I made the commitment to regular body work when an imbalance of stress and life challenges were taking a toll on my health. When my massage therapist moved, I didn't know if I would be able to find someone who was both as skilled and as good a personality fit. Luckily, I did. Helena is a warm light as she greets you for a massage treatment. She is a kind and giving soul, which is reflected in her work. She takes the time to listen to your needs and understands how human emotion and experiences effect the body. I not only feel terrific when I leave, I also gain new perspectives on how to participate in my body's recovery and relaxation. Massage with Helena has been essential for me in managing chronic back, shoulder, and neck pain as well as the stresses of life that play out in the rest of my muscles and bones. Helena is a very professional, highly-skilled massage therapist. I recommend her for anyone searching for a massage experience that leaves you feeling relaxed, restored, and rebalanced. read more

I've been seeing Helena for years. Her unique somatic therapy helped me feel more safe and present in my body. Highly, highly recommend, esp to complement talk therapy (I originally found her through my therapist's referral). read more

Helena is amazing. We've had one session and my back pain has subsided and my body feels more open and relaxed. Helena really listens and understands clients complaints and needs. read more

Helena is a world-class healer. I couldn't be more grateful for her touch, presence and kindness. With Helena's help I have accessed feelings of peace, healing, resolved trauma and joy that I hadn't felt since before I can remember in my childhood. I would see her weekly if I could! Her clarity, listening, and intention is pure and real. Her humility is astounding, knowing how talented she is. I recommend her to anyone who is also on a healing journey, knowing they will be experience miracles. Thank you, Helena for all that you do!! read more

I really love getting massages from Helena, who I've been seeing for two years. For a bit of background, I've seen many massage therapists of varying technique and quality over the past decade, after a car accident that left me with back injury. Helena has a very light touch in comparison to many massage therapists, yet she's so intuitive and in touch with bodywork that it's like she's touching each individual muscle through my skin. It's incredibly relaxing and healing at the same time. It's a bit magical how she manages to work the muscles deep, without the hard pressure most massage therapists use. Just a really incredible understanding of anatomy combined with gentle caring touch. Whenever my back is a little torqued, or if I need to treat myself, I go see her and it's like a little slice of heaven that leaves me feeling like I'm floating on a cloud. Highly highly recommend. read more

Let me start by saying, I'm not the kind of person that ever writes Yelp reviews, but in this case I felt it necessary to share with the world how great Helena is! When I first saw Helena, my right arm had little to no range of motion and I couldn't use it without feeling a lot of deep pain. I wasn't sure I'd like her "gentler approach," but I was pleasantly surprised! Her approach is really unique in that it's gentle but intense. Our sessions felt like physical therapy meets incredible massage, and although it sometimes didn't feel like she was doing much, she's working magic. One little press of the fingers on a certain point, and she can release a lot of tension without digging deep. Truly incredible! After only two sessions, my range of motion has been completely restored and I'm pain-free. One of the things I liked best is that Helena takes the time to listen, assess, and try different things until getting it right. The process wasn't rushed at all, and she was able to solve the problem effectively through the combination of NeuroKinetic Therapy assessments, Ortho-Bionomy and gentle massage. Helena asked for my feedback along the way, and I felt included in my own healing. I also appreciated learning movement techniques to take my shoulder health into my own hands. I'm now much more aware of how I use my arms and shoulders, and that's definitely contributed to my healing. I'd recommend Helena to anyone, because she's awesome! In particular, I'd recommend her to those with extremely sensitive shoulder and back pain. Her gentle approach helps people in a lot of pain release that pain while feeling at ease. THANK YOU HELENA!!!! read more

Helena... I don't know where to start. I was one of her clients for 18 months until I moved away, and throughout my time in SF I've never met someone who is equally caring. Helena has a very unique way to massage, and really has figured out her clients needs. She has a much softer approach that helps you align your mental space with your body and gives you the tools to survive in a fairly stressful world. If you're about to lose your Zen, go and see her. read more

A few years ago, before finding Helena, I had almost given up on massage due to a number of bad experiences. I used to go for the deep and hard modalities, and was sometimes in much pain during and after sessions. Still, I had hesitations about working with her. I wasn't sure "gentle intuitive" massage would "do" anything. I was very wrong! Helena's work has and continues to help my body heal, deeply relax, and helps me nurture a loving and communicative relationship with my body, and my self! I have had chronic neck and back issues for many years. Since working with her, my neck and back have calmed down! I used to fight with my body. Now, with Helena's help, I know how to better work with and for my body. Helena's work is not like a usual massage, but it is so deeply relaxing and satisfying. I can get to a place of deep inner peace that is difficult to do alone. I would recommend her services to people learning to care for themselves, to sensitive people, and to anyone open to the benefits of gentle, full body relaxation. I would also recommend her to people who are sometimes harsh with themselves, and who are open to practicing being gentle and loving instead. Thank you, Helena, for your patience, your presence, and the gift of your healing, gentle medicine! read more

I started working with Helena about a year ago and have been getting monthly sessions for stress maintenance and various tensions that come up from physical activity. I appreciate her gentle touch that goes deep (not like deep tissue massage where it makes things worse). I feel like every muscle fiber is being seen. Her touch engages my body awareness and she always helps me integrate the effects of the session, which helps them last longer. Her knowledge of Ortho-Bionomy and NeuroKinetic Therapy clearly shows in her work and has helped create changes in my body I feel right away. It makes me feel lighter and stronger to move through life with support from bodywork. I would highly recommend Helena's work to those who want deep work without intense pressure, and for anyone with chronic muscular tension who hasn't found relief from other types of bodywork. Her approach to the body feels safe, gentle and immediately effective. I continue to look forward to receiving care and being in her grounded presence. She's very reliable, efficient with time and creates a wonderful, relaxing atmosphere for all of our sessions. Can't wait to be on her table again! read more

