About me
Hi, I’m Elley (they/she). After 15 years in the social work and education world, I made my way to bodywork in search of a way to help people heal on a molecular level. As a former athlete and current rock climbing enthusiast, I’ve always had an interest in bodies and how they work. I studied massage at East West College of the Healing Arts and Myofascial Release and Advanced Craniosacral Therapy at Moving Mountain Institute.
I come to this work with my own experience of seemingly inexplicable chronic pain. Craniosacral Therapy was pivotal to my own healing journey, so I jumped at the opportunity to study CST before I even began massage school. Nervous system work is at the heart of my practice, and I enjoy the puzzling and quantum nature of the body’s signals. I love working with clients who are as curious about their body as I am.
I grew up in a small town in the redwoods of CA, and I’ve lived in places as disparate as Boston, Egypt, Jordan, and Oakland. I made Portland home in 2016, but my diverse experiences living and teaching abroad continue to enrich my life in countless ways. At least once a year I lead a trip for high school students to Morocco. My chosen family of people and animals keeps me grounded, and I’m also so grateful for sci-fi, psychedelic therapy, and dance.
Why good bones?
Your body is your first dwelling, your first home. Even after years of working too hard, slouching over a phone, ignoring its signals, your body carries you through to the next day and the next. I believe your body has good bones, literally and figuratively. An old house has good bones, and with a little help it can stand tall and strong. Your body is the same: your bones provide structure for movement and resilience. Working together, we can fix up your home, your body, until you’re moving with more ease. You already have everything you need to feel better.
And I also love the poem ‘Good Bones’ by Maggie Smith.