About Mary Elizabeth Franchi, LMT and how I can help you!
All About Me:
I’ve always been interested in mind and body connections. In 2005 I left the Rochester area to attend a small, environmentally focused school by the name of Green Mountain College, in the town of Poultney, Vermont. While pursuing a psychology degree, I fulfilled one of my basic requirements and took a health class. To my delight, we covered a wide variety of topics including meditation, acupuncture, and massage therapy.
I received my first massage at the student center for a discounted price for an assignment to explore alternative medicine. I loved how I felt afterwards; less pain in my shoulders and neck from hunching over my laptop, and an instant reduction in my (high) stress level. After chatting with another massage therapist who lived in the area, I decided to take a year off from college and attend the Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage in Rochester to see if I liked the idea of making it my new career.
I graduated from OSTM in 2008, and although there have been ups and downs, this is the work I keep coming back to. I’ve worked in spas, salons, at a plastic surgery office, and in a high-volume clinic. I’m excited to now be practicing out of a lovely space I found in West Irondequoit, New York. I hope that my clients will experience some of the same benefits I have felt after a good massage - increased flexibility and range of motion, relief from stress and pain, and a sense of peace.
How I can help you:
In the years since graduation, I have spent literally thousands of hours massaging clients. I’ve learned to work with a wide variety of ages (from minors as young as 8 to seniors around 94 years old), different medical conditions and disabilities, and people from all different walks of life. I am especially experienced at working with people who have upper body issues from working at a desk, driving, and styling hair, among other causes.
I have a particular interest in working with sufferers of chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia, frequent headaches/migraines and TMJD. I myself am prone to neck, shoulder, and jaw pain which triggers migraines. Regular massage therapy helps me to keep these issues under control, and as a massage therapist, when you find work that helps, you tend to remember some of those techniques!
Since massage therapy school, I’ve taken a number of specific courses for Continuing Education. Some of the methods I draw on the most are for Deep Tissue/Neuromuscular Techniques, especially relating to neck, shoulder, and TMJ issues. I’ve also taken detailed courses in Hot Stone, Assisted Stretching, and Reiki levels I and II, among other things.
In the 10+ years since I first got my license, I’ve learned a lot. Probably the most important thing I’ve learned is just how little I know.
Yes, I am a professional LMT and I know how to reduce tension and relieve trigger points. I know the names of muscles, bones, and nerves; I know techniques snd stretches. However, I look at massage therapy as a partnership between client and practitioner. I can’t create a treatment plan without your input. I don’t advise work that is drastically too light or too deep for my client. If a technique or modality seems to be more or less effective for you, I welcome your feedback at any time! Open and honest communication is very important. My goal for each client is to do some work that feels beneficial both during the session and in the days and weeks afterwards.
Photo courtesy of ABMP
