About Me

I am a lifelong athlete who has been an active and not-so-active individual since becoming a professional massage therapist and bodyworker. Life has given me a few challenges to work through since starting as a massage therapist for my water polo teammates in 1994. I had a few bumps with some major car accidents. Okay, really, it was a lot more than a few car accidents. I can count them on all fingers and toes. In turn, I had to learn how to use my body differently when it was hurting and when it wasn't, because as an athlete, if you wanted to play the game, you have to jump in and just go for it. I found that being a professional in the field of bodywork was no different.

Shortly after the collection of injuries, I came to massage school in Salt Lake City, where I was massaged every day for almost two years. It basically erased all signs of injury from my body. I had the greatest experience of transformation after having my neck worked on by the instructor, as a demo model in my first Deep Tissue class. This led me to wanting to do more and to provide something other than a "feel good" massage.

The Deep Tissue education portion of the school revolved around the ideas and concepts of Rolfing. On break that night, after I had my neck worked on, I ran into the Career Counselor's office and said I wanted to learn how to do that. I wanted to give other people the experience of transformation in one session. The class to learn it all was in the Rolf Method 10-series, which was an advanced educational opportunity. After graduation from the basic program, I spent three intensive months living, breathing, and eating concepts about fascia, symmetry, and alignment.

After that, I continued to learning more. In the next segment, I learned more clinical stuff to back up the touch knowledge I was quickly gaining, so I could better interact with the alternative medical community I was interested in partnering with. It also fed my inquisitive nature.

I was so excited to have something to share with my section of the world after graduation that I became a massage workaholic at 60 hours a week! The Wonder Woman attitude only lasted for four years, and then I shifted gears to working less and educating more. In doing so, I studied everything I could find about fascia and therapeutic massage. I partnered with the American Massage Therapy Association.

With the American Massage Therapy Association, I began assisting states in gaining professional awareness of the benefits of massage by creating regulations and rules. (You know, that "fun" stuff that nobody really likes to talk about.) While doing so, I started receiving regular massage care again and began integrating back into my active lifestyle.

Taking better care of myself as a "Massage Athlete" and as an active individual has created longevity in my career. And it has provided me with the passion to climb mountains. (Literally and physically.) If I don't see you on the massage table, I hope to see you on the hiking trails, the local Y, or in Pilates or yoga class.

Melissa