold stones), Oncology Massage, Cupping, Trigger Point Therapy, Muscle Energy Techniques and Myofascial Release. Before that… In October of 2004, I was living in Southern Vermont and one month away from giving birth to my second child. I was invited to attend the birth of my nephew. During that birth, I was about as helpful as a Southern Mamaw in a hospital waiting room, just OOZING with excitement. But I watched the women supporting my sister-in-law. I knew how important the support of other women had been to me with my own birth experience, and in that moment I knew that I had to help support women during the wild ride of becoming a mother. From that point on, I began acquiring education on pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. I began attending births as a doula, and in 2010 I began working full-time as a doula and Assistant Midwife. I certified as a Labor Doula through CAPPA and somehow managed to complete Massage Therapy School. After 7 sleepless years, my life no longer allowed me to be on call and I retired as a birth worker. Letting go of that part of my life took a great deal of grieving, but I came out of it with a greater understanding of the human body, the physiology of pregnancy, the birth process and the postpartum period. Now I am able to continue supporting women during their journey to motherhood with massage therapy! All while sleeping through the night, and not having to respond to every invitation with, “if I’m not a birth!” Most recently… I certified in Oncology Massage. For a long time, massage for cancer patients was limited to complementary therapy for patients at the end of their life. With more recent research and a better understanding of how cancer spreads in the body, massage can now be a valuable complementary therapy for a greater number of cancer patients. Oncology Massage training isn’t about learning a new technique. It’s about acquiring the knowledge to help the Massage Therapist develop a safe massage plan that considers the client’s diagnosis, type of treatment, diagnostic tests, blood values, symptoms, activity level and any restrictions the client might have. If you have cancer and are seeking massage, it’s important to speak with your Oncologist first to make sure you are a good candidate for massage therapy. The good news is, with the proper modifications, most cancer patients are! Check out my reviews. You’ll see that I have helped people address their anxiety, neck, back and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica and more. As a Massage Therapist, I stay within my Scope of Practice and encourage all of my clients to communicate with their health care providers about receiving massage or other complementary therapies. I want to help your body help you! Most people have muscle imbalances that lead to pain and discomfort, and most people have limited time and energy to address those issues. With our busy lives, our responsibilities fill our schedules and self-care gets pushed to the side. Our bodies are run down from carrying the weight of our world on our shoulders. Massage and bodywork can address pain caused by muscle imbalances, and has many positive benefits for every system in your body. Massage can increase the production of the feel-good hormones in our body while decreasing the stress hormone cortisol. Who doesn’t need more feel-good hormones? I incorporate a variety of massage techniques into each session, based on your individual needs, with the goal of restoring balance to your soft tissues. Using a variety of deep tissue techniques, along with Myofascial Release, Muscle Energy Techniques, Cupping and Trigger Point Therapy, I work so you can experience relief from muscle tension in your body. A Note About Prenatal and Postpartum Massage I’m so grateful for the many years I spent learning about pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Because of my experience and certifications, I feel I have a unique understanding of just how much massage can help mothers. Along with addressing the common discomforts of pregnancy, regular, appropriate Prenatal Massage can help your body adjust to the postural changes that you’re experiencing and encourage good positioning of the baby which can lead to smoother labor and delivery. When working with a certified and knowledgeable Massage Therapist, a healthy woman can receive massage at any point in her pregnancy, and it’s ideal to start early! With some modifications, I apply the same techniques in prenatal and postpartum massage that I do to any other massage.