Benefits of Massage Therapy for Children

Vanessa has always been fascinated with anatomy, the human-body, and its incredible abilities to heal, grow, and adapt! She is an active person who grew up playing competitive sports and had been interested in Massage Therapy as a career for as long as she can remember! She decided to finally go for it, and completed her 2200-hour program graduating with distinction, from Alberta College of Massage Therapy in 2021.

Vanessa has worked in the healthcare field for over 18 years, and before Massage she has worked as Medical Office Assistant in a GP’s Clinic (Specialized Sports Medicine), as well as a Chiropractic & Physiotherapy-Assistant; but she is most well-known in the Edmonton Birth Community as a Certified Labour-Birth Doula (CAPPA 2013). She’s also a Certified Babywearing Educator (CBS 2013), trained Postpartum Doula (CAPPA 2015), Childbirth Educator, and has taken her Spinning Babies® Workshop Training (2017).

Vanessa is passionate about treating the body as a whole, she practices from an evidence-based approach sprinkled with a holistic mindset, and would best describe herself as a “solid mix of science and spirit!” She believes in meeting people right where they’re at and trusts that working together as a team, and as a community, is where the magic in wellness really happens!

Biography

I have always been a very active person, from my years as a National level competitive swimmer, to now being a CrossFit junkie. Years ago, when I was still swimming, I got a terrible back injury which started my love for self-care. Going for massages was what helped me the most to heal from my injury, which is what made me want to become a massage therapist myself. After doing some yoga teacher trainings, I went to school for massage therapy and received my honours diploma in January 2020 from the Alberta Institute of Massage. In August of 2021, my husband and I decided to move from our hometown Medicine Hat to the big city of Edmonton! We have been loving it and decided to call the city home.

 

I absolutely love being a massage therapist. I love being able to help my clients every day and see how much better they feel after their treatments. I very much believe in a multidisciplinary approach to healing, and I want to be able to help my clients with a proper treatment plan to get them back to feeling their best. I have special interest in prenatal and postnatal massage, and I have taken further courses to become a birth doula. I also very often treat clients with neck and shoulder pain, back pain, sciatic pain, and am able to provide therapeutic treatments, deep tissue, or relaxation massage.

Biography 

I became a massage therapist in 2018 because I wanted to make a positive change in this world. I wanted a career where I could help people feel healthy and able to continue doing the things that they love. 

Over the last couple of years, I have been trained in **sports massage, myofascial remodeling, cupping, and prenatal massage.** I have had mentors from several different backgrounds varying between extreme deep tissue, therapeutic sports massage to the quiet craniosacral approach. Within my practice, I prefer incorporating all of my backgrounds to fit the specific reason my client is coming in. 

As an athlete, I know firsthand how debilitating injuries can be and how some symptoms never seem to go away. I use my experience from past injuries to help me understand where my clients are at and to formulate more sustainable treatment plans.  

When I’m not helping others heal you can find me exploring the outdoors with my two kids and our two pugs! 

I look forward to seeing you in my treatment room!