The body adapts to protect itself after injury. Allison believes that pain can be a guide. Pain is one of our bodies main forms of communication; its purpose is to help tell us what we can do without causing further injury. Massage is like a conversation with your nervous system, we give it space to communicate and listen to what it needs. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to endure pain, in order to see results. Sometimes we have to look beyond the pain, because The problem isn’t always where the pain is, but it can help us to discover the problem and work towards resolving symptoms. Her utilizes massage to find muscular imbalances, regulate the nervous system, improve fascial tension and body mechanics, in order to allow clients to enjoy their lives with fewer limitations from acute or chronic injuries.  

Allison’s career did not begin with massage. Her injury prone teen years created an interest in injuries and healing led her to Iowa State University, where she majored in Athletic Training before Graduating and heading Minnesota State-Mankato to accept a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer role, and to study Sport Management.  After graduate school, Allison returned to Iowa and accepted a position as a Licensed Athletic Trainer with UnityPoint Health System and Grandview University (GVU). She has worked first hand with many different sports as an athletic trainer, helping assessing, treating, rehabing and returning injured athletes back to their sport safely . She graduated from Body Wisdom Massage School and her ATC experiences blended with her passion for helping others, in the massage realm, as she opened Serene Strength Massage at the end of 2018. She maintains both Certified Athletic Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist credentials to this day.

In 2024, Allison was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, undergoing Double Mastectomy and Reconstruction. As she became more aware of the frequency that Breast Cancer survivors deal with pain, scar restriction, “Iron Bra Syndrome”, and altered shoulder range of motion, she chose to advance her knowledge to help treat these issues with massage, once clients have completed active treatments. 

She believes diaphragmatic breathwork, abdominal massage, and intra oral massage, can be crucial in improving more common issues such as low back pain, chronic neck or shoulder pain, or to help regulate a nervous system that feels stuck in “fight or flight” (or the feeling that the body can never “relax”). 

Allison encourages collaboration between healthcare providers, to ensure the best results and to avoid harm. Each provider brings in pieces of the puzzle, but can’t always complete the whole puzzle on their own. Client wellbeing comes first, so she believes in referring to providers outside of massage, when massage is not indicated for their specific issue, or when they can gain additional improvement by combining different therapies.