Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist
Certified Massage Therapist
Certified Somatic Therapist

Personal History:

In 1994, I suffered from a Repetitive Strain Injury. It hurt my arms and hands to bring a fork to my mouth or dial the telephone, and I gave up the computer completely. I went to many doctors and therapists, but at that time, few people truly knew about this type of injury. The symptoms kept getting better and worse – it was very confusing.

Over time, I recovered through a combination of my own exploration of my body, myofascial therapies, physical therapy, and various movement arts. The process of healing taught me as much as my formal training. I remember after giving up on one more therapist, I joined a gym and spent hours in the pool, hot tub, and sauna developing a routine for myself that felt good and did not hurt. One day in the sauna I discovered that a particular combination of stretch and pressure on my neck felt unusually satisfying, though somewhat painful. My arms felt better afterwards, and they did not get worse again. Later, when I discovered myofascial therapies and massage, I learned that without realizing it I had inactivated trigger points in my scalene muscles in my neck, which commonly cause pain in the arms. As far as I’m concerned, I walked out of that sauna a bodyworker because after that, I could help myself and others with the knowledge I had gained.

This early experience of pain, dysfunction, self-discovery, and healing left me fascinated by the human body, the emotional and mental aspects of living with and recovering from chronic pain, and the power of skillful touch-based therapies to effect deep change. I decided to enter the field professionally.

Professional History

In 1998, I completed the Somatic Therapy program at the Heartwood Institute, which included certification in Massage Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Somatic Therapy, Polarity Therapy, and training in deep-tissue massage, myofascial release, cranio-sacral therapy, body-mind counseling, and breathwork.

In 1999, I completed a certificate program in St. John’s Neuromuscular
Therapy.

From 1999-2002, I was a therapist on staff at the
Myofascial Pain Treatment in San Francisco, which specialized in
work-related injuries. At the same time I established a private practice in Berkeley where I offered massage as well as myofascial therapies.

In 2002, I earned my board certification as a Certified Myofascial Trigger
Point Therapist.

In 2003, I dedicated myself to my private practice full time. At that time it was called East Bay Myofascial and Somatic Therapy. Now it is called In Touch Therapies.

Currently, I am preparing for doctoral studies in Physical Therapy, training formally in Rosen Method, and learning informally about Rolfing and ART (Active Release Technique).

Martial Arts, Yoga, Vipassana meditation, Focusing, Feldenkrais, Pilates, Reevaluation Co-Counseling all influence my practice.

Before entering the bodywork field, I did research in AIDS related clinical
epidemiology at Boston University, and prior to that earned a BA from Harvard University in American Deaf Studies.

In Touch Therapies
myofascial, somatic, massage

2428 Dwight Way, #9
Berkeley, CA 94704

510 551-9539
email us