Hi There!

Welcome to my practice! I’d love to offer some information regarding my values, specific ways I try to embody those values, training and areas of therapeutic experience and expertise, and what it would look like to work together.

Values

The foundation of my practice is mindful love and kindness. To me this means being present with someone, regularly letting go of distracting thoughts to fully witness another and be totally with them through their experience. Unassuming of what’s happening or why, but just allowing and honoring their existence as they are, their ability to take care of themselves and receive care from others (a strength and vulnerable thing), and to be strong and whole on their own, without any interference from me.

The love piece means having genuine care, compassion, and wanting the absolute best for the other. This guides my role in the therapeutic alliance – it is a love that means commitment to choosing to show up as my best self in these interactions, to do no harm, but to offer safety and affirmation, and nonjudgment, and use all my resources to serve my community.

Kindness to me is not just being “nice,” but caring for myself and others through authentic engagement that promotes mutual safety, consent, and growth. That means I loveee boundaries, because I think it is kind to be intentional about what you choose to give and receive so you can truly show up as your best self for others.

How I Try to Embody Values

I aim to continuously learn and grow to live aligned with these values, in and outside of my massage practice. How I’ve been implementing them includes but is not limited to:

• Being transparent about who I am, my practice, and boundaries;

• Explicitly stating the non-sexual, trauma-informed nature of my work;

• Verbalizing options for accommodations and supports, especially to those who have experienced trauma, or who hold marginalized identities;

• Offering ways of accessing therapeutic touch to those who are are unable to pay or cannot afford frequent work, through trading, sliding scale, and referrals;

• Empowering clients to speak up when they need anything at all to change, noting that this communication is mutually beneficial and always appreciated;

• Deeply appreciating and embracing all forms of feedback, resources, and suggestions to improve and grow as a person and in my practice;

• Being honest about the extent and limitations of my services, and the specific background/training behind my work;

• Offering information on local, state, and national resources to help support a diverse array of needs, particularly those of safety, food, and shelter (though not prescribing);

• Continuously seeking training and experiences that expand my ability to show up for myself and my community, particularly through my therapeutic practice; and

• Continuously looking inward and requesting reflection to challenge internalized patterns of thinking rooted in oppressive structures and systems, including White Supremacy and Patriarchy.

Training and Areas of Expertise

I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. I have studied and conducted peer-reviewed research on health and wellness disparities experienced by LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent folks, and LGBTQIA+ BIPOC folks. I’ve served in volunteer organizations that host supply drives for communities impacted by poverty or displacement. I’m a director at the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida and collaborate with leaders to promote LGBTQIA+ visibility, affirmation, and access to supportive resources.

I received my training in therapeutic massage and bodywork from the Florida School of Massage in Gainesville, FL. I was inspired by my own therapist and the way massage changed my life for the better – improving my connection to and relationship with my body, my ability to be flexible with challenges and mindfully self-regulate, and my authentic engagement with others.

In school, we studied Swedish, Connective Tissue, Polarity, Neuromuscular, Thai, and Sports massage modalities. I would describe my current approach as integrative and intuitive. I start with presence with my client and what’s going on in the body, ensure I’m meeting the person where they’re at by communicating and responding to what I feel in my hands, in my gut, and honoring what they tell me. Depending on the specific person, what they’re bringing to the session and what they’re looking for in our time together, I’ll utilize some combination of these various modalities and seek continuing education through peer-reviewed research, CEUs, and consultation with other LMTs or other providers.

What It Looks Like

For physical needs, I might focus on the intentions of improving circulation, lymph flow, releasing “knots”/hypertonic muscle tissue/adhesions, helping the client utilize muscles more efficiently and in a way less likely to induce injury, and offering stretching or other exercises to promote longterm change. I do this by lengthening, spreading, and differentiating muscles and tissue; facilitating active and passive stretching; and prompting movement or activation and release.

For emotional needs, I’ll take time to check in with your heart space, with the feelings and inner processes happening in the present moment. I’ll offer an active listening ear to stirring thoughts, and a compassionate and quiet holding of your lived truth. I also have a variety of books and virtual resources for mental health as well as other essentials.

For spiritual pieces, I might offer polarity or energy work that looks like stillness, then movement, and back to stillness. I take a bit more time to sit with what I’m noticing in my hands and my heart, to offer an opportunity for you to notice as well, and for things to naturally shift and move toward balance. Attempting to tap into the balancing process of expansion, pause, and contraction, I’ll encourage awareness and movement in specific intentional areas – connecting to parts of the body that seem relevant to those spiritual elements.