Mary is full of life, wisdom and joy and shares so much of herself. Agreed with other reviews, this session is like no other; it's multi-disciplinary- part therapy, part Reiki (?) and reflexology and sports massage. It's painful at times, for sure but cathartic in my case. From one session, she was able to give me a sense of clarity, both mental and muscular. I started the session with my left side much tighter than my right, evidenced by my left leg about half an inch shorter. By the end of the session, she worked it out so that they were even. I hope to come back yearly to see her. She's a national treasure! read more

My husband has had multiple short and long-term/chronic sports injuries from cycling and still has nagging injuries despite years of active recovery and aggressive therapy. He has tried everything from corrective surgery and cortisone shots to acupuncture, rolfing, muscle stimulation, and physical therapy, and was understandably skeptical when I booked him a session, but walked out completely pain free! Mary took the time to understand his injury history, frustrations, and goals, was able to identify the underlying sources of and contributors to his pain, and use pressure points to completely alleviate it. I highly recommend Mary for anyone looking for real relief from pain! read more

A Carmel Haven - Traditional Chinese Medicine Near Me

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"Your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness is important to me; therefore, each of my sessions are expressly tailored to your needs." That is Mary Vantran's philosophy and that is the type of treatment I received at my first visit to A Carmel Haven. Chinese Medical Massage always intrigued me but I never experienced it myself. It sounded like something I needed and I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I called and set up an appointment immediately after I crusied throught the Pine Cone this week and saw Mary Vantran's advertisement which caught my attention. Heads up: Her telephone number is printed incorrectly, the correct number is 831-624-3683 not -3863. I've been under a lot of stress from several different factors in my life. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy myself on a daily/nightly basis and do NOT live within my means etc.. but emotionally and with stress I keep everything inside and have not been taking care of myself these last few years. My drinking and unhealthy habits have taken a toll on my body. I feel much older than I am. I recommend a session with Mary if your body cries for some help. I get "pampering" massages minimum twice a month but found Mary's treatment incredibly different both on a physical and mental level. She combines theraputic massage, with reflexology, energy work and a form of treatment similar to accupuncture but minus the needles... acupressure. End-result: For the first time in months, I regained my range of motion in my upper chest area which I can feel a difference when I switch lanes while driving - I can actually turn my neck with ease. She opened up many things (I feel like I did yoga non-stop for a month, that good) besides tight muscles in my body and touched my mind. As Mary pressed and massaged specific points in my foot (outter ridge of my left and right) I felt another part of my body send my brain a signal. Mary told me it was connected to my shoulder area... Bingo! That is what's killing me the most! I used to be a fit person and I haven't been able to crack my back (while lying down) because I was so tight all over. I mean it hurt to lay down and I currently feel much better. I can "feel" my body again. She also worked on a tender spot, my right front portion of my head. I hydroplaned in 2004 going 80mph on Hwy 280 and she worked on that area. It felt less tense for the first time in 6 years. I can stretch with much more ease now and I don't feel like I'm fighting with my body but working more with it or in tune. Mary does a lot of explaining for you, if you are interested that is and since I'm not familiar with this type of practice I really appreciated the extra time she spent with me. There were also knots in places I've never dreamed of like in my arm pits...size of a young man's fist. I'm serious. Mary is also a great listener and although I'm not a spiritual person, I do feel that she hit me on a spiritual level somehow. After a few minutes into my massage, I asked if I can go ahead and do a whole hour. I started to feel a difference right away and I just got my tax refund. The studio is very calming, clean and is a nice size for her private practice. Her credentials are incredible and go way back. I look forward to a follow-up as I need much more work done. Treatment is not cheap but it is so worth it especially since it makes my body work better therefore live better. read more

