Welcome to Tranquil Reef Massage

Why “Tranquil Reef Massage”?

I am an aquaphile. I was raised on Jaques Cousteau specials. As a child, I snorkeled in Hawaii and then in 1996, I got certified to SCUBA dive.

When I descend under the waves, the surface with all its noise and bustle drops away. The water holds me; I am nearly weightless. My ears are filled with the calming sound of my breathing and my eyes are filled with the wonder and beauty of the sea. None of my usual worries follow me into that world. As I swim slowly around taking in the schools of fish around a coral covered wall, my mind clears of clutter and all that remains is the beauty and my breathing. This experience is both exhilarating and relaxing. It’s an adventure, but it’s also a time to fill myself with gratitude for the beauty, for my next breath of air and for renewal. As my dive comes to an end, I am a little sad to be leaving, but I am calm, my mind has been reset and I feel ready to move to the next activity in life.

Receiving massage can be a similar experience without having to jump in the water. This is what I wish for my clients. I want you to be able to set aside your concerns for a time while you enjoy the warmth of the massage session, the soothing music and the calmness of my studio.

I want those feelings to seep into you while I work on your muscles so that when it’s time to send you back out into the world you feel renewed and ready for what life brings you next. Over the 19 years or so that I’ve been in practice, I have learned a few things. First, I can’t sell you a massage. I can tell you who I am, what I do, why I do it, where I am and how to contact me. Second, the more “me” I am while I provide you with that information, the more comfortable you will be making your choice about whether you and I are a good match to take care of your particular body work needs. Of course, my clients give the best description of my massage work.

Who am I?

I am a native Northwesterner. I grew up in Washington State by the water (both the Puget Sound and the Hood Canal) and settled in the Portland, Oregon area in 1992. At that point, I had been laid off my job as a Research Analyst for the Department of Health in Olympia, Washington and was contemplating a career change.

Growing up, I had cycled through one career idea after another. Most of them had something to do with health care and all of them had me working either by myself or working one on one helping people. Nutritionist, Naturopathic Physician, Medical Technologist, Marine Biologist, Environmental Scientist. It was always helping people and science.

Shortly after finishing college (BS from The Evergreen State College), while I was working with the Department of Health, I was introduced to my chosen profession. A friend of my husband had signed up for a leisure education massage class and her partner dropped out on her at the last minute. I agreed to fill in unaware that during the first class I would be struck by My Career Epiphany. The teacher told us about her work, what she loved about giving massages, how she worked independently, how she drank in and filled herself up with the same nurturing energy that she was offering to her clients. After only one class, I informed my husband that I would be attending massage school.

Circumstance brought me to Portland shortly after this so I trained in town at The East West College of the Healing Arts. In 1994, I started my private practice.

Over the years, I have worked both independently and for several clinics. I have worked at Massage Envy and three chiropractic clinics. I enjoy working in clinics because of the camaraderie with my coworkers, the shared responsibility, and the relatively steady paycheck. I like working for myself because I can arrange my work and the rest of my life in ways that I prefer.