Gina Di Caro
Massage Therapist
Q | How long have you been a licensed massage therapist?
A | I grew up practicing massage and have been licensed since 2010
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I grew up with it, so it was a natural choice for me.
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | Effective therapeutic work that targets where pain resides near the origin and insertion of the muscle and nerve endings.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | I view the world in a more holistic way and it has made me closer to all people from any background.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | Eat a mainly plant based diet, visit Korean spas monthly for health, receiving massage, stretching, weight lift and dance.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | Effective work with the time utilized, using a myriad of techniques to achieve my clients goals.
Q | Do you have particular parts of the body that you prefer work on?
A | The areas that are chronically affected.
Q | What are your specialties?
A | Acupressure, psoas work, deep tissue, prenatal, hot stone massage, and body treatments!
Q | Where did you receive your massage training?
A | Midwest Technical Institute
Q | What continuing education courses have you taken?
A | Reiki, reflexology, hydrotherapy, chair massage, gua shua and nutrition for healing.
Natalie Meyersick
Massage Therapist
Q | How long have you been a licensed massage therapist?
A | About two weeks but I have over 200+ hours in hands-on experience. :)
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | Massage therapy changed my life and I fell in love with it so I wanted to share that experience with others and hopefully help improve peoples lives.
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | Flowing and compassionate.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | It's definitely changed it for the better! I live differently in my skin now and I feel my heart is much more open than it once was.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | Sleep is my number one key to energy and mood control, then good quality food mindfully prepared, lots of stretching and walking every day to invigorate my body and reconnect with nature.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | I definitely want to find out what their focus is, what they need to improve daily life and provide a space where they feel heard and accepted.
Q | Do you have particular parts of the body that you prefer work on?
A | I love all parts of the body! Neck and feet are always the most fun for me though. :)
Q | What are your specialties?
A | I'm still developing my specialties so not sure yet. I'd stay Deep Tissue and Relaxation Massage rank up there. Looking forward to having one some day.
Q | Where did you receive your massage training?
A | I received my training through the Lauterstein-Conway School of Massage.
Q | What continuing education courses have you taken?
A | So far I've completed a Cadaver Anatomy course, Lomi Lomi Hawaiian Temple Bodywork and will complete a Chair Massage Course as well as Prenatal/Perinatal Massage Course over the next few weeks.
Cody Blair
Massage Therapist
Q | How long have you been a licensed massage therapist?
A | I have been licensed and practicing for 2 years.
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I used to experience terrible pain that would keep me up at night. When I started receiving massage my pain went away completely. It’s difficult to compact my reasons for joining this industry, but the relief I experienced was something I felt was worth sharing. I am incredibly grateful to do what I do.
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | Since I have been practicing, I have primarily worked for deep tissue and bodywork. It is very rewarding to have a client leave feeling much better than when they came in.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | Being a massage therapist has forced a lot of positive lifestyle changes. In order to keep up with the physical demand of deep tissue work, I have to take excellent care of my body.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | Roller skating is one of my main hobbies.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | Every client is different, and their goals are not always the same. My focus is to meet client expectations, whether that is relaxation or deep tissue.
Q | Do you have particular parts of the body that you prefer work on?
A | Most people need back and neck work, so I have put most of my time there, but I am trained to effectively work on the whole body.
Q | What are your specialties?
A | Deep tissue and fascial work.
Q | Where did you receive your massage training?
A | Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in Austin, Texas!
Q | What continuing education courses have you taken?
A | Myofascial manipulation, deep tissue and body mobilization (BMT) courses.
Rachel Creager Ireland
Massage Therapist
Q | How long have you been a licensed massage therapist?
A | 24 years
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I majored in Sociology and Women's Studies in college, but never worked in that field. When I found massage, I realized that it was what I had always needed; work that affirms the integrity of the whole person—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | I'm terrible at describing massage! I would usually encourage them to try it out and feel it for themselves. But I suppose I could say that my presence is quiet and focused. I use good attention to the anatomy, but with lots of lengthening and soothing strokes. I can work as deep or as light as clients need.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | It's hard to imagine who I would be without massage. It was essential to my recovery from sciatica. Myofascial/Structural Integration helped me release a lot of emotional baggage I'd been carrying. Regular massage is important to my functioning as a (mostly) sane, grounded human being in a body.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | I eat mostly vegan, practice yoga, manage stress intentionally, try to use good sleep hygiene (though I struggle with this one!), and partake regularly of massage and energy healing.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | First, listen to the client, so I know what they're feeling and what they want. I watch their body language. It's not uncommon for clients to say, "How did you know I was sore there?" The answer is usually, "You told me," though they didn't always know they were telling me. There are basic principles for different kinds of pain. If the pain is postural, I look for where tissue is shortened, and lengthen it. If the pain is from overuse, I break down adhesions and knots, soothe the nerves, and encourage circulation. We'll talk about how to change the way they use their body so as not to continue to exacerbate the pain. If we find trigger points, I use trigger point techniques, which is essentially holding pressure on the point until it releases, then stretching the muscle. Over the years, I've come to think that we underrate the importance of emotions and how they affect the way people perceive pain, and the ways that emotions and how people feel about pain affect the functioning of the nerves and the other systems of the body. So, I think that, even more important than technique, we begin by listening without judgement to the client. We provide safe space for everything they feel. Massage is a great way to release and clear emotions, so we have an opportunity to help people to change their relationship with pain, and that usually results in a great deal of relief.
