This blog is sponsored by the Myco Clinic.
Tell us about yourself, your career, and your practice.
I am a licensed massage therapist with more than two decades of extensive study, clinical practice, and teaching experience. I graduated from the New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts in 2001, and I specialize in neuromuscular therapy, myofascial bodywork, sports massage, and Thai yoga therapy. Additionally, I have completed more than 1,000 hours of training from the Kripalu School of Ayurveda.
My work is a somatically informed fusion of Western and Eastern therapeutic massage and bodywork modalities, and my intention is to promote vital health and embodied well-being by correcting myofascial asymmetries and restoring balance to the nervous system. I provide a warm, intuitive, and therapeutically precise approach to all my treatments. I am passionate about serving humanity through a compassionate presence and skilled nurturing touch.
What are you focused on in your practice?
I have developed a multimodal treatment protocol that I have found to be a powerful healing tool. It is an extended session that starts with an infrared sauna to soften and relax soft tissue before further treatments. Next, I perform myofascial release to help free muscle tissue from tight fascia, allowing more access to those muscles for the next step, which is a therapeutic Swedish massage. This relaxes the body while increasing circulation to the treated areas. Once the body is relaxed and there is optimal blood flow, I use trigger-point therapy to target areas of acute and chronic injury deep within the muscle belly. I stretch the muscles to increase their range of motion and pliability and to promote ongoing tissue health. The treatment session ends with a revitalizing cold plunge. It’s extremely fulfilling to see clients who come into my office in pain and feeling stressed and depleted to leave feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and pain-free.
You recently became aware of mushroom-based topicals. Tell us about them.
I have always been aware of mushrooms as oral supplementation in Eastern healing traditions and of their therapeutic benefits. I recently discovered mushroom-based topical products, including reishi, lion’s mane, Cordyceps, and shiitake, and incorporated them into my practice. It was exciting to discover a topical product that includes not only mushrooms but other botanicals whose therapeutic benefits I’m familiar with, such as arnica, turmeric, and jojoba oil. I’ve also become aware of the significant research validating the healing value that traditional Chinese medicine assigned to these extraordinary mushrooms.
Tell us about your recent experience using mushroom-based topicals.
I like applying these products directly to the body areas I’m working on. I use a mushroom-based oil for Swedish massage, especially in the setting of my multimodal treatment protocol. Clients love the way it feels and the way it smells—it has a pleasant citrus scent. When a client has acute or chronic inflammatory pain, I often recommend a mushroom-based ointment for daily self-care. I’ve received a tremendous amount of positive feedback about the relief it provides. Every client who’s taken it home has reported feeling less pain while using the product. That has made me even more excited about continuing to explore the benefits of using mushroom-based products in my practice.
For more information, visit myco-clinic.com/.