Alison Larson

I work with people who want more from massage than simply relaxing for an hour. Some come in because they’re dealing with pain or an injury: a back that suddenly seized up, a frozen shoulder, chronic pain, or something that’s beginning to affect how they move through everyday life. Others are doing deeper emotional work and want a way to bring the body into that process.

I also work with people who are interested in the mind-body connection and how their nervous system may be showing up physically. They may notice that stress, pain, or tension seems to live in their body— or simply feel disconnected from what their body is telling them and want to understand it better.

The people who tend to get the most out of my work are curious and open: willing to notice what comes up, communicate what they’re feeling, and explore what their body may be asking for.

People often tell me they leave feeling safe, seen, and surprised by how therapeutic massage can actually feel. They may come in with one particular goal or idea of what they need, and leave realizing that massage can also be a way to work more intentionally with pain, tension, movement, and their body as a whole.

You don’t need to know exactly what kind of massage you need before you come in. We’ll start by talking about your goals and what you’re experiencing, and I’ll explain how I work.

I see massage as a way to work with the nervous system and deepen the mind-body connection, not simply manipulate muscles. A lot of us move through life so much in our heads that we lose touch with what’s happening in our bodies. Slowing down through touch can help you begin noticing: Where am I holding tension? What feels painful? What changes when I move differently? What is my body actually communicating to me?

That’s why my work is highly intuitive. I think of it as being the voice of what I’m feeling from your body, while still respecting your goals and what you want.

My first connection to the benefits of massage came from seeing what touch could do for people I loved. Growing up, I would massage my mom and my grandmother, and I noticed how much relief and comfort something as simple as touch could bring them. That was my earliest experience of realizing how powerful massage could be.

After high school, I was burnt out from years of playing basketball and volleyball and needed a break.