Q | Do you have particular parts of the body that you prefer to work on?
A | I love it all. I do lots of hip work because the hips affect everything else. I know lots of therapists who skip the abdomen, but I usually address it, even if only a little bit. Feet are fun. I almost always do some good trapezius/rhomboid work because pretty much everyone needs it.
Q | What are your specialties?
A | I love Wellness massage. I treat whole people, not just bodies, and I mix up lots of different techniques in the process. I'm also good at Myofascial massage.
Q | Where did you receive your massage training?
A | Chicago School of Massage Therapy
Q | What continuing education courses have you taken?
A | 75 hours Myofascial Massage Therapy, with Robert King. Energy healing, with Rosalyn Bruyere Approaches to Fibromyalgia Psychoneuroimmunology Introduction to Polarity Therapy
Austin Beal
Massage Therapist
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | Massage therapy has been the most rewarding work I have ever done. After 8 years in the restaurant industry, I wanted to do something that would make people feel better. My boyfriend had recently gotten his massage license. I saw how much it helped him grow, physically and mentally. I quit my job, went to massage school a couple days later. My life has changed for the better since then. Plus, I have been greeted warmly by the industry. I love massage therapists, they just want to take care of people!
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | Diet and exercise! I meal prep a lot of vegan foods so that I don't convince myself to stop a P-Terrys for dinner. I exercise with my boyfriend twice a week at the roller rink. We also have 3 huskies who love to hike and swim with us! Self care has been hugely important to my personal growth as well. For me, its yoga, salt scrubbing my feet, getting a massage from my boyfriend and meditation.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | It depends greatly on the client! My toolbox includes, but isn't limited to, myofascial, flushing, deep tissue, deep massage, breathing, stretching, and body mobilization techniques. I like to discuss whats best for my client and choose the best session for their specific needs.
Q | Do you have particular parts of the body that you prefer work on?
A | I feel my strengths are in the hands, feet, low back and shoulders. But, honestly, I enjoy working on the troubled spots the most! I am a problem solver.
Q | What are your specialties?
A | Deep tissue, Swedish, Sports, Myofascial, Body Mobilization Techniques and Pre Natal Massages
Q | What continuing education courses have you taken?
A | The Lauterstein-Conway School of Massage
Bryan Dodson
Massage Therapist
Q | How long have you been a massage therapist?
A | Since 2013
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I was looking for a new direction when I realized that I didn't actually want to go to college for computer engineering. At the time, I was dating an esthiology instructor at the Aveda Institute in Houston, which has a massage therapy program. When she told me that I had a "healing touch" and a special talent for finding problem areas in the body, I took that seriously. It came as a surprise to everyone in my life that expected me to go into engineering, but I've found that helping people feel better in their body is a much more gratifying vocation than working with computers.
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | I like working with a high level of detail and specificity, and I believe strongly in the communicative power of touch. Often I have a clear idea of what I'm trying to do, and if I can communicate that goal to the client with only my hands, I feel that it can have a much more profound effect on the outcome.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | Just doing the massage work that I do helps a lot to keep me in good shape. My mantra for general well being is "hydration and mobilization." As long as you're drinking lots of water and keeping everything moving, you're off to a great start. Besides that, I find that I feel a lot better on a fully plant-based diet and a consistent 7 hours of sleep per night.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | When a client describes a problem to me, I immediately start trying to think about what kind of restrictions I might find in the muscular and connective tissues. Often I tend to find what I'm looking for, and when I don't, I make it a point to investigate and try to find the missing link. I'm not shy about asking questions in order to get an understanding of the full scope of the problem.
Q | Do you have particular parts of the body that you prefer to work on?
A | I'm always happy to see clients that have low-back pain, just because I can always get good results there and it makes a huge difference for them. Same with shoulder and neck pain. Really, any part of the body that is limiting an individual's ability to move freely and comfortably.
Q | What are your specialties?
A | Deep tissue and trigger point therapy
Q | What continuing education courses have you taken?
A | I'm currently enrolled in the advanced program at Lauterstein-Conway, which is a 250 hour program covering orthopedic and integrative massage.
