Clinical Massage Therapy =
Clinical Massage Therapy =
Clinical massage therapy refers to the use of touch through kneading and manipulating the soft tissue of the body to aid with circulation, relaxing the muscles, and addressing problem areas. Massage is one of the oldest and most accessible forms of therapy.
The goal of clinical massage therapy is to increase your overall health and wellbeing through addressing the root causes that may be creating physical, mental, or emotional distress.
Additionally, touch is an essential part of wellness. As humans, being touched helps us feel connected and loved by others and positively impacts our mental and emotional health.
In our clinical massage sessions, we work with you to outline goals for your treatment plan and then provide hands-on therapy for 50-80 minutes, depending on your needs and long-term goals.
At Community Wellness Collaborative, receiving regular massage is a primary pillar of your integrated wellness plan.
Our Practitioners
Michelle Morris, CMT
Focus Areas:
- Deep Tissue
- Tui-Na
- Numerous Sports modalities
- Injury rehabilitation
- Swedish
- Oncology
- Prenatal
Michelle Morris, CMT was raised in a small town in Southern California and served in the US Navy from 2004-2009. She began her massage journey in 2010, when she studied at the Cortiva Institute of Seattle, an all-Western modality program. In 2013, she went back to study Eastern modalities at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, where she obtained her Associates of Applied Science in Holistic Health. She has since maintained continuing education, to include Oncology Massage and a yoga teacher training.
Using her eclectic blend of modalities to create a unique massage for each individual, Michelle specializes in deep tissue, Tui-Na, numerous sports massage modalities, and injury rehabilitation.
Kristi Emanuel, CMT
Focus Areas:
- Deep tissue
- Trigger point therapy
- Tui-Na
- Sports massage
- Cupping
- Swedish
Kristi Emanuel, CMT is a graduate of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego. She specializes in deep tissue, trigger point therapy, sports massage, cupping, and Swedish massage. She enjoys customizing sessions by blending different modalities, including Tui-Na, to address each patient’s specific needs.
Kristi has a background in competitive swimming, coaching, lifeguarding, and water aerobics. As a reflection of her well-rounded and fitness-based lifestyle, she holds a certificate to teach group exercise classes and is currently enrolled in a personal training course. She is also a qualified CPR instructor. In her free time, you can typically find Kristi outdoors doing open water swims, lifting weights, stand up paddle boarding, hiking, and learning how to surf.
Amanda Joy Spitzfaden, CMT
Focus Areas:
- Circulatory
- Deep Tissue
- Myofascial Release
- Tui Na
- Manual Lymph Drainage
- Reflexology and Reiki
Crystal Rose Tank, CMT
Focus Areas:
- Circulatory/relaxation
- Deep tissue
- Lymphatic massage
- Muscle Energy Techniques (MET)
- Pre-natal
Crystal Rose Tank, CMT is dedicated to helping you “feel better in the skin you’re in” and specializes in tailoring your massage to you and your body’s specific needs.
Crystal Rose draws on her expert skills in Swedish, Therapeutic Deep Tissue, and Acupressure to create a custom massage. Additionally, with training in pre-natal massage and medical massage, Crystal Rose serves pregnant and geriatric patients with the same high quality of care.
A San Diego native, Crystal Rose obtained her massage training from Mueller College of Holistic Studies, learning from Bill Mueller, himself. Crystal Rose continued her studies of the human body, and its pathologies, at SouthWest Institute of Healing Arts (AZ), Mesa Community College (AZ), and most recently at Bastyr University (WA).
Crystal Rose strives to help her patients identify sustainable and attainable lifestyle changes they can make and maintain because she believes small, incremental changes that are attainable and sustainable create meaningful shifts over time. In agreement with this belief, Crystal Rose uses the least invasive treatment approaches possible to move her patients toward their health goals.
While she has undergone a heavy course of schooling and is considered an expert in the body, Crystal Rose maintains she can only act as a trail guide for her patients as they hold the power of healing within themselves.
Crystal Rose has been providing professional therapeutic massage for over 15 years.
Ben Plotkin, CMT
Focus Areas:
- Swedish Massage
- Deep Tissue
- Myofascial Release
- Trigger Point Therapy
- Sports Massage
- Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
- Neuro-muscular Therapy (NMT)
- Energy Massage
- Shiatsu
- Prenatal
- massage for arthritis
- massage for pain management and migraine
- massage for TMJ
- massage addressing anxiety and Fibromyalgia
What are the Benefits of Regular Massage and How Often Should I Schedule?
We hear from our clients that regular clinical massage sessions keep them feeling good, inside and out. Massage can help mitigate painful symptoms, rehabilitate your mobility, or just give you a place of rest and allow you to relax and practice self care.
If you’re coming in consistently, you might expect any of the following benefits:
So what exactly constitutes “regular” clinical massage? The answer really depends on your situation and your goals. Generally, we see clients that fall into these three main categories:
Goal 1: General Health and Relaxation
For general health and relaxation, clinical massage 1-2 times per month is recommended. This is ideal for those who are under light to moderate stress and would also include people who are sedentary or who exercise only occasionally.
Goal 2: Stress Management
For those who have high-stress occupations or living conditions or perhaps exercise often, a higher frequency of massage therapy is recommended. In this case, weekly or bimonthly clinical massage therapy helps the individual cope with their stress and muscular tension.
Goal 3: Pain Reduction and Management
If you’re looking for relief from conditions like fibromyalgia, lupus, carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ disorder, or chronic low back pain, this is your category. Pain management requires a “diminishing frequency” approach.
As an example, if you’re in severe pain but do not require medical intervention, we’d recommend 2 sessions in your first week. This might continue for the second and third weeks of your treatment, depending on how you respond. However, as your pain decreases, so do the number of sessions you’ll need each week.
We Help San Diegans Heal from the Root Cause
I’m proud to support an organization committed to making integrative health care accessible to all San Diegans, regardless of their ability to pay. The work the Community Wellness team does each day makes San Diego a healthier, more just community.
Amanda Schultz Brochu
We love our volunteers
I’ve had experience with massages and acupuncture here, and both will work wonders on you. I had Gretchen as a <massage therapist>, and this woman works absolute miracles on your body! Aches be damned when you’ve got Gretchen on your side.