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.

Cindy

After several years in hospitality management, Cindy transitioned into massage therapy and graduated from the New School of Massage in 2022. Now a proud member of the River North Massage team, she is thrilled to collaborate with her mentors and peers from school. Cindy specializes in relaxation massage, blending her reiki certification and energy work into her sessions, allowing her to intuitively address her clients' needs

Crystal

Crystal began her journey in Media Arts and Animation, where she used 3D visual simulations to help children with learning disabilities. As she explored different career paths, she felt drawn to massage therapy, leading her to study at the New School for Massage and becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist. Crystal is skilled in various techniques, including Swedish and deep tissue massage, myofascial release, guasha, cupping, and stretching. She's dedicated to providing relaxing and effective treatments that help alleviate pain and tension. Being an active individual herself, she enjoys working with athletes to help them improve performance and recover faster. When she's not working, Crystal still has a soft spot for animation and enjoys her creative projects.

Cristina

Cristina came to her work as a massage therapist out of a lengthy and fortunate career as a performer, an athlete, and an avid practitioner of holistic wellness. A proud graduate of the New School for Massage Healing and Bodywork, Cristina draws on techniques from Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Stretching and Mobilization, and Thai-Shiatsu to build customized sessions to support each client’s individual needs. Her background as a performer, runner, and cyclist have gifted her an acute awareness of the body, a great respect for pain, and a deep appreciation of healthy and nourishing indulgence. Her approach is at once thoughtful and intuitive and always centered around her client’s needs…No one knows your body better than you!

Gabby

Gabby is a Graduate of the New School for Massage who is currently studying BioSciences at DePaul University to ultimately obtain her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. She specializes in deep tissue, trigger point therapy, myofascial release and sports massage. Her approach is client focused, intuitive, and targeted. Her work is geared towards increased client performance, mobility, and flexibility. Gabby’s interest in healing and bodywork stemmed from her own positive experiences with massage and physical therapy that were critical for her recovery from sports related injuries. In her free time she loves to talk with friends, hang out by the lake, and play various sports.

Hope

Hope is a graduate of the New School for Massage, Bodywork, and Healing. She comes from a background in the service industry, and is enjoying the transition to a more mindful, healthy, and healing career. She tailors her work to each client and their particular needs, with a focus in Swedish relaxation techniques. She promotes incorporating whole body health, including breathwork, mindfulness, and gratitude into her practice.

Juan

Juan, a 2012 graduate of the Cortiva Institute, is an esteemed instructor at The New School for Massage. He uses therapeutic massage for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, optimizing movement and athletic performance, and general rehabilitation. He is a certified Nutrition and Wellness Coach, Board Certified Massage Therapist through NCBTMB, and certified for Manual Lymphatic Drainage through the Klose Institute. His work background has been in chiropractic environments and fitness centers, including FFC and XSport Fitness.

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.

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.

Matthew

Matt decided to become a licensed massage therapist after experiencing the benefits of massage to help heal from years of skateboard injuries. As a graduate of the New School for Massage, Matt combines various mindful and intuitive massage techniques to relieve stress and alleviate pain. In his free time he enjoys hanging out with his animals, being in nature and learning Spanish.

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.

Natalia

Natalia comes from a background specifically centered around physical and mental wellbeing. Natalia holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and is a graduate from New School of Massage. Prior to beginning her career as a Massage Therapist, Natalia was a General Manager at a fitness center and Activity Director at a hospital. Natalia has the skillset to accommodate her client’s needs and improve their overall wellbeing using a variety of techniques such as Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point, Myofascial and Stretching. Her goal is having her clients relax, decrease their pain and have them leave refreshed. When Natalia is not at the clinic, you will find her spending time outside with her dog, Roxy, staying active, and laughing with friends and family.

Patricia

Patricia is a graduate of the New School for Massage, in Chicago's River North. She is profoundly passionate about the holistic approach to healing and finds it rewarding to know she is of service to those needing therapeutic touch. She enjoys working with clients needing in need of pain management and stress reduction. Her top modalities are Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Cupping Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage and Prenatal massage. In her spare time, Patricia enjoys spending quality time with her three daughters and enjoying family vacations such as road trips and exploring many different beautiful sceneries.

Qiana

With a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Communications, and a successful career in management, Qiana found herself drawn to the holistic and therapeutic world of massage. Recognizing the importance of maintaining her own health as a cornerstone of her new career, she decided to enroll in massage school to pursue her passion for helping others. Embracing a more hands-on approach to wellness as a licensed massage therapist, her unique blend of business acumen, personal well-being, and genuine empathy positions her to make a meaningful impact in her new field.

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.

Sarah

Sarah is a graduate of The New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing. She enjoys using a combination of Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy and Myofascial Release techniques to melt away muscle tension. Her goal is always to create a comfortable space for her clients to experience the benefits that massage can offer including relaxation, stress reduction and pain management. Outside of massaging, you will probably find her rock climbing, doing yoga, walking her dog or tending to her many houseplants.

Suzanne

Suzanne is a graduate of the New School for Massage, Bodywork and Healing, and has a degree in Theatre from Purdue University. She was drawn to massage because it allows her to be fully present while helping people relieve pain and reduce stress through positive touch. Suzanne aims to provide a massage that is detailed and provides muscular relief, while also being intensely relaxing for the client. She loves helping to bring awareness to her clients and help them understand their own bodies. She always tries to create a space that feels safe, comforting, and free from judgment so the client can feel at ease. In her free time, you can find Suzanne dancing at live music, biking on the North Branch Trail or just hanging out with her cats.

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.