Origins
Bodies change, vex, and liberate: living within one is a universal–yet totally unique–experience. My mother has been a bodyworker for most of her life. So, regular holistic massage was a foundation of my daily care and it shaped my entire self. Because of this upbringing, I see the abundant benefits of this type of connection and want to offer that to others.
My arrival to this work is a culmination of everything I have ever loved. I have shaped my practice based on my ideals, beliefs, research, and lived experience. So, it is infused with art, mythology, psychology, philosophy, activism, and training. I deeply appreciate the concept of “expansion over growth”. I am consistently looking for ways to improve my offerings or fine-tune my space. My practice is a living, breathing creature, never exactly the same.
As modern beings in an ancient world, we are all trying to navigate a landscape shifting beneath our feet. And on top of that, we are inundated with data, bombarded by advertisements, obfuscated by discomfort. Receiving bodywork is a method of slowing ourselves down, of taking an internal pause, and integrating new movement. Moreover, massage can bring some softness to a body in crisis, in pain, in joy, and everything in between.
Why Massage?
Ease is my goal. And, an alleviation of suffering. Because of that, my approach to care centers comfort and relaxation. Massage is a balm that envelopes life’s aches and pains. Not a miracle pill, but part of a larger web of connection and community, reminding relationship with the natural world. It is deeply personal and interpersonal. In an age of superficial hyper-connection, the tactile and tangible aspects of this work become necessary for our survival. So many of us are touch-starved. In an attention economy, even an hour of dedicated care can make all the difference. This idea is fundamental to my practice and guides my praxis.
I am interested in a science-backed, evidence-based approach that also acknowledges and respects traditional methodologies. However, these won’t always fall within a western lens and they won’t always be the narratives repeated elsewhere. Some critical thinking is required. I do not make wild claims or promises and I don’t use spirituality to evade accountability. I try not to regurgitate outdated information. As a result, I strive for accuracy and authenticity. I never use my position to engage in predatory marketing or exploitive sales tactics. Perpetually learning and experimenting, I make mistakes, misspeak, and do my best to acknowledge my biases. I’ve learned enough to know that I know very little.
Why “Witch”?
The witch is a symbol of resistance. A fluid, constantly evolving being that must stretch to fit the medicine of the times. A community worker, care provider, and gentle force of transmutation. A creature at odds with the harms of society and in connection with the rhythms of nature and nurture. Because I have always felt a call to quietly disrupt in the name of healing, it seems in my nature (or nurture) to question. I invoke witch because I want to infuse more magic into life.
Other evolving irons in the fire: heldrinki.com , Cafe Mort
Education
2019-current: continuing education / informal research
2019 – 550HR Massage program: CA Cert. (AtoZ Health)
2017- 2 year Clinical Herbalism (Vital Ways School)
2011 – Bachelors of Science : Public Health Education (Portland State)
Continuing Education 2021-2025:
- Massage Therapy for Breast Cancer Patients (1CE)
- Anxiety Disorders and Massage Therapy (1CE)
- Hospital-Based Massage Therapy (1CE)
- Self-Care Fitness Principles for Massage (2.50 CE)
- The Latest Science on Muscles and Massage -2025 (1CE)
- Relief Within Reach: Massage & Stress (2.50CE)
- Thriving in the Age of COVID-19 (1CE)
- Whole Person Health and Massage Therapy (1CE)
- Research and Massage Therapy (3CE)
- Sports Massage: Ethics and Building Trust (2.50CE)
- Addressing the Opioid Epidemic with Massage (2CE)
- Health & Wellness: The Role of Integrative Care (1CE)
- Research on and Treatment of Diabetes (2CE)
- Low Back Pain and Massage (1CE)
- Arthritis and Massage Therapy (1CE)
- Self-Evaluation for an Ethical Practice (2CE)