Hands-On Help

LYNN PIERSON sees massage as so much more than a place to be pampered. While she recognizes that it feels good, there is so much more that massage can do, if done responsibly and properly.

A registered nurse with a background in psychology, Pierson took the leap from nursing into massage therapy in 2005 and has established her practice with an approach that focuses on healing the mind, body, and spirit.

“It isn’t just to feel good. This is not just a fluff and buff. It’s not a car wash,” Pierson says.

Before giving massages, Pierson asks her clients for a full medical history and lists of allergies and all medications.

Most of her clients have medical conditions, and she knows the approach to massage she needs to take to address their trifecta of their individual circumstances: the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

“I see with my hands. We separate all this stuff, but I need to see your skin. This is not a fad. This is legitimate and real and medically based. There is a lack of recognition of that fact,” Pierson said.

Pierson she trained to see ailments like hypertension in a person’s tissue or response to pain in their fascia.

“I feel like it is a dance that we do,” she says. “Massage should not be pretentious. The science and spirit really is one. Massage is medical, and it needs to be a greater component in people’s lives.”

Pierson possesses a personal hypersensitivity and intuitiveness that allows her to tap into the specific needs of her clients. She credits it to her extensive massage training by doctors and physical therapists, in addition to her medical and psychological background.

A cancer survivor, Pierson has been cancer free for three years. She is concerned about the focus on beauty and aesthetic procedures in place of a focus on health and wellness.

“Just because we’re beautiful doesn’t mean we’re healthy,” she says.

Ascribing to the idea that “Science is the written language of the spirit,” Pierson offers a space to delve into a space of healing.

“It’s not a bad thing to talk about the things that don’t make you happy,” she says as she invites people to allow her to facilitate healing. “Anybody who is ready to continue their path of healing, self-awareness, and actualization, or begin it – I know it is scary, not easy, but it is so enlightening and invigorating to heal, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.”

Pierson has created a massage space that is all about feeling safe, not rushed, where she can establish relationships with her clients to build a “dynamic” built on trust. She describes her practice as communal, not so stoic.

“(Stoicism) is the last thing you need when you are vulnerable or getting ready to be,” she says. “My professionalism comes by being tangible. I want it to be personal and real. It’s about you.”

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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