I can't say enough good things about my massages with Esme at the Deep Tissue Massage Center in Santa Barbara! She has such an intuitive touch and deep understanding of the body. Every session helps me feel more balanced, stronger, and more at ease in my body. I've noticed real improvements in my mobility and overall well-being since I started seeing her. I always leave feeling like my body has been truly cared for. Colin and Jill are so experienced and have helped me through my physical therapy process every step of the way. Highly recommend! read more

I came here on the recommendation of my amazing chiropractor (Dr.Kori on State St.). I saw Christina to help with a carpel tunnel type pain in my wrist. She was caring and friendly as she took down my long list of issues. She theme worked on my back and wrist. My wrist felt better the next day, and the day after that my wrist pain was gone completely! I'm back at work pain free. Amazing read more

I had been experiencing very bad neck pain for 2 weeks when I called this office, and they recommended a masseuse who they said was great for handling neck and upper back pain. I'm not sure if this is protocol or not but no lotion or oils were used for the massage. For the first 30 minutes of the massage I did not feel any relief or difference in my neck. I would say only about 5 minutes of the massage felt good. My neck remained in the same amount of pain it had before I came in. After the massage, my neck felt even worse. I know this place has great reviews, so I was extremely disappointed. I don't believe this was an accurate experience of a $150 massage. read more

After EIGHT YEARS of searching for help to relieve a persistent, stabbing myofascial pain in the muscles of my upper back, I found Sophia at Deep Tissue Massage Center. We are now on a weekly schedule that includes her skillful massage in addition to stretches to be done at home. The pain that has 'survived' attempts by chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists and lesser-qualified massage professionals is now in the rear-view mirror because of her knowledge and compassion. I am SO grateful! read more

I've had great experiences going to Deep Tissue Massage Center, and have actually seen all 3 of the therapists. Each of them has helped me in their unique way. Kim does a great deep tissue massage. My first appointment was a total body massage/assessment of sorts and follow ups will address the areas I need more help with. She has a certification for birthing bodies-specifically designed to help pre/post-natal women around the pelvic area. Even though I haven't had a baby I've benefitted from the work she's done around my pelvis to help address some of my imbalances. Christina's technique was a little bit different as I had clothes on the whole time. She did some movement assessments, muscle testing and then released some of the tissues. At the end she gave me some exercises to practice on my own. The exercises were great, and have helped me a lot with my training. I can see how the work she does would be particularly impactful for athletes. I don't have scoliosis issues, but if I did I would consider seeing her, as she has a background in that as well. Colin, the owner, is who I initially saw for a session. He came highly recommended by friends, clients and colleagues and I can see why-he's really good at what he does. He did area specific deep tissue and fascial release work on me and I can feel the difference in my body. I've been referring many of my clients to him and they have their own success stories from working with him. read more

Colin gives the best massage out of anyone I have ever been to. And I'm PICKY! As a high level athlete, my body suffers a lot of duress which leads to lots of painful muscular issues. No one else understands the network of our bodies quite like Colin. I highly recommend him if you want a massage that goes above and beyond what you have experienced. Also, Colin is a super person who I always look forward to seeing and enjoying a fulfilling conversation. read more

This place is healing at its best - knowledgeable, experienced and therapeutic. They found the root cause of my pain and fix it. It's the only place that told me why I was experiencing my pain, helped fully relieve it and even gave me exercises to come back stronger. Their techniques aren't just a bunch of patterns like many other massage places. It's always a custom treatment. I've continued going in for basic health maintenance/athletic performance and look forward to it each time. Service wise they're gems - friendly, professional and very caring. This isn't a spa type place. They do serious massage work with real results. Highly recommended! read more

Colin was a lifesaver. After surgery and months of rehab, my doctor threw up his hands and said I had to live with pain. Someone highly recommended Colin to me. After one session, I stepped off the massage table and was pain free. (I did go for further sessions as well.) Colin is truly a lifesaver. He knows his stuff and is a kind caring person as well. He wants to fix your problem and have you happily move on with your life. read more

If you need someone to figure out your bad back when no one else could go see Collin at DTM. I had back surgery 2 years ago and although surgery helped it was not fully successful. So for the last 2 years I've tried many different therapies to help with the back recovery and I would say that I had more relief from one treatment at DTM than all the other therapies combined! I would strongly recommend DTM if you are in need of this type of work. read more

I can't recommend Colin highly enough! He has been extremely effective and talented at figuring out and treating my chronic back pain. He truly cares about his patients and really takes the time to listen to you and figure out a plan together. He has provided me with very helpful exercises to do on my own time in addition to providing amazing therapeutic relief at the Deep Tissue Massage Center. read more

