Nicole DeJong, CMT
Nicole DeJong, CMT (Currently on Maternity Leave) Nicole is a first generation San Diego native. She started her journey into alternative health with the intention of becoming a doctor. When she realized the western style of medicine did not align with her own values and ideas of health and wellness, she decided to pursue a career in massage therapy. As soon as she started school, she knew that she was in the right place. She specialized in Neuro-Muscular Therapy (NMT) at IPSB College, and will continue in her education to include Thai and prenatal massage specialties as well.
Practicing massage therapy has taught her more than she ever imagined it would. She especially enjoys having the opportunity to work with clients who are interested in and willing to dig deep to the root causes of their pain in order to have lasting relief. She loves practicing her Thai skills on the table, and often uses the stretches blended with Swedish, Deep Tissue Sculpting, and NMT. She is very excited to see what her alternative medicine future holds.
Becky LaVonne, CMT / ASHH
Reiki energywork, Tui Na Chinese bodywork and acupuncture are the three healing tools that Becky has found to be the most useful in her own self-care routine. She began practicing Reiki in 2000 and advanced to the Master Teacher level in 2004. This gentle energetic modality led her to the International Professional School of Bodywork, where she earned an Associates of Science in Holistic Health degree with a Tui Na specialization. She is now back in school at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine working toward a doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Even though she is not yet practicing needles and herbs professionally, her current studies emphasize the theory and treatment principles in her work.
Becky also has training in and loves to perform Prenatal Massage, Gua Sha, Sensory Repatterning, Deep Tissue Sculpting, CranioSacral Therapy and Swedish style massage. She artfully and skillfully blends what is needed in the moment for her clients. Her intention with each interaction is to help others maintain harmony while gaining vitality.
Cara Linser, CMT
Cara Linser, CMT/HHP
Kathleen Lisson, CMT
Kathleen Lisson, CMT
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro at 40 years of age and her journey through the process of healing her skin cancer has given Kathleen Lisson, CMT unique insight on working with the body, mind and spirit. As a CAMTC Certified Massage Therapist, she utilizes Swedish, NMT and Ayurvedic deep tissue massage techniques to reduce pain and increase range of motion in her clients. As a half marathon runner and RRCA Certified Running Coach, she enjoys working with athletes, using the power of massage to reduce the negative effects of a stressful schedule and overtraining. Kathleen is also a Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. She volunteers at Integrative Health Night, UCSD Moores Cancer Center and the Trees for Health garden in Balboa Park.
Carly Delso-Saavedra, CMT
Carly Delso-Saavedra, CMT
Carly has studied with some of the very best in the holistic bodywork industry through the School of Healing Arts, the International Professional School of Bodywork (IPSB) and Greet the Day.
She approaches each client with compassion, curiosity, a learner’s mind and a deep understanding of the modalities she practices and their powerful capacity to heal.
She customizes each session to meet the needs of her clients using a therapeutic blend of Swedish Massage, Rhythmic Deep Tissue and Deep Tissue Sculpting – adding in Sensory Repatterning, Neuromuscular Therapy, Tui Na, Table Thai and/or Structural Integration where and when needed.
She also offers more gentle modalities, such as Jin Shin energy work and Lymphatic Drainage, both of which are done while the client is lying face up and fully clothed. These two modalities are perfect for people who may have health issues that contraindicate traditional massage work or who are simply looking for something new to help with issues such as joint pain, sleeping problems, anxiety, stress and depression.
Kelsey Neby, CMT is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and a graduate of the Massage Therapy program at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and is continuing her education towards an Associates of Applied Sciences in Holistic Health. With one thousand hours of education and being naturally empathetic, her passions envelop the healing of those around her. She offers a therapeutic approach to massage, that is customized to the individuals’ needs and goals. Utilizing techniques such as Tui Na (Chinese medical massage with the use of acupressure), Circulatory/Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports
Massage, and Neuromuscular (myofascial and trigger point release) to assist with soft tissue pain, stress management, increased range of motion, and help obtain an improved quality of life. In her free time, she enjoys time in the garden, doing arts and crafts, and artisanal soap making along with other apothecary concoctions.
Gretchen Vogt, CMT
Gretchen Vogt, CMT first began practicing massage therapy in 2010 in Columbus, Ohio after graduating from the American Institute of Alternative Health. Her initial primary specialty was Swedish relaxation massage, though her interest in deep tissue and sports massage inspired her to pursue more training in these areas. She moved to Melbourne, Australia where she worked with a wellness clinic for two years and continued to refine her massage therapy style and expand her knowledge of different modalities, particularly neuromuscular therapy and clinical massage. Returning to Columbus, Ohio and working at a spa-based practice allowed her to learn how to merge the more site-specific work she had been focusing on with her original interest in relaxation massage.