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.

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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.

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Amanda Joy Spitzfaden, CMT

Focus Areas:

  • Circulatory
  • Deep Tissue
  • Myofascial Release
  • Tui Na
  • Manual Lymph Drainage
  • Reflexology and Reiki
Amanda Joy Spitzfaden, CMT is a graduate of Healing Hands School of Holistic Health in San Diego.  She focuses on Circulatory, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, Tui Na, Manual Lymph Drainage, Reflexology and Reiki. She integrates these different modalities together to create a custom massage that caters to the needs of the patient.
You can find Amanda Joy either out with her son on adventures in nature. When she is not doing that she is in the. community continuing her studies, practicing and teaching.
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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.

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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
Ben Plotkin, CMT discovered the benefits of therapeutic massage about a decade ago, while in deep chronic pain and discomfort due to a regular office job. He loved everything about the job, but quickly discovered the physical and the emotional toll of it. Hearing a lot of positive feedback about massage, he decided to give it a try. To his surprise, it was not just a relaxing feel-good ritual, but with the skillful trigger point therapy of his practitioner, he feels that she saved him from having to get spinal surgery at the age of 23. Since then he decided to become that therapist himself.
Having been educated and having gained experience in Upstate NY, he is glad to introduce himself to the San Diego community and grateful for the opportunity to continue realizing his vision here, with you.
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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:

Decrease in stress
Improve posture
Lower blood pressure
Pain management
Muscle relaxation
Increased flexibility
Better breathing
Relief of tension headaches
Bolstered immune system
Lessening of depression and/or anxiety
Improved Sleep
Restoration of Metabolic Balance

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.

Kristoff Smith

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All for only $189 per month!

Member credits are valid for one year after issue and roll over month to month, until expiration. Memberships require 6-month commitments and then become month-to-month agreements. After the initial six-month contract period, you can cancel your membership anytime with a 7-day notice before the next billing cycle.
You are welcome to place a membership on hold for up to 2 months at a time; please note you cannot use credits on your account while it is on hold.
Although the standard membership is only valid for one adult and credits cannot be transferred, children under 12 may use their parent/guardian’s membership credits.

Family Memberships are available!

You can also upgrade an individual membership to a family membership. Add any household member and receive an additional 2 credits a month, with a total of 5 credits to share between the two of you. 

Each new person you add to your account results in 2 more credits to your account and costs an additional $125/month each.

Ready to invest in your health? Talk to a team member or call us at 619-546-4806 to sign up!

SERVICES COVERED:

CHIROPRACTIC

ACUPUNCTURE (RECLINER OR TABLE)

CLINICAL MASSAGE THERAPY (HALF SESSION)

Members may upgrade Clinical Massage Therapy “half sessions” to a Full or Plus session using multiple credits or by paying an upgrade of $25 per 30 min upgrade. Massage Only Membership is also available.