Rachel is a recent graduate of the 2024, 3000-hour Registered Massage Therapy program in Nelson, BC. She is currently awaiting her registration!
Rachel has a plethora of experience in the massage industry, including almost 500-hours of supervised clinic experience. She also had the pleasure of offering massage at the world-renowned Mountain Trek Resort in Ainsworth, BC for the spring and summer season of 2024. As well, Rachel received her Yoga Teaching Certification in the fall of 2021. All of these environments allowed her skills as a manual therapist, health practitioner, and space holder to expand greatly. They also allowed her to interact with a wide variety of individuals in the health industry, and to understand what “holistic health” really means (hint: it’s a little bit different for everyone). Rachel is a big advocate of person-centred care. This means working together with a client in regards to their goals, something that encourages the practice of clear communication, educated encouragement, and top-quality, knowledgable care. Rachel’s clients can feel like they she is on their team, and has their best interests in mind. Her natural skills as a space holder, cheerleader, and listener meet her crafted skills in the realm of manual therapy with great ease. She aims to create a safe, grounded, and inclusive environment in which individualized, experienced care can be received. Rachel is dedicated to honouring each individual just as they are. All of you is welcome!
Rachel is a very inspired student, and is looking forward to continuing to expand her knowledge of manual therapy and wellness through a holistic lens.
Rachel is a recent graduate of the 2024, 3000-hour Registered Massage Therapy program in Nelson, ...
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With a deep passion for holistic healing and extensive experience in retreats and spas, Carmen provides personalized massage tailored to your unique needs. Dedicated to helping you achieve your health and wellness goals, Carmen creates a welcoming space for you to unwind, release stress, and focus on self-care.
Trained in various modalities, from deep tissue to light touch techniques, each session is crafted to promote relaxation, presence, and reduced body tension. Carmen is a recent graduate of the rigorous 3000-hour RMT program at Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences and is preparing for her RMT licensing exam in September 2024. Until then, she offers sessions at a reduced rate and is not yet billable to extended health plans.
Outside of her practice, Carmen embraces an active lifestyle and enjoys climbing, hiking, skiing, mountaineering, yoga, swimming, and dancing within her vibrant community.
With a deep passion for holistic healing and extensive experience in retreats and spas, Carmen pr...
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I’ve had a lifelong passion for movement & health. Growing up in Ontario, my favourite
activities were gymnastics, water sports, and anything outdoors or artistic & creative. I
started coaching gymnastics at age 14, in high school where I discovered my passion
for psychology & philosophy. I went to study both in university while I continued
coaching, & explored other movement practices in martial arts, yoga, & trail running.
After university I spent time teaching therapeutic yoga, and dreaming of a life in the
mountains that fit my lifestyle. I moved to BC in 2017 and continued teaching yoga,
fitness, & freestyle trampoline. The time came to upgrade my education, & I enrolled in
school to become an RMT and refine my knowledge of health and understanding of the
body. Outside of my RMT practice, I love learning & taking courses, and I am a very
active person who spends time outdoors. I love movement flow, weights, jiu jitsu,
breathwork, and generally living a healthy lifestyle. As an RMT I use gentle force & deep
listening skills to assist tissues towards healing. I am fascinated with the nervous,
lymphatic, & fascial systems, and all parts that make humans whole. I love learning &
am curious about how I can refine my facilitation of healing for everyone.
I’ve had a lifelong passion for movement & health. Growing up in Ontario, my favourite
activi...
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Carissa’s interest in movement, the body-mind and holistic health began at a young age - growing up as an athlete led her to coaching sport and teaching yoga, with a keen desire to support the overall wellness of individual’s. This eventually led her to complete her massage training in Alberta in 2018, and she has since transferred over to the College in BC. Her experience, background and continued education has helped her bridge conventional health care and holistic healing to support the people she works with to feel at home in their body. She has a passion for integrating the different aspects of her training to support her clients in reducing chronic pain, stress and tension, recovering or adapting to illness or injury, and improving strength, stability, energy and ease. As a therapist she approaches healing through the lens of the whole person and their body-mind, considering their lifestyle and unique experiences in creating an individualized treatment plan that allows for clients to connect to the different dimensions of their health.
Carissa loves getting to work and play in the Kootenays, and in her spare time you can usually find her out in nature with her dog Dug!
Carissa’s interest in movement, the body-mind and holistic health began at a young age - growing ...
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Angie grew up sharing her time between the mountains of the Kootenays and ocean sands of the WestCoast.
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After her many travels, she landed in Toronto where she completed her Massage Therapy studies from ICT Kikkawa College in 2010. She happily moved home in 2014 when she was able to transfer her credentials.
Angie focuses on relaxing soft tissue and fascial restriction, allowing for better mobility and decreased pain within the body.
