I am a 2007 graduate of Hired Hands University, in Chicago. Since then, i’ve spent several years working in Chicagoland, Florida and now my home base, Chicago. As a massage therapist, I am able to provide my clients with a therapeutic touch, getting into that unwanted stress and tension, and at the same time, providing them with a deep sense of relaxation. In my decade of work, i’ve spend a lot of time working with people who suffer from chronic pain in their neck and shoulders from sitting for long periods of time. Here at Heartwood, I provide Swedish, Deep Tissue, a combination of both, and Prenatal massage, based on what the clients’ body is calling for that day. Everyone is different so I create a massage specifically for the person that I am working with.
To Schedule Your Appointment
Appointments are made by contacting practitioners directly at the numbers or email addresses listed.
Members
Melissa Alexander
LMT, RYT
Jill Bowman
I have been a Physical Therapist since 1997. I started in the Resurrection Hospital System, worked outpatient for the Rehab Institute of Chicago for 9 years, and dabbled in four different private practice settings. In 2000, I took my first John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release seminar and had a profound experience receiving and learning this work. My passion is treating my clients utilizing this whole body technique. In 2007, I started my own PT and Myofascial Release practice.
Fascia, our connective tissue, is a three dimensional web from head to toe, surrounding our nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and organs all the way down to the cellular level. We can develop restrictions in our fascial system due to falls, repetitive movements, car accidents, surgeries, trauma, or long held emotions. Fascial tightness can exert up to 10,000 lbs per square inch on pain sensitive structures. JFB Myofascial Release® is unique in that utilizes a sustained stretch, traction, or compression into the musculoskeletal system, waiting 5 minutes or longer and giving the body time to let go and release.
My PT and Myofascial background give me a great combination for treating chronic neck and back pain, shoulder/hip/knee/ankle pain, headaches, pelvic pain, decreased flexibility, radiculopathies, scoliosis, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff injuries, gait problems, ITB pain, TMJ pain and more. My experiences and training are varied such that I can support someone having an emotional release on the table and taking some weight off their heart or provide the hands on work needed to bring someone’s knee flexion back to full range so that they can climb the stairs. Treatment is catered to your unique needs. I will analyze your gait, posture, range of motion and your tissue mobility.
I am committed to not only repeating courses in order to learn at a deeper level but also receiving my own treatment from an JFB MFR® therapist to continue to peel back my own layers and restrictions. Learning through receiving the work and feeling it in my own body helps me to take my clients to a deeper level. You will feel well cared for here on my table.
Jeanne Phenany
Over 25 years ago, my first shiatsu session began a life long journey of self-discovery and delving into the holistic wisdom of Asian medicine modalities. I love that this form of bodywork takes into account the entire person; body, mind and spirit. As a Zen Shiatsu Practitioner, I have witnessed the healing power of shiatsu in assisting my clients to navigate the seasons and transitions of life with more strength and resilience. Whether the focus of our sessions is of a physical or emotional nature, shiatsu supports the body’s wise and innate healing capacity, clearing the path for optimal well-being and engaging in life more fully.
Shiatsu is a form of Asian bodywork that supports health and well-being by balancing the energy of the body with gentle pressure and stretching. The client wears comfortable clothing that allows for stretching and ease of movement. Each session is tailored to the client’s individual needs. I incorporate shiatsu, massage, energy work, meditation, qigong, taichi and 5 element theory.
Specialties: Women’s health (fertility, pregnancy, postnatal, menopause), Stress Relief, Chronic Pain, Autoimmune and Chronic Conditions, Phobias, Trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief
- CP AOBTA, LMT
- Post Graduate Studies at Zen Shiatsu Chicago (2015)
- Graduate of Ohashi institute (2000)
Monica Radu
My 1st massage was deeply transformative and it inspired me to change my career. I became aware of the healing power of touch. Not long after that unforgettable experience, in 2003, I graduated from The Chicago School of Massage Therapy. I also studied energy medicine modalities over a period of 16 years. Currently I am a student of The German New Medicine.
My sessions weave a unique blend of Intuitive Massage and Vibrational Therapy. They empower the client’s inherent abilities for healing and revelation. In presence, restrictive patterns within body and mind are honored and unblocked, facilitating deep relaxation, energetic clearing and alignment, and a state of calm.
When not in session, I connect with family, the elements in nature, I meditate, practice QiGong and Yoga, dance, write, paint, take photographs, prepare healthy meals, and volunteer to help the ones in need.
Licensed Bodywork, Energy Medicine, and Ashiatsu Practitioner
Deborah Smith
Nothing supersedes the ability of Our Divine Intelligence in the knowingness of what Our Beloved Body requires for healing, and the priority thereof, in that moment.
Having been a Bodyworker for 40 years, I utilize a technique devised by J.P. Barral, DO, called: “The Listening.”
Within this “Listening,” your whole session is orchestrated by Your Divine Intelligence; utilizing my hands and the myriad of techniques that I have acquired.
Nathan Torrence
What I love most about practicing Shiatsu is the way it makes me develop myself as human being. Whether from a minor ankle injury or from years of emotional trauma, working to help people heal has brought out the depths of my own sensitivity, strength, and capacity to do good.
My second favorite thing about Shiatsu is that I get to work with the physical body! This means feeling the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual as one thing – a life. It is a joy to help people to feel that great goodness of life in themselves!
I graduated from Vassar College with a concentration in Studio Art and a secondary focus in Biology. My Shiatsu certification was earned at Zen Shiatsu Chicago in Evanston; shortly thereafter, I completed their Post-Graduate program in Clinical Shiatsu studies. I currently study Shiatsu with my main influence and dear mentor, Grandmother WinterJade Forest.
CP (AOBTA), LMT
Heartwood Services
- Acupuncture
- Aikido
- Akashic Records
- Astrology
- Business Coaching
- Chakra Empowerment
- Cherokee Meditation
- Core Synchronism
- Craniosacral Therapy
- Dharma Instructor
- Energy Healing
- Five Spirits
- Functional Medicine
- House Clearing
- Integral Spiritual Coaching
- Journeying
- Laying-On of Hands and Seiki
- Life & Health Coaching
- Massage Therapy
- Mind-Body Healing
- Mindfulness Meditation
- Myofascial Release
- Personal Training
- Physical Therapy
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy
- Qigong
- Reiki
- Relationship Coaching
- Shamanism
- Shiatsu
- Somatic Therapies
- Soul Retrieval
- Tai Chi
- Thai Bodywork
- Visceral Therapy
- Yoga
- Yoga Therapy