Our Staff

Alex

Alex graduated from the New School for Massage in 2014. He specializes in Swedish/deep tissue relaxation massage; he uses a variation of techniques that include Thai –Shiatsu, sport massage, and myofascial techniques to cater to clients specific needs. Alex believes that health starts from the inside out and massage is a great step towards body awareness and becoming aware of our body’s needs. (IL License 227.018256)

Alisa

Bio Coming Soon

Ashley

Ashley graduated from the New School For Massage. She works with the following techniques: Swedish, Sports, Trigger point, Deep Tissue, and gentle stretching techniques. She can perform these individually or create a fusion of these techniques to meet the clients needs. When Ashley works with clients she creates a space that is professional and comfortable while being able to discuss and apply proper techniques as to what you are looking for. She has a lot of experience working with people in a one on one manner from her experience in teaching yoga, dance, and fitness. She has been teaching dance since 2010 and yoga since 2012. She am extremely dedicated to creating a nurturing and beneficial environment for students and clients. In her massage sessions she strives towards creating a space for clients to embody a pleasant state of relaxation while getting to the roots of the client's condition and overall needs for the massage. IL License 227.020282Bio coming soon

Barb

Barb graduated from The New School for Massage in 2003. She customizes her massage sessions for wellness or pain relief by drawing on her years of clinical and spa experience, work with diverse populations and chronic conditions, and hundreds of continuing education hours in various modalities such as hand and foot reflexology, infant and pregnancy massage, acupressure, and indian head massage. She is available for soothing therapeutic massage, deep tissue, invigorating sports massage, or pregnancy massage. (IL License 227.003740)

Craig

Craig is a third-generation massage therapist, following in the footsteps of his mother and both grandparents. Massage and natural health were always a part of his childhood. Headaches were never treated with aspirin, but rather foot rubs! For the past 15 years he has been practicing and teaching various styles of massage, including: Swedish, Medical and Sports Massage, and Esalen, Shiatsu and Healing Touch. He recently returned from Asia where he studied Traditional Chinese Medicine. (IL License 227.019188)

Denise

As a fresh graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago (“UIC”) with degree in Psychology, Denise always had a dream of becoming a law-enforcement agent. In preparation for the physical exams required among different agencies, Denise started working out regularly and began to experience the health benefits that come along with regular exercise. Not only did she experience the benefits, she also started to experience workout injuries. Through an unrest with the status quo treatment of Western medicine, Denise researched different alternative therapies to help her keep from being injured. Through that research and education Denise fell in love with movement and massage along with the healthy benefits she experienced from these natural forms of therapy. From that love of movement and healing, Denise pursued a Certification from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a Certification in Pilates from Balance Body, and most recently completed a Massage Therapy program at the New School for Massage in Chicago to become a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT). What Denise finds to be the most rewarding in her work is being able to empower people with tools to further their own self-care and providing them relief through massage. (IL License 227021144)

Emmanuel

Emmanuel B. has been licensed in the State of Illinois since 2005. He started his massage therapy path in the mid 1980s while at the same pursuing a parallel path that included electrical engineering, information sciences, teaching, and eventually business administration and entrepreneurship. After keeping the two paths separate for years, he brought his diverse skills together in early 2001 to develop The New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing, a private vocational school specializing in massage therapy. In early 2011, Emmanuel created the River North Massage Therapy Center, to provide quality therapeutic massage at reasonable prices in a friendly and professional setting. Emmanuel's massage therapy style is a fusion of deep tissue, PNF stretching, sports massage, and craniosacral techniques and is best suitable for relaxation and pain relief. (IL License 227.001888)

Iryna

Iryna is a dedicated therapist and constantly learning new modalities and improving herself. Certified in 4 levels of Thai Massage in Thailand ITM Chang Mai Thai Massage School, Certified from New School for Massage and Healing, Certified Yoga Instructor and Licensed Massage Therapist, she combines all her knowledge and intuition into massage fusion that includes: stretching, soft and deep tissue manipulations, fascia release, acupressure and more that brings release and relaxation to your body. Rejuvenate and restore yourself with Iryna’s massage treatment. IL Lic 22707940

Jeana

Jeana’s journey of wellness began in 2004 as a personal trainer. Adding to her knowledge of the body she also became a certified holistic health coach and yoga instructor. As a massage therapist she brings a wealth of wellness knowledge to clients. Her focus is to help bring the client to full relaxation while identifying and relieving muscular tension and down regulating the nervous system. IL Lic 227021612

Jessica

Jessica is excited to be a part of the River North Massage team. She is an actor and improviser who loves entertaining people. Her work as a actor has really encouraged her to develop body awareness and awareness of the human condition. As licensed massage therapist, it is her goal to bring relief to the body and mind through the physical connection created by massage and the manual manipulation of tissue. She loves all animals and all people and strives to bring a touch of that love to every massage. IL Lic 227021684

Lara

The bodywork Lara practices ranges from gentle to very firm/deep, working through fascia and muscle using a variety of methods that will leave you feeling 'more at home' in your own body and armed with ways to maintain that status until the next session. Certified for Prenatal massage and experienced with a variety of clients and conditions - each session with her is entirely client-focused, and she'll assess and investigate soft tissue issues throughout the body while helping you to achieve relaxation and/or improved function. A current member of the AMBP, Lara is also a graduate from the New School for Massage, Bodywork and Healing. (IL License 227.017960)