She uses a variety of techniques from Swedish to Biodynamic Myofascial Mobilization to Cranialsacral.
Her goal is to provide personalized care to each patients needs.
Having worked thru a serious debilitating injury herself , she is sensitive to hearing exactly what the patient needs at the time of the appointment and what type of care they will benefit from, as well as after care to bring home with them.
She enjoys contributing to her clients health and being part of her health care community.
When she is not working , she is outdoors enjoying the beauty that is the Kootenays.
Angie grew up sharing her time between the mountains of the Kootenays and ocean sands of the Wes...
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New Acupuncture clients welcome! Not currently accepting new Massage Therapy clients.
Denise is a registered therapist of both Acupuncture and Massage Therapy
Her career in the Holistic Healing Arts began with the completion of a 4 year diploma in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture at Oshio College, Victoria, in 2005. After several years of practice as a Registered Acupuncturist, she continued her education with the Massage Therapy program at OVCMT in Vernon, graduating with honours in 2015.
Denise’s interest in the healing arts came from the decision to take health into own hands, and find natural solutions to the impact of everyday life on overall well being. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, any kind of dis-ease in the being (including mental-emotional) is due to a disruption in the flow of life force (Qi), through energetic channels in the body. This can result in imbalances in the channels and organ systems, and cause corresponding physical, mental and emotional disharmony. Her goal with each treatment is to unravel areas of tension that hinder this energetic flow, resolving pain and restoring the body’s innate ability to correct imbalances.
Massage techniques include acupressure, tuina techniques (Traditional Chinese Meridian Massage), myofacial, and neuromuscular therapies integrated into a deeply relaxing Swedish style massage.
Denise’s acupuncture technique is gentle, recognizing the need to provide a pleasant and pain free experience, without compromising effectiveness. Cupping, acupressure massage and food cure recommendations may be integrated into treatment.
Denise has also completed two 200hr Yoga Teacher Training course, one of which in India, and has spent several years teaching.
Aside from career, Denise’s greatest joy comes from time spent with her family and friends, puttering around the house and yard, and exploring and enjoying this beautiful corner of the world we get to call home.
Looking forward to meeting you!
New Acupuncture clients welcome! Not currently accepting new Massage Therapy clients.
Denise is ...
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Katherine Donovan,
Board Certified Structural Integrator, Registered Massage Therapist.
Katherine began her career in physical rehabilitation with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, graduating from Simon Fraser University in 1996. She worked as a Kinesiologist/Exercise Therapist for 5 years before returning to school to study Massage Therapy at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in Vancouver, BC (graduating in 2002).
Her focus and passion has been doing KMI (Kinesis Myofascial Integration), a form of Structural Integration (similar to Rolfing), where she studied with Tom Myers in Walpole, Maine 2008. This work has shifted her sense of self, both physically and emotionally and has added a valuable aspect to her practice. It has renewed her interest in how the body can achieve a higher level of function, and feels that this work really is a gateway to the deeper understanding of health and well-being. Katherine is currently studying in Neural and Visceral Manipulation and is integrating these techniques as part of her global approach to the body. She has also completed the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training and hopes to bring more of a movement aspect to her sessions.
She is a Registered Massage Therapist, Certified KMI Practitioner.
The design of KMI is to unwind the strain patterns residing in your body’s locomotors system, restoring it to its natural balance, alignment, length, and ease. Common strain patterns come about from inefficient movement habits, and our body’s response to poorly designed cars, desks, telephones, and airplanes, etc. Individual strain patterns can come from the invasions of injury or surgery or birth, and from our body’s response to traumatic episodes. As well, gestures can become a habit, which becomes a posture and eventually lodges in our structure. KMI is designed to unwind this process and reduce structural stress. The method depends on a unique property of the body’s connective tissue network.
The basic KMI 12 series creates the foundation and adaptability to change. It guides the client session by session to a higher level of body awareness and healthy states, naturally healing one’s self.
If you are new to KMI Structural Integration or have never done a Structural session, we strongly recommend doing the basic 12 session series.
As Katherine is a Registered Massage Therapist, you may claim your sessions in your extended medical plan.
Katherine Donovan,
Board Certified Structural Integrator, Registered Massage Therapist.
Kather...
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Kimberley is a graduate from the Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences’ 3000-hour Registered Massage Therapy Program. She is a Kootenay local excited to embark on this new career in her community.
She believes healing is a multifaceted practice which is just that; a practice, which takes time and attention. Working with the nervous system is an integral part of this work. She integrates working with the nervous system and soft tissues by tuning into a client’s breath and aims to reduce dysfunction by bringing slide and glide to the tissues.
