Joy first encountered massage at 14 years old when she was given the gift of a massage from her grandmother. The massage she received left such a wonderful impression on her that she thought everyone should have one. She immediately began giving massage to friends and family. By the end of high school, she decided she wanted to be a professional massage therapist.

In 2002 Joy graduated from the Minneapolis School of Massage and Bodywork, where she received over 600 hours of education. She opened A happy haven Massage Therapy in 2003 to try out the grand adventure of owning her own business. Over the years she has learned a lot about running a business and about massage. The business name changed to A healing haven in 2011 to meet the increasing needs of her clients. At that time, she also began training in John F. Barnes Myofascial Release. She is currently a master level practitioner, having taken coursework including Myofascial Release 1, 2, 3, Unwinding, Rebounding, Cervical Thoracic, Fascial Pelvis, Advanced Unwinding, Facial Mobilization, Skill Enhancement Seminar, and Therapy for the Therapist.

Joy graduated from Minneapolis Community Technical College in 2012 with an Associates of Science degree in Traditional Western Herbalism. She uses her knowledge in this area to make herbal salves, which she sells in her office and at various shops in Minnesota, and to provide herbal consultations for a large number of ailments like PCOS and IBS.

In 2013, after her presence was requested for the births of her sister and cousin’s first children, she went through birth doula training. This training covered how to be a good support person and advocate for the family she is working for. She aids in helping families create birth plans, postpartum plans, and is on call for the family from the time of hire until the baby is born, offering support throughout the birth process. After the baby is born, she can provide help with lactation and getting the family settled into their new life together.

In 2021 Joy graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies. Her areas of emphasis were Health & Wellness, Communications and Psychology. She uses her knowledge from her degree along with her 20 years of working as a healer in a variety of modalities to offer Life Coaching in the areas of Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Stress Management, Personal Growth and Development, Intimate Relationship Maintenance, Family Relationship Maintenance, and Major Life Transition Support.

In 2022 Joy began her training in Somatic Experiencing. This training allows her to aid clients struggling with PTSD, C-PTSD, Anxiety, and other mental health disorders, by helping them to retrain their nervous systems to go from a state of rest to an arousal state and then back down to rest instead of staying stuck in a state of arousal.

Joy lives with her husband, Jason, and their two children Alyssandra and Aneira, in Minneapolis. She loves to ride her bike, go for walks, read, and get together with friends.

A healing haven

Series of 5 Somatic Experiencing Sessions