I have had years of body work from many different sources & nothing comes close to how fantastic I feel after a treatment . Amazingly skilled therapists, that really understand body mechanics and musculature. I highly recommend giving this epic team a try. read more

Colin is amazing! I am so grateful to have found him. He has been a gem in helping me recover from debilitating arm pain, and in helping to unwind deep networks of tight fascia that were constraining my posture and movement. His is truly targeted and effective massage! He has a thorough knowledge of the body, and is able to quickly assess problems and target them accurately. Beyond that, he has a real love of learning and studies across modalities to best serve his clients. I have found this invaluable in the way he has been able to help me. And I am always amazed at his intuitive sense of pressure - deep enough to be really effective, but never too much. Over and above his skills, he is kind and caring, with a genuine desire to help. He has a lovely energy and is a delight to spend time with. Colin has been my primary massage therapist, but I have also seen Christina and Kim once each. I was very impressed with both of them, and would highly recommend them too. read more

There aren't enough adjectives in the world to describe how wonderful Colin is. Not only is he an amazing massage therapist, but he's an exceptional person. I recently saw him for issues with my back and I haven't felt this great in months. He also provided me with exercises I can do at home to prevent the pain from returning. If you spend even one minute with Colin you can tell he is passionate about his work, health, and wellness. He is extremely knowledgeable and always answers any questions I have. You're in great hands with Colin and Jill! read more

Was visiting family in Santa Barbara and I woke up to find my back"was out" and I could barely move. I was referred to Deep Tissue Massage Center and Colin agreed to stay after his last appointment to see what he could do to help me. Well forty minutes later I was able to walk out of the treatment room without being stooped over or limping. He was so thoughtful, and careful to check on me as to the amount of pressure and my level of discomfort which no one had ever been as concerned. I wish I would still be here after the holiday as I would come back and see Christina as Colin said she'd be great to work on me if she wasn't already booked as he already is. After reading all the reviews first I am now able to write this one to be added to all the others praising the caring treatment of the services provided by the Deep Tissue Massage Center. read more

First off, I want to say Colin is a miracle worker! I have two herniated discs and occasionally threw my back out and become immobile due to the pain. I found Colin while searching for a place to give me some relief. Man, did I find the right place! Since Colin has worked on my back/body I feel incredible relief. He not only gives great deep massage. He finds muscles that aren't working or doing their job and corrects them. Now I am able to go to the gym (something I wasn't able to do for years!). I can't even remember the last time I threw my back out! If you are in pain, in need of relief, do yourself a favor and go see Colin. read more

I have had chronic neck and back pain for years due to a prior car accident and because of work-related muscle strain. I've tried many different massage therapists, chiropractors, and physical therapy but nothing has helped me more than coming to see the therapists at Deep Tissue Massage Center. It's a nice change to come get a massage and not wake up more sore the next day due to excess pressure on tightened muscles. It has also helped me with neck-strain-related migraines. Many times that I've come in with a migraine, I've left pain-free. I am forever grateful for their excellent care! read more

5 stars is the only option for this therapeutic massage facility. I was thrilled to find Christina, who used active release therapy on me, to battle adhesions (like scar tissue) that have formed in my neck and lower back. Very loosened up from this technique. This is serious massage and I'm so grateful to have stumbled upon these people. read more

I have had the best massages in my life at Deep Tissue Massage. For years, Colin has scientifically and intuitively helped me for years. He is now assisted by Shanna, who is equally excellent. The first session I had with her relieved my pain so dramatically, I booked a second one a week later. Now, I have two resources in Santa Barbara, both at Deep Tissue Massage. read more

I wholeheartedly agree with the person who called Colin a " miracle worker "! I give him complete credit for helping me gain mobility and range of motion in my arm and shoulder after it was broken with a complex avulsion fracture, and dislocation last year. I'm also able to sleep at night without pain, a miracle in itself! His treatment is better than what I was getting with physical therapy, prescribed by doctors. He evaluates the problem thoroughly, taking into the picture your whole body. To add to that, he's a super nice guy. I can't recommend him any more highly! read more

Colin is the best massage therapist in town. He has a vast body of anatomical knowledge, great palpation skills and many years experience in his hands. read more

This is basically the best massage in town. I used to be a massage therapist, and I have to say that these guys know what they are doing. There is a great combo of anatomy knowledge and slow, deep work. I had a few session a couple weeks after knee surgery, and OMG, I could not believe how much it helped! If you are injured or just want a great massage, this is the place to go... read more

