Healing That Starts With Understanding
My purpose in life has always had this common thread: to help people feel seen, supported, and more at home in their bodies. As someone who has navigated my own life with chronic pain and mental‑health struggles, I know how heavy it can feel to move
through the world in a body that doesn’t always cooperate. I also know how empowering and healing it can be when someone takes the time to listen and get to know you, not just your symptoms. Because often, true healing simply starts by feeling understood.
That belief is what guides the way I work. Through integrative massage, I bring together technique, intuition, and presence to support the whole person. It’s not just about easing tension or chasing pain; it’s about listening to what your body is trying to say and responding through different modalities to help find its way back to balance.
My purpose in life has always had this common thread: to help people feel seen, supported, and more at home in their bodies. As someone who has navigated my own life with chronic pain and mental‑health struggles, I know how heavy it can feel to move through the world in a body that doesn’t always cooperate. I also know how empowering and healing it can be when someone takes the time to listen and get to know you, not just your symptoms. Because often, true healing simply starts by feeling understood.
That belief is what guides the way I work. Through integrative massage, I bring together technique, intuition, and presence to support the whole person. It’s not just about easing tension or chasing pain; it’s about listening to what your body is trying to say and responding through different modalities to help find its way back to balance.
Where the Onyx & Ash Story Began
That love for healing extends beyond massage. I’ve always had a soft spot for our furry friends who are lost and needing a little extra love and care.
When I finally took the leap to start my own practice, I carried their memory with me. Onyx & Ash became a symbol of transformation, turning grief into purpose, pain into compassion, and endings into beginnings. I created this space to honor that cycle and to help others find renewal and connection through integrative massage for their mind, body, and soul.
Last fall, a sick, pregnant feral cat came to live with my wife, Kenzie, and I. She gave birth to three kittens, Onyx, Ash, and Frankie, and together we fought hard to keep them alive. Despite every effort, each of them passed from a genetic condition that affected their hearts. Losing them broke mine, but their short lives taught me about resilience and the courage to keep showing up for love and healing.
When I finally took the leap to start my own practice, I carried their memory with me. Onyx & Ash became a symbol of transformation, turning grief into purpose, pain into compassion, and endings into beginnings. I created this space to honor that cycle and to help others find renewal and connection through integrative massage for their mind, body, and soul.
The heart behind the hands...
hi! I'm Erika, your massage therapist
I found massage therapy at a time when I was searching for my own healing. Having lived with chronic pain and mental‑health struggles since childhood, I wanted to understand how people could feel better; not just physically, but in their whole being. In 2016, I took a leap of faith and began my transformative bodywork journey at the East West School of Integrative Healing Arts in Iowa City.
My beautiful wife, Kenzie, and I are proud moms to 4 cats (Simba, Nala, Milo & Gwen) and our sweet pup, Sophie. Because there is no such thing as too many snuggles, I volunteer a couple days a week at a local cat shelter.
When I’m not with my family or clients, I love tending to my never ending plant collection, gardening while listening to my current podcast obsession, dwindling down my diy to-do list, or getting lost in a good fantasy book.