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)

Annie

Annie comes from a family of healers and believes in the profound positive impact of massage. She graduated from the New School for Massage and Bodywork in Chicago. She has her M.F.A. in poetry and is awed by the grace and mechanics of the human body. She uses a variety of techniques including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, and gentle stretching. Annie addresses the specific needs of her clients and provides a comfortable space to heal, whether they are looking to manage physical pain or relax and find relief from stress. Above all, Annie loves to help people remember that they can find comfort and healing power within their own bodies. (IL License 227019754)

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 227.020282

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)

Dina

A graduate of The New School for Massage, Dina is a former marketing executive within the insurance and telecommunications fields and new U.S. transplant that transitioned to health and mental care for those in need. She obtained her massage therapy license in 2018 to continue practicing massage therapy here in the U.S. as she did in her home country of Kazakhstan for the past 10 years. Her studies and experience abroad include a Masters in Psychology, certified craniosacral therapy massage, Thai, sport myofascial release massage and a host of others. (IL License 227.020813)

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)

Grace

After completing high school and before starting college, Grace enrolled at the New School for Massage. The plan was to pay for college using her massage license and not to worry about student loans or be a burden on family. The plan is working well and Grace is enjoying her new career and of being of service to others. She customizes each session to the clients' needs using myofascial release and triggerpoint techniques, IL License 227.020831

Hannah

Hannah is a graduate of the New School for Massage, Bodywork, and Healing in Chicago. She loves living out her commitment to addressing pain as a massage therapist. A session with Hannah consists of a blend of Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and Thai techniques—adaptable to the needs that arise in each session. She draws on previous experience as a crisis intervention worker to create a treatment space that invites clients into deeper connection with their bodies and further progress on their relaxation, recovery, or wellness goals. (IL License 227020574)

Hilary

Hilary is a graduate of the New School for Massage. She was introduced to Massage Therapy by her mother who is also a massage therapist. An avid yogi and meditator, Hilary believes that if there is tension on the mind it also manifests in the body; Massage Therapy is a way to access the mind's health through the body. In her practice, Hilary uses Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy as well as Thai Techniques and MFR. (IL Lic 227.019491)

Jaye

Jaye is a graduate from the New School for Massage & Bodywork and a certified yoga instructor. Teaching yoga since 2008, she has witnessed the strong connection between the mind and body and how decreasing stress positively affects an individual’s state of health and wellness. She has a deep respect for therapeutic massage and bodywork and how it promotes the body’s inherent healing abilities. Her specialties include Deep Tissue and Trigger Point therapy along with Swedish relaxation massage. Jaye’s intuitive touch and heartfelt presence enables her to customize the massage to your individual needs providing an overall restorative experience that helps your body and mind to relax and unwind. (IL Lic 227019920)

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)

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)

Milko

Milko is a graduate of The New School for Massage. He believes that we all have the innate ability to heal from the stresses of the life when given the right direction. Milko specializes in Swedish, deep tissue and trigger point massage (IL License 227.020902)

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)

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)

Rebekah

Rebekah is a graduate of The New School for Massage. Along with being a Licensed Massage Therapist, Rebekah is a professional dancer in Chicago. She uses her unique knowledge of muscles and movement to create treatment plans that are both clinical and relaxing. Rebekah’s style incorporates Swedish, deep and soft tissue manipulation to assist clients in achieving and maintaining their pain management and wellness goals. (IL License 227020109)

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)

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)

Tom

Tom is a 2006 graduate of the New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing, where he is currently a lead instructor. His continuing education has been in Table Thai Massage, and Shiatsu focused on back, neck, and shoulder problems. His sessions are a fusion of those eastern modalities and Swedish, deep tissue work, neuromuscular therapy, including trigger point work and PNF style stretches and elements of craniosacral therapy. A sense of spirituality and meditation practice keeps his sessions centered and client-focused. In addition to the River North Massage Therapy Center, Tom also works at the YMCA. (IL License 227.007582)

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)