Meet Alexis McPherson, LMT

I'm not here to fix you or hand you a one-size-fits-all recovery protocol. Full stop. I'm here to help you listen to your body, your breath, and the subtle patterns that shape how you train, compete, and recover. I'm here to remind you how to heal yourself.

My name is Alexis. I'm a licensed massage therapist working at the intersection of fascia science and nervous system regulation, with a deep special interest in neuromuscular patterning. I work primarily with athletes and active adults. If your body is your equipment, this is for you. 

I specialize in working with chronic tension rooted in imbalance, so understanding YOUR unique spine and holding patterns is foundational to everything I do. Disc herniations, spinal rotations, arthritis, old injuries that never quite resolved, ALL of it.

The most repetitive movement in your sport isn't your sport

My approach is built around one core truth: repetitive movement shapes the body.

Athletes already understand this. You know what 10,000 pitches, 40 miles a week, or a decade of unilateral rotation does to a body. But the most repetitive movement you will ever make isn't your sport. It's breathing.

At rest, you breathe roughly 20,000 times a day. Under load, far more. That's 20,000+ repetitions of a mechanical pattern directly influencing your rib cage, your diaphragm, your thoracic spine, and your intra-abdominal pressure; which is to say, directly influencing your bracing, your force transfer, and how efficiently you move air when it matters most.

Dysfunctional breathing mechanics: shallow chest breathing, breath-holding, gripping, paradoxical patterns all alter spinal load distribution, contribute to thoracic rigidity, and can drive or reinforce scoliotic curves over time. They also cap what your training can actually give you. The spine doesn't exist in isolation from the pressure system surrounding it. The pressure system molds it. When that system is dysregulated, the structure compensates. Every day. 20,000 times. Then you go add load to it.

Jaw. Feet. Rib cage.

Rib cage aside, I place a huge emphasis on jaw and foot function. These three go hand in hand.

Your feet are your only contact with the ground! Every single lift starts there. You can't work the feet without influencing everything up the chain. You can't work the jaw (and athletes clench, constantly, under load and under pressure) without influencing everything down it. And you can't work the rib cage without influencing shoulder and pelvic stability, which is to say: without influencing how you sprint, throw, press, and rotate.

Most importantly, my work blends evidence-informed bodywork with an understanding of how stress, trauma, neurodivergence, and our most ingrained habits live in the body, because breathing sits at the intersection of all of them, and because performance and regulation aren't separate conversations.

Sessions are extremely intentional, personalized, and collaborative. We may explore breathwork, postural awareness, nervous system education, mobility work, or simple movement strategies you can carry into training and into daily life.

Barefoot, clinical, and built for load

I run a BAREFOOT practice! Yes, barefoot massage with a clinical approach. Using Ashiatsu, Sarga Bodywork, and Thai-inspired techniques, I deliver slow, broad, deeply supportive pressure that reaches dense, well-trained tissue in a way hands genuinely can't. This protects my hypermobile body while offering some of the most effective soft tissue work available. Any hands-on technique I use is generally gentle, or a stretch and muscle energy approach.

I prefer to work alongside your coach, trainer, and your PT - not around them. Massage is one input in a system, and it works best when the rest of the system is doing its job.

This work may not be for everyone, and I mean that without judgment. I'm happy to help you find someone who's a better fit if needed.

I built this practice as a very active autistic and hypermobile person who needed something more from my bodywork and found out that a lot of other people needed it too. It's easy to slide into learned helplessness when your body feels like the enemy, especially when your body is also your livelihood or your sport. But the capacity to heal is not something that is ever really taken from you, and that's what we're here to uncover.

This practice is built on presence, skill, and honesty. No gimmicks, no fluff. Just real, informed massage that meets you where you are. If that speaks to you, we'll probably work well together.

For more insights, and a little inspiration, follow along on social media where I share the things that keep me moving.

Alexis McPherson, LMT

Who I Work With

I work BEST with people who are already very active. Sustainable change comes from consistency, awareness, and the willingness to listen to your body OUTSIDE of the office.

• Athletes in season and off endurance, strength, field, court, combat, and everything in between
• Movement professionals: coaches, dancers, instructors, and anyone whose body is their instrument
• Lifters and hybrid athletes: managing managing recovery
• Active adults and teens with postural imbalances
• Avtive adults and teens with trauma, C-PTSD, ADHD, or anxiety who experience sensory overload or body-based stress
• Those managing TMJD, headaches, or mild joint hypermobility related to connective tissue disorders, or functional scoliosis (If you have a connective tissue disorder, please reach out FIRST)
• Office workers, gamers, warehouse workers: anyone using their body on repeat, every day

Whether you're training toward something, navigating a specific condition, or simply trying to reconnect with your body, this work is designed to support you if you're ready to make changes.

Please Note

New Clients: REQUIRED please check your email after booking for your medical history forms. These MUST be filled out within 24 hours of booking.  Forms that are not received will result in your appointment cancelled with a refund.  If your appointment was booked within my 48 hour cancellation window, you WILL NOT be refunded.   

Pressure & Treatment Guidelines: Sustained deep / heavy therapeutic or barefoot work is only offered when paired with active participation, which may include regular movement, progressive or stabilizing load, or working directly with a trainer or physical therapist. When participation is not in place, sessions will remain lighter, exploratory, or nervous-system focused for safety and effectiveness.

Looking for Medical Advice? Please consult a sports medicine doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist. Massage therapists cannot provide any medical advice.

Gratuity-Free Practice: Tips are NOT accepted. Any contributions are pooled in a "Pay it Forward" pot to fund low-income sessions.

Location: Private office inside Step Up Sports Medicine. Appointment only.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: Emilio Mesa — Denton, TX