Hi! I’m Suzanna, a Saint Louis native living in south Saint Louis city and a graduate of the Healing Arts Center.

My approach to massage is one that focuses attention on the specific needs of the individual. It is obvious and common knowledge that every physical body is unique, and I must agree as someone who works with many of them. Not only in appearance, but in sensitivity, history, injury - each calls for bespoke care. I have found that what someone is wanting out of a massage can vary so wildly, it is the first question I ask. This communication is key to understanding how to structure and pace any treatment. From here, I can more accurately and compassionately put together a massage specific to what is needed in the present moment.

My technique is largely guided by anatomy, physiology, therapeutic touch and intuitive techniques. Modalities used during a massage can vary depending on the area, and can include swedish massage, myofascial techniques, deep pressure, trigger point therapy, or passive stretching to name a few. Deep pressure might be great for shoulders and upper back, but too intense on legs or arms. Myofascial techniques might be most effective for the relief in a specific area. Without the need to decide on what “type” of massage one may seek, I’m able to use whatever techniques will be most effective. I believe it is the responsibility of the massage therapist to know which applications to use, guided by the information and directives of the client.

Massage offers a bounty of physiological benefits. One aspect of treatment which I find may be the most beneficial is the relief felt by the autonomic nervous system during and after a session. For the length of any treatment, you are required to do nothing but breathe. When liberated of the expectations to produce, consume, respond or perform, the body can relax. When in a space one can feel totally safe, the sympathetic nervous system can begin to deactivate and find moment of calm, as the parasympathetic nervous system regains control. This is a driving force for my practice. In a world that is rife with chaos, providing an individual with the experience of peace even for an hour is a service I’m honored to provide.