Sheri Steinmetz
Massage Therapist
Q | How long have you been a massage therapist?
A | 8 1/2 years
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I had taught Middle School Math and Science for 32 years and wanted to do something helpful and peaceful after I retired.
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | I combine techniques from Deep Massage, Deep Tissue and Zero Balancing to create a modified myofascial massage that works on the body and the persons energy for wellbeing.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | It has given me a way to connect with people who are interested in being healthy in body and mind, which then challenges me to be a better person and therapist.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | I live on a micro farm in south Austin, and as you know farming is a very physical vocation. I get lots of exercise taking care of gardens, animals and infrastructure. I also make time for my friends and family, and I get body work as often as I can.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | I listen to what they want and to how they describe how they feel and then I tailor my massage to their needs.
Q | Do you have particular parts of the body you prefer to work on?
A | No, however, approximately 80% of my clients tell me that they hold their stress in their neck and shoulders, so I do a lot of work there on my clients.
Q | What are your specialties?
A | Deep Massage, Stretching with massage, Deep Tissue work, modified myofascial massage and Zero Balancing.
Q | Where did you receive your massage training?
A | Lauterstein Conway School of Massage in Austin TX.
Q | What continuing education courses have you taken?
A | Hot Stone massage 25 hours, Cold Stone Massage 6 hours, Zero Balancing 100 hours, Lymphatic Massage 25 hours from the Cancer Center at MD Anderson in Houston, Massage Therapy Instructor course 30 hours, and Massage Ethics 24 hours
Katie Nicholas
Massage Therapist
Q | Where did you receive your massage training?
A | A New Beginning School of Massage in Austin, TX
Q | How long have you been a licensed massage therapist?
A | I graduated in February of 2014.
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I have always had a focus on health and fitness, so massage was an easy choice for me. It satisfies my need to be creative, to be active and most importantly, it satisfies my calling as a healer.
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | My massages are a melting pot of different modalities. I have picked up a lot over the years.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | I have 2 amazing rescue dogs that keep me active outdoors, but I also enjoy yoga and reading to keep my mind and body balanced.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | My massage approach is highly intuitive and extremely focused with a strong emphasis in compassion. It is my personal mission to provide a safe place for clients to receive what they need from our sessions together.
Kira Sinclair
Massage Therapist
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | I focus on what the client needs and fixing the issue. My technique can also very from relaxing lomi lomi to deep tissue.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | Learning about the body has taught me to look at it like a puzzle that is interesting to fix. Massage is relaxing and sometimes meditative for me and helping people is very fulfilling.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | I like to find exactly what the client is struggling with and focus on what could benefit them. Some people need relaxation and breath work, some need injury treatment.
Summer Del Monte
Massage Therapist
Q | How do you describe your massage to others?
A | Integrative massage, using Swedish, orthopedic, and deep techniques tailored to my client’s individual needs.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | Receiving regular massage has had a profound affect on my nervous system. I am much more relaxed and aware of my body. Becoming an LMT has also made me feel more connected to others.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | I first address areas of complaint, and then backtrack to possible causes of tension and discomfort. After the initial treatment, I focus on self-care and pain prevention.
Sheree Wormley
Massage Therapist
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | It gives me the opportunity to follow my passion of healing people in a natural way.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | Meditation, yoga, and eating a vegan alkaline diet.
Q | What is your approach to delivering relief to your clients?
A | Calming and centering myself so I can be tuned into what each individual body needs.
Nora Hansel
Massage Therapist
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I chose massage therapy as a career because massage has always felt like an intuitive healing art to me and I’m fascinated with the role soft tissue plays in our well being and the ways it responds to and is affected by touch.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | Massage therapy has helped to anchor me in my body and practicing body work has taught me the power and importance of being present.
Q | What are your specialties?
A | I would say I specialize in glutes and neck work.
Dakota Willingham
Massage Therapist
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
A | I have always enjoyed receiving massage, and want to help others.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | I use lacrosse balls to roll out areas of tension, receive massage, and pay attention to my posture.
Q | What are you specialties?
A | Deep tissue and Swedish massage.
Krystal Norsworthy
Founder
Q | Why did you choose massage therapy as a career
A | I chose this as a career because I thrive on helping clients with pain management. I equally love creating wellness plans and developing relationships with my clients. Anatomy and human body movement never seizes to amaze me. I love learning new techniques and continuing to support my clients on their health journeys. It’s very rewarding to help my clients feel better and witness progression and improvement; they are always happy to see me and happy when they leave.
Q | How has massage therapy affected your life?
A | It’s so rewarding to see clients improve. Receiving massage therapy myself has allowed me to continue my health and wellness journey, injury free.
Q | What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
A | I exercise 5-6 days per week, count my macros, and meal prep to ensure a balanced diet. I also foam roll and self massage at home.
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