Shiatsu Therapy
- What is shiatsu?
- What are the benefits of shiatsu therapy?
- Shiatsu for pregnancy, labor, postpartum, and fertility support
- Community Shiatsu: an affordable alternative
- Biography
- Hours, locations, pricing, and discounts
Read about my shiatsu practice in the Providence Business News.
What is shiatsu?
Shiatsu is Japanese for "finger pressure". This traditional healing art from Japan is based on the same principles as acupuncture, except no needles are used. Instead, shiatsu uses finger and palm pressure, stretches, and massage techniques to help balance and restore the body's life energy. Shiatsu is traditionally performed on a futon mat, with clients fully clothed.
What are the benefits of shiatsu therapy?
Receiving a shiatsu treatment can renew your vitality, relieve your pain and stress, and make you more relaxed, renewed, and whole. In my ten years of professional practice, I have helped people seeking relief from stress, chronic pain, fatigue, repetitive strain injuries, headaches/migraines, digestive problems, respiratory ailments, and pregnancy-related discomfort.
Shiatsu for pregnancy, labor, postpartum and fertility support
Traditionally, shiatsu has been used by midwives in Japan to support a healthy pregnancy and labor. It is a safe and effective non-drug alternative for those seeking relief from back pain, sciatica, morning sickness, and exhaustion. Shiatsu is also useful in supporting fertility and preparing the body for a healthy pregnancy. I additionally provide trainings to moms and birth partners on the use of simple shiatsu and acupressure techniques for post-term induction and to ease labor pain. Shiatsu is also highly restorative for the postpartum months.
Community Shiatsu: an affordable alternative
In addition to my one-on-one treatments, I also practice a low-cost form of shiatsu called Community Shiatsu. In community shiatsu, couples, friends, or family members arrive together and each first receive a brief health evaluation from me. I then give each person safe and simple instructions on what pressure points to press on each other to address pain and illness and maintain wellness. Clients are asked to come back a month later for a professional reassessment of their condition, and received updated guidance on what more they can do with their hands to help each other. I recommend that my Community Shiatsu clients also experience Community Acupuncture at Providence Community Acupuncture.
Biography
I love practicing shiatsu therapy, and have given thousands of professional treatments since my graduation from the Boston Shiatsu School in 1998. In addition to my thirteen years of practice at Harvard University Health Services, I have worked at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (1999-2002) and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (1999-2003). I have studied shiatsu with Kikuko Miyazaki, Patricia Carusone, and Janet MacDonald. I have studied pregnancy shiatsu with Suzanne Yates, an authority on shiatsu for pregnancy and author of Shiatsu for Midwives. I teach shiatsu and traditional Chinese medicine for the Therapeutic Massage Program at the Community College of Rhode Island. I am a Registered Instructor with the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA) in shiatsu, and a Brown University cum laude graduate.
Hours, Locations, Pricing, and Discounts
HOURS AND LOCATIONS
Saturdays (8:00am to Noon): My
hours at 144 Waterman Street (Suite 4, on the second floor), just off of Hope Street, on
Providence's East Side near the Brown University campus. I share
the suite with acupuncturist Heather Dolan, DA, and thai massage
therapist
Kullawan Merola, CTMT.
Wednesdays and Fridays (9:30 am to 5:00pm): Available
for housecalls in the greater Providence area, in which I bring a
portable futon for a relaxing home treatment. A great
treat!
Mondays (12:00pm-2:00pm and 4:30-8:30pm): My hours at Harvard
University Health Services at Harvard Square, offering sessions to
Harvard University faculty, staff, students, alumni, and spouses.
To book a 50-minute shiatsu session or a 10-20 minute chair shiatsu
session, call the Center for Wellness and Health Communication at
617-495-9629.
PRICING
Shiatsu Therapy and Pregnancy Shiatsu: $50 for a 45-minute
session, $75 for a 60-minute
session, $105 for a 90-minute session.
Community Shiatsu : Sliding scale of $15-25 per person
(two person minimum), $30-$50 per couple.
DISCOUNTS!
--Pay for your treatment in Rhode Island Time Dollars by becoming a
member of the
New HOPE
Time Exchange. Membership is free!
--Reduce your carbon footprint by taking the bus to my office and I will
reimburse you the cost of your fare ($4)
--$10 discount on a 60 min treatment for frequent clients and Brown University students and staff. My shiatsu
practice participates in Brown's Bear
Bargains Program.
--20% discount to CCRI massage program graduates who have studied with
me.
--30% discount to armed services, veterans, and Americorps members.
--Save 10%-35% (depending on your tax bracket) if you have a Flexible
Spending Account by claiming your shiatsu sessions. To do this,
your doctor must fill out a
letter of medical necessity certifying that the shiatsu massage was
medically necessary.
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Thanks to Hannah Burr, Kristin Granli, and Jim Kelly.