I have experienced back issues for 15 years since my herniated disk surgery. Finally after months of a coach nagging me to go see Collin I did. After my first 30 min visit my husband got very sick of hearing me say things like "I have not been able to do this or that for years" and "wow I cannot believe I feel so good". My range of motion increased so much and I felt so great. Then the true test came after I threw my back out and was imobile. After one visit to Collin when I was at my my worst I left walking and able to bend over and sit without pain. That blew me away. It gave me a very firm appreciation of how much muscles effect every party of our body. When I tell friends about him I say you have to go see Magic Collin because the only way to describe what he does is M A G I C ! read more

An hour here can alleviate the kind of pains that I used to just accept would take weeks or months to get better. Over the past few years, I've limped to DTMC for treatment a few times for different things; a hip flexor strain, knee pain, and a lower back problem. Each time, I was able to walk out with less pain, armed with understanding and exercises to prevent the problem in the future. I was especially impressed with the help for my back issue, which I had dealt with on and off since I did something stupid to it about a quarter century ago. I've been treated by both Colin and Shanna, and they really know what they're doing. read more

I saw Kim today and she was fantastic! I'm new to the area and so happy to have found someone who can help me feel better!

Colin at Deep Tissue Massage Center has turned around several serious and painful conditions for both me and my husband. I have used Deep Tissue Massage Center for years and referred many grateful friends to them. Colin is well educated in muscle function, and he can quickly and painlessly zero in on the problem and begin to get your body back on track. He wants you to feel great so you can go back to doing the things you love. I give him my highest recommendation. read more

I have worked with Colin at Deep Tissue Massage Center for several years now. Colin is without question the best massage therapist I have ever worked with. His techniques have helped greatly with pain and mobility issues associated with scoliosis and severe spinal stenosis. Many issues that were diagnosed as purely spinal and joint related have been resolved quickly by his well researched and thoughtfully applied techniques. He continuously expands his knowledge and brings new ideas and exercises to specifically address some odd combination of dysfunctional muscles. I come out of each massage feeling much better. Colin is also willing to deal with my curiosity and questions, giving me better understanding of soft tissue anatomy and function. I now stay in better shape and with much less to no pain. Better yet, his body work has improved my competitive sports! read more

I started seeing Colin back in 2007 for a shoulder injury as a result of a gym accident. Did the whole allopathic circuit,... doctors, shoulder experts, cortisone shots into the joint, even chiropractors and physical therapists. Nothing helped. It got to the point that because I wasn't able to use my arm, my shoulder started to freeze up. Very scary downhill slide with no one who could offer me any real treatment or answers. Then an acupuncturist, referred me to Colin. Literally, after one 2 hour "emergency" massage session I was able to lift my arm for the first time in 4 months! I knew this was the right course of therapy for me and after about 4 or 5 sessions I was gaining nearly 100% range of motion as well as my nerve issue resolving. I'd say I had about 10 sessions in all and still today that debilitating damage was completely cured. He is seriously the most professional and skilled therapist I've ever encountered. And, I've encountered a lot of them. I owned hotels in Napa Valley, all with Spas and have employed over 100 therapist, and his work is like nothing you can imagine. It's still body work/massage, yet his approach is with an innate, deep and passionate skill and understanding of the human body and it's' mechanics that literally transforms massage into something else. Bottom line... is that he achieves results that no one else can, anywhere, that I know of. I wish for everyone's sake that he could bottle "it" up, but in lieu of that, what he and his team does makes living in Santa Barbara all the more special for anyone needing healing. Obviously, I'm a fan. read more

I had been training for an Ironman triathlon (2.4mile swim, 112mile bike, 26.2mile run) for 4 months. I started to develop incredibly severe ITBS which caused a very sharp pain on the lateral side of my knee every time I ran. I wasn't able to run more than a mile without pain. I was left unable to train any running whatsoever. I am a personal trainer and tried every self therapy I could think of but nothing was working. I only had 2 months before my race and didn't know how I was going to finish it because I couldn't run. It was incredibly frustrating and disheartening. I went to the deep tissue massage center as a last resort. I didn't have that much money but I knew I had to get extensive body work done for my injury. I starting seeing Colin and was amazed at how well he knew the human body. Everything he did was specific to me and my movement patterns. All the muscle tests and compressions were a means of trying to figure out the puzzle of my specific injury. Colin is incredibly intuitive. I was only able to see him for 3 sessions but benefited more from those three sessions than I ever could have imagined. I felt great going into my race and was able to complete the whole thing with absolutely no knee pain at all. It felt like a miracle, but it was just due to Colin and his work. I can't thank him enough. He helped me achieve a dream of mine that I didn't think I was going to be able to do. The work he did was absolutely incredible and I would give him the highest recommendation possible. read more