I found Mary through Yelp. After reading the amazing reviews, I knew I had to see her. Luckily I was able to get an appointment during a brief visit to Carmel and that visit changed my life! Mary sat down with me to ask what brought me in. I've been battling 'frozen shoulder' for many months with many varying treatments - all with no real success. Mary asked about, stress, relationships, exercise etc and after some much needed comments and suggestions, off we went for a treatment. I knew this was going to be like nothing else I had experienced but I had no idea it would be life changing. Mary spent a lot of time on my feet. (Maybe it's because she told me out of the 1000's of clients she has worked on, I had the softest feet - thx Mary) She honed in on certain areas of course which she explained were a direct correlation to my shoulder pain. After the feet she moved to my head and face. Again, who knew a pressure point above my eyebrow could make my toes curl. It was like she had some sort of detection device that enabled her to focus exactly on the area that needed work. During the time she was working on my feet and my head, I literally felt a shift in my body. It was like the circuits opened up. It's very hard to explain, but I literally felt different. It was like my senses were heightened. Mary worked on me for 2 hours and she was able to release so much pain, tension and bottled up feelings. If I were to compare a treatment from Mary to a typical therapeutic massage, I would say a typical massage is like getting your car washed. Yes it looks better and makes you feel good to have a clean car, but when you drive away, you still have old oil and old spark plugs. Mary gets under the hood, she checks your oil, she checks your spark plugs, she makes sure you aren't driving your vehicle in a dangerous manner. By the way, at the end of the treatment, I had MUCH MORE MOBILITY in my shoulder and MUCH LESS pain. Although I live out of town, I plan to make Mary a part of my tune ups. She is truly a miracle worker and you owe it to yourself to see her! read more

Mary is a god send. My husband could not even stand to wash a few plates in the kitchen sink without having to stop and rub his painful hip. After even just one session with Mary, he was able to go for a walk with me for the first time in .... well, it was so long ago I can't remember. For those that have a loved one that lives with chronic and debilitating pain, you can just imagine the joy I felt when after each session with Mary my husband was able to stand taller, pain free with a huge smile on his face. read more

Mary at A Carmel Haven has been instrumental in assisting me feel better through her extreme knowledge of reflexology. While having a thyroid issue and not wanting to take medication, Mary offers her wisdom and gentle touch as I have looked for alternative ways to find relief. Mary has helped me tremendously feel clear minded and physically stronger after working with her these last several weeks. Mary offers many services and I highly recommend her to help navigate your pain and begin a road onto a healthier path. Thank you Mary! read more

I woke up one morning unable to move my neck. I had extremely limited mobility, and couldn't turn to the side, look down, and I certainly couldn't drive. The stress of my job had taken a toll on my body that no one seemed able to fix ( physical therapists, chiropractor, regular massage). I found Mary through her glowing Yelp reviews. She was a life saver. She spent an hour working on me, and in that hour she did more good than the rest of those doctors did in months. I highly recommend her. Mary was able to find the pain and release it. I was amazed that one session could provide such dramatic relief. I have since moved, and I wish I could find someone like Mary close to me! read more

I found Mary when I was looking for a therapeutic massage. I found so much more than that. Mary not only listened to what I was saying to her, but she also heard the things I did not have to say. She listened to what my body and posture was telling her about anger I had been feeling and other challenges that contributed to my aches. She was able to resolve way more than a traditional massage could have done alone. read more

I came to visit up North for the first time and decided I would splurge on my well being. I've had chronic back pain and tendinitis pain for well over a decade. During that time, I learned to live with some sort of pain. This is not good as Mary could also tell because it throws your whole body out of alignment. I honestly didn't know what to except in my first visit. I was hoping for a miracle. That's exactly what I received. I've had tension in my left leg that was caused by my back pain and other pain in my foot for several years. Mary was able to take away that pain and discomfort. Her work is holistic and a combination of eastern and western medicine. I was amazed how Mary was able to locate pain In places I didn't even know I had tension. I left Mary feeling like a million bucks. She was a complete joy and grateful I was able to meet her. I would definitely make it a point to visit again. read more

Mary is a natural healer. Her multi-dimensional approach to health and wellness addresses pain or imbalance of body, mind, and spirit. I felt remarkably improved after my first visit and my only regret is not seeing her for treatment sooner. Highly recommend! read more