Kimberley’s journey includes her own healing from various injuries and believes that when you learn to work with them, rather than against them, you can start to feel at home in one’s body. She also previously worked as a Support Worker where she learned to assess, support, and facilitate various needs in individualized ways. This personal journey sparked her interest in becoming an RMT focused on a person-centered practice. Kimberley is excited and inspired to pursue hands-on experience and continued learning to further support her client’s needs. She values that learning is a lifelong process.
Kimberley aims to prioritize balance- mental and physical health being key components. In her free time, she enjoys: the outdoors, gardening, hiking, camping, climbing, spending time with her loved ones and fur babies. She feels honoured to be part of your journey and looks forward to meeting you.
Kimberley is a graduate from the Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences’ 3000-h...
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Michelle is a manual therapist studying at the Canadian School of Osteopathy Manual Practice in her fifth and final year of study. Her approach to therapy is informed by years of post-secondary study, athletic conditioning, and self-study of various healing modalities.
Michelle has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and previously worked primarily with maternity and pediatric populations. After experiencing burnout and witnessing patients struggle with chronic pain and illnesses, she transitioned to manual therapy to focus on proactive health and wellness. After personally experiencing the benefits of osteopathic manual therapy, Michelle is committed to helping clients find their inherent health and wellness. Her goal is to identify the root cause of your concerns to prevent pain and symptoms from returning.
Manual therapy treatments utilize an osteopathic approach that gently mobilizes joints, muscles, fascia, organs, and cranial membranes to ease pain and restrictions while improving wellness. Treatment styles and techniques may include gentle joint mobilization, cranial tension balancing, myofascial release, trigger point release, targeted muscle activation, and visceral (internal organs) techniques.
Michelle is a manual therapist studying at the Canadian School of Osteopathy Manual Practice in h...
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Heather graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy-Victoria in 2003. She is a registered therapist in good standing with the College of Massage Therapists of BC and a member of the Registered Massage Therapists of BC.
Heather uses a combination of deep tissue ,fascial and passive stretching techniques to obtain a thorough and skillful release of pain and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal and nervous system. Her treatments address both mental health concerns of stress and acute and chronic pain. Patients leave with tools to continue to heal, maintain joint and soft tissue mobility and a better sense of their body as a whole.
Heather graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy-Victoria in 2003. She is a regis...
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Jenny’s focus is person-centered care, working closely with the client on their goals to ensure professional excellence in responsible care and serving the best interests of the client.
A firm touch is natural to Jenny, though she can modify to each person’s needs, as requested and necessary.
Above all, she believes in listening to and honouring each person and their unique needs, creating a safe and supportive space to facilitate deep relaxation and wellness.
Jenny’s focus is person-centered care, working closely with the client on their goals to ensure p...
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Chase began his career as a coach and athletic director in high school and collegiate athletics. He has earned a Bachelor of Sports and Exercise from the University of Wisconsin Parkside, and a Masters in Athletic Administration from Central Washington University. Later turning his focus to Massage Therapy, he completed his RMT training at MH Vicars School of Massage of Massage Therapy.
As an RMT, Chase’s focus is in restoring function and reducing pain with the coupling of massage and restorative movement. During massage treatments, he focuses on what the client needs, which often involves a variety of methods such as deep tissue and fascial release techniques.
Chase’s special areas of interest are fascial release, athletic performance, post-orthopaedic surgery, pregnancy massage, and treatment of musculoskeletal issues.
When not working, Chase can often be found on his mountain bike, hiking or skiing the Kootenay backcountry, or baking sourdough bread. He is a believer in living a balanced life, and nurturing the parts of ourselves that bring the most happiness.
Chase began his career as a coach and athletic director in high school and collegiate athletics. ...
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I have been working in Castlegar as a Registered Massage Therapist for the last 5 years. I am grateful and honoured to be a part of people’s healing journey.
I offer treatments using different techniques such as myofascial release, Swedish massage, deep tissue, trigger point release, joint mobilization, and passive stretch.
As a massage therapist, my goal is to facilitate well-being and healing by listening to each client’s specific needs and inviting them to be an active part of the journey.
Outside of the clinic, I enjoy cultivating a healthy lifestyle by working out & cooking, fly fishing, spending time in nature & reading.
I have been working in Castlegar as a Registered Massage Therapist for the last 5 years. I am gra...
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Jessica graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2016 and is in good standing with the College of Massage Therapists of BC.
She practices holistic massage therapy and regularly incorporates Deep Tissue, Relaxation, Myofascial Release, Active Release and general Swedish techniques in her treatments.
Jess aims to customize each session to meet the goals of the individual through therapeutic and relaxing treatments followed by tailored homecare exercises.
Whether you are looking for a relaxation massage, seeking relief from a chronic condition or recovering from an injury, she consistently offers informed treatments.
Jessica looks forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your wellness goals.
Jessica graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2016 and is in good standing ...
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