I've been seeing Colin for an arm/shoulder injury that left me with chronic pain and limited range of motion. In just a few sessions with him he was able to reduce pain to practically nothing and increase range of motion that I never thought would be possible. I recently showed up to his office with a knee pain that had me hobbling around. In a one hour session, he was able to identify what caused the problem and fix it! I walked out of there with no more knee pain! read more

After years of my lower back consistently going out, I took my chiropractor's advice and began working with Colin. He successfully and completely alleviated this problem. His work in the office is phenomenal. And what I enjoyed most were the instructions on exercises and self massage he would offer to me do between our sessions, allowing me to relax overused muscles and increase the strength in under-used muscles. I am thrilled to be hiking, biking, skiing and any form of exercise I choose to do, once again, because of Colin's work. read more

Colin has been my go-to guy over the years when I was in back or neck pain. His touch is golden, his instincts are as sharp as his skill. All his clients know that, but now want to give a 5 star notice to his new collegue, Chjristina Klein. Recently I put up with a very sore shoulder for a couple of months after taking a tumble on my moped. Finally I called DTMC and was offered a session with Christina since Colin was booked up. I was disappointed not to get Colin but desperate for some relief. Chjristina was fantastic. In one session she got into that shoulder and and completely reworked every fiber somehow and poof - the pain was gone and did not creep back in. read more

I began going to see Colin a year and a half ago because I had pulled my right psoas. I called a friend who is a professional athlete. He said that Colin was the best massage guy in Santa Barbara, and that he relied on him heavily to take care of inevitable injuries .. for him it was for the protection of his career, so he didn't mess around. I saw Colin for the psoas problem and got immediate relief and have been going to Colin ever since for everything from small aches and pains to major problems. Colin has an extremely rare combination of deep understanding of human anatomy and outstanding intuition and sensitivity. Every session is different, he holds space really well for whatever healing needs to happen and follows my body's signals instead of just going through the motions. He is really an artist, he gives it his all every time, and yet there is no ego involved. Super nice guy, and what he provides goes well beyond "massage" to a treatment that helps restore the whole body to balance and health. read more

I first went to Colin for deep tissue massage to help with anxiety relief. From the first session, I knew I had found someone who is blessed not only with deep compassion for his clients but incredibly sensitive hands (and elbows) that are able to instinctively locate and melt away knots and areas of tension in the body. In the three years since that first visit, I have not only consistently left his office in a relaxed coma, but have also taken advantage of his expertise in orthopedic diagnosis and treatment. Chronic periodic back spasms, that multiple massage therapists had been unable to cure, have disappeared. Ditto a shoulder injury that I had been told could only possibly be cured by surgery. After treatment with Colin, the constant low grade nagging pain is gone, and I can comfortably throw a baseball and shoot a basketball for the first time in twenty years. Look no further, this man is a uniquely gifted therapist! read more

I was referred to Colin by my physical therapist following hip replacement surgery last May (2014); I was experiencing pain, stiffness and inflammation in my non-operated hip which was very discouraging to say the least. I have had other forms of massage, but Colin ' s approach proved to be incomparable; in fact, as other Yelp reviewers have expressed, he is able to traverse several disciplines, integrate them geared to your specific issue, and subtly, but powerfully help your body make the changes it needs to make. I honestly thought I would need another hip replacement and/or remain disabled for the rest of my life so I can't overstate the impact of his knowledge, experience, education and intuition in helping regain mobility and health. Other reviews have covered his sterling personal qualities, but I want to emphasize his professionalism in an evolving field of orthopedic/medical massage. Also, Jill Wayne, Office Administrator, is impressive; organized, caring and charming. All in all, quite an amazing health resource. read more

Deep Tissue Massage Center is one of the best in town, if not thee best. I was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome [TOS] and prescribed surgery by a local vascular surgeon. I decided to get a second opinion from one of the best vascular surgeons in the country who works at the UCLA Medical Center; he prescribed the same procedure as the only fix. Instead, I pursued alternative therapies including, physical therapy specializing in myofascial release, acupuncture, and chiropractic; none of which made any change to the symptoms. Then I was referred to Deep Tissue Massage Center who's masseuse is trained in dealing with TOS. Within a six visits had made significant improvement. As I continued to improve my deep tissue massage sessions were less frequent and within 10 months the symptoms were virtually eliminated. I am very active and love cycling, hiking, yoga, foundation training, and lifting weights. I am very grateful to DTMC for the excellent care and treatment I received. Thank you Colin!!! read more