To paraphrase the Bard, "The Treatment's The Thing." Mary Van Tran is an amazing healer. As a spa professional myself, I have seen it all, and she is truly special. So the studio is simple and intimate. If I am looking for resort-type amenities, I can always go to Pebble Beach or Bernardus (two fabulous properties with all the bells and whistles) but for incredible skin care and massage therapy, Mary is tremendous. I have also seen her on a Sunday by advance appointment, and just called the day prior to make that arrangement. She's such a delight and I feel like I am the only human on the planet when I am on the table in Mary's care. I would give her five stars for treatment quality and personal attention. read more

Mary is such an amazing woman and healer. I went to see her while I was on vacation and loved it so much, I went back for another 2 hour session two days later. She does a combination of medical qi gong, massage, and intuitive healing that I have never experienced before. She also gives great advice on nutrition and lifestyle. I felt an instant connection with her and got the feeling that she is sincerely interested in my well being and helping me heal! Highly recommended! read more

Please don't miss an opportunity to spend time with this gifted healer. She combines excellent technical skill with loving spiritual focus. It is a combination rarely experienced. Mary treats the whole you. Some massage therapists have their "routine" and you can feel them going through the motions. Not Mary. She is totally present with you from beginning to end. Treat yourself! read more

Mary was amazing. I can tell you she is completely focused and in tune with the bodies of her clients. I left feeling like I had been in a healing therapy session. There was very little talking, but what she did say allowed me to go deeper, relax more, and find incredible balance when I left. I do believe that our whole beings are connected, that if I am holding on to long time judgement and bitterness towards someone it will manifest in some way physically and emotionally. It felt like in the body work she did something that was stuck was able to be released and since that point I've been able to let go of long-held issues that I've been trying to deal with for years. Since that day I've been told I look different. I truly think Mary was a catalyst for the changes I wanted to make in my life. And all simply through her healing touch. Thank you Mary. Thank you thank you thank you. read more

Mary is an amazing technician for deep tissue structural body work. She is far superior to any Active Release Therapy (ART), chiropractor, acupuncture, or acupressure provider that I have ever tried. She is uncanny at characterizing your problem, and correcting issues such as back, hip, and neck pain. Mary will cure your pain and discomfort, do not go to her if your looking for what most people thing of as a "massage", she is all about eastern medicine physical treatment. She has energy and power in her hands and you feel it as she provides her physical therapy body work. I have never been to anyone as effective as Mary, not even close. She is worth every penny and she gives you everything she has, every time. I was amazed when she worked on me for almost two and a half hours when I assumed that what I was paying for was only 80 minutes of therapy. Her explanation... I needed the additional body work and she could not stop when she was making so much progress. She did what she said she would do the first time I met her, which was "I can fix that.". When I compare the fee Mary charges to ART, chiropractors, acupuncturists, Doctors, and physical therapists, she was a deal for what she does. One other thing, she has eastern medicine knowledge that is indeed impressive, and her approach is both physical and mental. read more

I tried Mary after I saw the other reviews on this site. I was slightly skeptical, especially when I learned her fees, which are fairly pricey. I almost cancelled my appointment and scheduled one at a "regular" day spa. But... I am so glad I didn't. Mary's massage was everything the others have said. She has a background in "medical qigong" and honed in on spots I had no idea were holding pain / blocking energy flow. I had a major unexpected release that ended up being quite emotional during my session. Mary held the space with great care and professionalism, and I was deeply grateful. Afterwards, I walked down Ocean Avenue and felt like I had a new body. At a day spa I might have gotten a relaxing experience, but with Mary I got real healing. Thank you, Mary. read more

Mary is so amazing!!! Best massage I've ever had, woke up the next morning feeling absolutely fantastic!!! She really understands the body and healing pressure points...I highly recommend getting a massage from her, your body will love you for it:))) read more

Wow!!!!!! That is all I can say, After going to Mary I slept better than I ever have. I can't wait to go back.