I have a passion for helping people achieve their goals, whether it be relieving pain, relaxing and reducing stress, improving ability to perform tasks and sports, or just improving sense of well-being and feeling more comfortable at all times.
At an early age I became interested in helping people reach their full potential of functioning. This led me to the University of WI-Madison, where I graduated with a degree in Occupational Therapy and worked for 17 years in various settings focusing on helping patients and clients with life skills.
In 1999, I became interested in a more wholistic approach to wellness and helping people reach their optimum functioning. This led me to Lakeside School of Massage Therapy and a new career as a certified (now licensed) massage therapist.
In the years since then, I have attempted to combine my two educational backgrounds to best address client needs. Use of occupational therapy theory helps me to consider activities and interests in my clients' lives that are important to them and/or may cause issues. Occupational Therapy also utilizes stretches and activities to improve physical abilities and enhance massage therapy's pain relieving effectiveness.
Using theories of Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy and Active Isolated Stretching, I consider posture and alignment, muscle imbalances, and causes of pain that impact clients. This helps reduce pain, improve posture, and enhance movement and athletic performance. I am currently pursuing my personal fitness training certification and anticipate combining this knowledge with the training I already possess.
Some of the other modalities I use in massage and bodywork sessions are: Craniosacral Therapy, Swedish Massage, and Myofascial Release. Many sessions are a mixture of several modalities to best address your individual needs in a safe, comfortable manner that uniquely suits you.
If you have pain from injury, cumulative stress, postural issues, sports overload, or just cannot move and be as active as you would like, please allow me to use a combination of techniques to help you improve flexibility, sleep better, accomplish athletic goals, work more comfortably, and just feel better.