Our Staff - therapists

Nichi received her training in California, and has worked here at the Massage Therapy Center for over 20 years. Her specialties are deep tissue, Swedish, trigger point therapy, Lomi Lomi, muscle stretching, reflexology, and prenatal massage. Nichi believes in using every technique in her massage toolbox to help her clients with both physical and emotional stress. Energetically, she approaches all treatments with a full and healing heart to allow the body to find true relief on a daily basis.

Napa is proficient in virtually every modality. She specializes in deep tissue, Swedish, sports, Thai, hot stone, reflexology and prenatal. She believes in working with the client to meet their needs and provide the highest quality care. She begins a session by warming up the body with acupressure and stretching techniques, then continues with some long relaxing strokes. She incorporates hot stone therapy to specific points in the body to help smooth away knots and muscle tensions on a deeper level. This type of combination therapy relieves stress, relaxes the muscles, and improves blood circulation. The end result is an energized body with reduced muscle tension and pain.

Mico has over a decade of experience as a Massage Therapist working in diverse settings that include health spas, luxury hotels, and a medical trauma and addiction recovery center. She likes to focus on the client’s individual needs by using predominantly deep tissue, Swedish, and ‘pin and stretch’ techniques. She feels her way through the massage using her hands and forearms predominantly, with elbows when needed. She also specializes in and adds into her sessions: lymphatic drainage massage, Cranial Sacral technique, reflexology, and Shiatsu. Mico especially recommends Cranial Sacral for clients who have had a traumatic injury, or who require a light touch to release tensions and conditions including ADD/ADHD, scoliosis, stress, migraines, and more!

Maria provides the ultimate in relaxing massages. She combines Swedish and Shiatsu with aromatherapy to immediately dissolve mental and physical stress. She spends a little extra time on the hands, feet, and head to calm the body and mind. She also specializes in foot reflexology and massage, pregnancy massage and has received additional training in this modality. In addition to her typical massage clients, Maria has a background of working with geriatric patients, including those with Alzheimer and Dementia diagnoses. She feels that these clients have helped her to understand how to bring true relaxation to all of her clients, and prides herself on this ability.

Hello everyone! My name is Charley and I’ve been a professional masseuse since 2018. I am highly requested for my deep tissue work and often praised for attention to detail on the neck, traps and shoulders. My strongest attribute is that I honestly love what I do so every session is a guaranteed amazing experience! Favorite hobbies include staying fit, strong and very active with my pets!

I enjoy assisting people find their deeply relaxing and peaceful state of mind and body. I am certified in ASTON-PATTERNING (myofascial release, spiralling fascial integrative massage, gait, movement and ergonomic training techniques), am a certified Shiatsu Anma practitioner with specialised instruction in Swedish, Lymphatic, Craniosacral, Prenatal, Reiki and Reflexology therapies. My interest in healing arts modalities began as a modern dancer. I received regular massage and Reiki treatments and quickly became inspired to become a massage and energy work professional. A fun fact about myself is that I moonlight as a potter 🙂

Izumi’s career began in 2002, when she became a Tamara Healer and learned Traditional Japanese Shiatsu from a mentor who graduated from Japanese Shiatsu College. Soon after, she became a Certified Spiritual Healing Practitioner and Massage Therapist. Izumi has also been a Yoga Therapy & Prenatal Yoga Teacher since 2013, and a Tamara Healing Teacher since 2014. She has worked in multiple wellness settings, including spas, medical facilities, and caregiving. Izumi has developed a strong understanding of the body and the distortions that can lead to pain and stress. Her massage technique is based on Traditional Japanese Shiatsu and is a unique combination of various treatments. She is happy to help determine which combination of techniques will be best for you. For example, for those who are muscular or have stiff muscles, stretch with a combination of Traditional Japanese Shiatsu (Pressure using fingers, elbows, and even knees) and Deep Tissue. This can be paired with long-strokes of lymphatic massage for helping relaxing muscles. For emotional stress, healing energy and lymphatic drainage massage of the neck and shoulders along with Swedish/Shiatsu combination or Meridian Lymphatic Massage (Lighter pressure point with long strokes) for relaxation. Her available modalities are: traditional Japanese Shiatsu, deep tissue/sports massage, Thai massage, Meridian Lymph massage, Swedish/Shiatsu Combination, Reflexology, prenatal, aromatherapy, energy work (Tamara Energy) (used in ultra-ancient civilization), and Craniosacral therapy.

Eric has been practicing in Southern California for 7 years. His specialty is Russian medical massage, which focuses on deep tissue and reciprocal inhibition techniques. He combines this method with other modalities to create unique treatment plans for each client. He uses very firm and increasing pressure on his clients, as light pressure is not effective for the type of massage he performs. Eric works to go far beyond clients’ requests by helping them to understand what is causing their pain and by guiding them through the healing process. He teaches his clients how to improve through a daily maintenance of stretches and exercises. A typical first session with Eric will be at least 60 minutes, as he requires that amount of time to fully assess the body and what is causing pain. He performs quick assessments to determine which muscles are overactive vs. underactive, and to locate the adhesions which are causing discomfort. After the first session, the focus will shift to breaking down the initial layer of tension and creating a space in the fascia to reduce inflammation. By the third session, clients will begin to learn maintenance work so they can further progress along their own path to healing.

Heather is a nationally board certified Massage Therapist and Bodyworker practicing since 2002 with strong teaching experience. Her specialties include TMJ, Neck, Upper/Lower Back, and Sciatica utilizing a combination of Deep Tissue and ancient Asia techniques. She is also a Psychologist, Ordained Clergy, and Energy Worker / Reiki Master who began working in Los Angeles at the start of 2018 after 15 years in Las Vegas. She comes here to share a modality she created utilizing Quantum Physics bypassing the conscious mind to access the subconscious and DNA via the body to alleviate past traumas stuck in the body by ‘relieving without reliving’ those traumas (non-talk therapy to heal the body/mind/spirit/soul).

Grace has been a massage therapist for over twenty-five years. She initially began her professional career at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. She was there trained by Physical Therapists in orthopedic massage, ultra-sound, and pre and post surgery exercises. She obtained her Massage Therapist Certificate at Santa Monica School of Massage where she received a thorough training in Deep Tissue, Swedish, Trigger Point Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage, Craniosacral, along with Shiatsu, Polarity, and Prenatal Massage Therapies. She has been at The Massage Therapy Center for over 18 years. Come in and see her. Thank you!

Natalie specializes in medical massage, sports therapy, therapeutic treatments, and possesses an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy.

 

Natalie’s primary focus is on providing her clients with exceptional care and personalized attention. She understands that each individual has unique needs and concerns, and therefore tailors her approach to address specific issues and promote overall well-being. Whether it’s aiding in pain management, alleviating tension, or enhancing mobility, Natalie is dedicated to helping her clients achieve their desired results.

 

Not only does Natalie excel in providing top-notch massage therapy, but she also goes above and beyond to offer valuable advice on exercises and postural improvements. With her extensive knowledge of the human body and its mechanics, she assists clients in adopting healthy habits and making positive lifestyle changes that can complement the benefits of their massage sessions.