Mariana

Mariana started her career in health 10 years ago in Brazil. Since then she has been working with healing in different ways. Also holding a diploma as a physical therapist in Brazil, Mariana graduated from New School for Massage and Bodywork in Chicago. She works with Swedish, Sports Massage, Deep tissue, Stretching and Thai techniques and likes to combine all of them to always provide an amazing experience for her clients with positive results and good energy. Mariana also is certified in lymphatic drainage massage. (IL License 227021089)

Marlin

Marlin is a graduate of the New School for Massage. She was introduced to Massage Therapy after experiencing the healing effects of massage in her own life. She specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Sports Massage and Myofascial Release. Marlin loves being an LMT because she gets the chance to help people get rid of pain through therapeutic touch. In her spare time, Marlin likes to dance, meditate, and go on bike rides. (IL Lic 227.019707)

Michelle

Michelle is a graduate of The New School for Massage. She believes that compassionate touch can help relieve stress of everyday life. She uses Swedish, Deep Tissue, and stretching techniques to target specific muscles that need attention or to promote overall relaxation. (IL License 227.017947)

Namiko

Namiko was born and raised in Japan and lived in Colorado for 10 years where she pursued a successful career in Finance. An avid runner, skier and cyclist, who loves nature, traveling and food, Namiko eventually traded the corporate world for a career in health and wellness. She became a RYT Alliance yoga teacher and later moved to Chicago where she enrolled at The New School for Massage in 2017. She is always enthusiastic about wellness and is truly inspired by bodywork and uses yoga is her daily self care practice. She recently acquired Reiki certification in Japan and has trained in both eastern and western Reiki. She also holds level 1 Myofascial Release therapy certificate. In her sessions, she blends trigger points techniques, stretches, range of motion and myofascial release. She always creates a safe place for her clients and helps them relax and let go of stress, pain and anything that hinders their well being. (IL License 227.020997)

Oribi

Bio coming soon

Riki

Riki is a graduate of New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing and The University of Iowa. Once plagued with chronic lower back pain, she was able to find relief through manual therapy and massage; benefits she now aspires to share with her clients. Riki provides individualized treatments focused to treat the entire issue – not just the current pain – to provide therapy that outlasts the treatment session. (IL License 227.015675)

Russ

After majoring in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Medicine at James Madison University (VA), Russ continued in his career path of finding ways to help relieve pain, which led him to massage therapy. A massage therapist since 2006, Russ approaches massage by looking at the entire body for the source of discomfort, not just the location of pain, in order to truly help his clients long-term. He also incorporates his knowledge of sports medicine and Kinesiology to help recommend stretches and changes in everyday life to help clients maintain a more pain free lifestyle. Russ specializes in Swedish, deep tissue and trigger point massage. (IL License 227.017712)

Simone

Simone is a New School for Massage graduate. She tailors her techniques for relaxation, pain relief, and improved mobility. Her specialties include Swedish massage, myofascial release, and joint mobilizations and has certification in Oncology and Breast cancer massage. Simone loves meeting new clients and working with them to improve their health. IL License 227020668

Stan

Stan is a graduate of The New School for Massage. He first became interested in massage therapy as a runner. After running long distances he realized that for better results you need a proper recovery. He got in touch with massage therapy benefits and it turned to be his dream job. Stan truly believes that everyone should incorporate massage in their life to affect not only physical health, but emotional, mental and spiritual. He specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue and Sports Massages. IL License 227021608

Tara

Tara is a licensed massage therapist, musician, dancer, artist and graduate of The New School for Massage. A daughter of doctors, she grew up fascinated with bodies and the world of healing. As a performer, she developed a deep understanding of the body and the energy that runs through all of us. She firmly believes that awareness and respect for the body, even in the face of stress, injury and illness, can open a window to healing, wholeness and some much deserved inner peace. She will tailor your massage to address your unique physical needs and create a space of acceptance. She is a great listener and intuitive practitioner. Her sessions can include Swedish, Deep Tissue, Myofascial, Trigger Point and gentle stretching/mobilizations. (IL Lic. 227019675)

Virginia

Virginia studied at the New School of Massage after she decided on a career change from teaching art in the Chicago Public Schools. Massage has always been a positive part of Virginia’s life. Having grown up with many siblings in a very physically active household, they enjoyed sharing massages at young age. Now she continues to honor massage for its benefits in mind, body and spirit as well as in preventative care.Virginia feels fortunate to spend her days spreading the joy of massage to others. She works with her clients to achieve their goals for the session, and help them feel more refreshed, both physically and mentally.

In her spare time, Virginia enjoys running and biking along the Lake Shore Path. She compliments it with regular stretching and strengthening through Pilates & Yoga. (IL License 227.016633)

Will

Will believes that smooth communication gives way to the best massages. Integrating personal client preferences with his passion for anatomy, health, and physical well-being, Will is able to provide a tailored massage to relax or invigorate the body and everything in between. With a goal to melt knots into muscle, Will enjoys the opportunity to truly address a client’s ailments and have them walk away as one person rather than a list of complaints. Currently a nursing student at Rush University, Will constantly looks for ways to foster a welcoming environment for the massage therapist in the medical world-having personally seen the benevolent impact of massage on the body, it’s about time that we focus on the care in healthcare. (IL License 227021105)