I began my career in 2004 when I received my certification from the Florida School of Massage Therapy in Gainesville, one of the nation's oldest and most esteemed schools. While there I fell in love with Swedish, Connective Tissue, Neuro-Muscular, Sports, and Pre-natal Massage, as well as Polarity Therapy and Reflexology.

 

It was a long process. I did a lot of research into different possible medical fields. I discovered that massage therapy is not just for pampering and relaxation, but is an amazing tool that can be used to treat many conditions. Then I did a lot of research into massage schools and chose the Florida School of Massage Therapy in Gainesville, Florida. The program there is awareness-based and provided me with the knowledge I needed to help the whole person. It had a more holistic approach to massage therapy.

 

I think it's important for me to really understand and work with what the client's needs are and to help facilitate positive change in whatever direction they want to go. I like to blend various relaxation and deep tissue techniques in order to address my patient's needs. I often encourage my patients to continue on their paths to wellness by suggesting continuing sessions as well as self-care to help them meet their goals.

 

Working with different levels of discomfort or pain caused by soft tissue imbalances or injuries and working to give space to the connective tissue.

 

Asheville's been on my radar for a long time as a great place to live. I moved here from New Jersey a few years ago. I think I was looking for a greater sense of community and I found it here.

 

I think my favorite is the area up around Graveyard Fields. The drive out there is one of the most beautiful I've ever taken in my life and the water is cold and refreshing.

 

I love the importance of community, the good, healthy food choices, and the appreciation for healthy lifestyle and wellness.

 

I believe that health and wellness is a delicate balance of how we live our lives and treat our bodies. This balance includes lifestyle, food choices, rest, and preventive medicine.

 

I love the peaceful atmosphere, the great support from the community, and the opportunity to work with excellent practitioners from other fields in holistic health.

 

I love all kinds of music, especially if its positive and makes me feel good when I dance to it. This includes anything from bluegrass to hip hop to European dance music.

 

I like dance, photography, swimming, and exploring the mountains of North Carolina.

 

I began working in spas to get exposure to a high volume of patients to get as much experience as I could. Over time I started to really enjoy seeing someone that might have years of chronic pain or discomfort in their body leave feeling better than they have in a long time. Because of that, I've started to focus more and more on learning new techniques and working to correct imbalances that might be contributing to their condition. Now in my own practice I really appreciate having the time and space to discover what a patient's goals are and to work with them to support healthy lifestyle changes.

 

I always enjoyed working with people and was actually in retail sales designing home theaters. The human connection part was cool but I wanted something more rewarding and I really wanted to help people with the things more important in life.

 

My patients say that they have a feeling of more space and movement, that their pain is reduced and that they have increased flexibility. Some even say that they feel lighter.