Working with Helena has taught me that bodywork can be more than just about relaxation. Not only has she helped me recover from a few soccer related injuries and soreness, but her sessions have helped bring me back into my body when I get caught up with all the stress and emotion of life. I am always impressed by how in-tune she is with my body and energy -- it seems like she always knows exactly what I need and has a way of taking my mind and body to a place of peace and relaxation. Every time our sessions end, I feel like I've been to the moon and back! read more

Helena is a joy to do bodywork with. She has helped me with TMJ, ankle and back issues. Her hands are gentle and respectful and make movements that are gracious and encourage healing. Her approach is not typical and I am so grateful for that. When I was searching for the right body worker, I knew I wanted someone with a lot of integrated knowledge of the body and health. Helena is also aware of HSP clients and, for me, that adds a degree of comfort. read more

To Helena, I wanted to express my gratitude at how incredibly intuitive and smart you were with my body. I never thought gentle work would do the trick, and I've been so harsh with it for years. Yet you seem to be more patient with the system as it releases, and I hadn't felt that at ease in ages. Not only did you listen to my words and pain, but you listened to my body itself, and responded to things that are mysterious to my knowledge. You actually helped me. It sounds simple, but it's pretty miraculous that you could understand the complexities of the issues so quickly and provide some relief. The tension and ache were finally gone. Usually massages just make me feel better during, but not after. I guess I don't really trust my body because I feel so helpless, and it feels so messed up, but you showed me that with gentle work, the body can be guided back to a better place. The combination of your talents and healing heart just make you a gift that is hard to find! read more

When I read Helena's description on her website I knew that her approach was something that I could benefit from, and something very different from other body work approaches. I was right. Helena's approach was truly soothing, healing, careful. She's incredibly mindful about how she provides therapeutic touch. I highly recommend working with Helena! read more

Helena is masterful at holding space and performing subtle energetic adjustments that create a sense of great safety and easeful surrender. As always, Helena is one of my favorite people to receive therapeutic work from. Her work is deeply intuitive, highly creative, and amazingly attentive to the subtle shifts occurring within the body throughout the course of a session. Helena has a special gift for this type of work, and I am so happy that she is a part of the SF bodywork community! read more

I found Helena here on Yelp during a search for a gentle bodywork method to augment the other work I'm doing to recover from stress & trauma. And I'm so glad that I did! The idea has been to try a gentle, understanding way of handling the body to alleviate the stress it holds, rather than something more intense like running it out or having a regular massage. Helena explained her orthobionomy work to me, and thought I'd be a good candidate for a 3-session arch that involved lots of communication prior to and after sessions and a written guide at the end that summarized our work, her recommendations, and a variety of other options I might consider as next steps. I've continued my work with her beyond this initial 3-session arch, and feel that I have really benefited from her approach, personality, and of course the bodywork. I'd never had such gentle work before and at first I felt like it couldn't possibly be "doing anything." But then I sat up from the massage table and felt the tension points had melted and my body felt loose, comfy, and relaxed. It was such a comfortable feeling! I've had at least 10 sessions with Helena to date and can't recommend her enough, especially if you are someone who is sensitive for any reason to more invasive or aggressive massage or bodywork. Helena truly cares are her clients, and it really shows with her caring work during the session, her enthusiasm in teaching me things I can do on my own to relieve pain or build strength in key areas, and in her follow-up communications. She is very intuitive, a good listener, and great at ferreting out mysteries plaguing the body -- I highly recommend her as a healer. read more

I highly recommend working with Helena! Her informed and intuitive touch have helped me relax from daily stresses of a busy city life, and have gone further to help me through some deeper healing within my body. I love that through bodywork, Helena invites her clients to become more curious about their bodies, learning to seek out the root causes of aches and pains, rather than settling for a temporary fix. Helena goes beyond working with the body to encourage a way of being in the world that encompasses a perspective of total health. read more

I was intrigued by the idea of a *gentler* approach to massage. I had always gone for the hardest and roughest, thinking that I was getting more out of it. One session with Helena proved to me that I wasn't getting the most out of those massages. For once, I was truly relaxed and at ease during a massage. It surprised me that I didn't realize that I had been tensing my body in anticipation of the next sore area that the previous massage therapists would find. This was a whole new level of relaxation for me. The Ortho-Bionomy added another dimension of intuitive healing as she listened to what my body needed. I would highly recommend Helena if you need to reduce pain and tension in your life. read more

Helena has an incredible touch. She combines relaxing, restorative, mellow massage with skilled therapeutic work--perfect if you have an injury/repetitive stress or if you just want to de-stress (or both). Not the person to go to if you need deep aggressive muscle-pounding and limb-twisting, but if you're looking for kind, attentive, expert massage that leaves you feeling centered and healthy, look no further. Plus, Helena's just a great person! read more

When I first saw Helena over a year ago, I was experiencing lower back pain. I'd had mixed results with bodywork in the past; it's often hard to find a bodyworker who my body responds to. However, since working with Helena, the pain in my back has subsided and my shoulder is improving, too. She has a kind of tool-kit when she works, responding to the changing needs of my body with a wide bandwidth of treatment options. One of her more gentle techniques, Ortho-Bionomy, has really helped me reactivate my body awareness. I had lost touch with my body in the past and am grateful to be back. Helena has also taught me exercises and suggested self-care practices and I have grown stronger and more aware because of them. I also really enjoy our post-session discussions where she shares detailed observations about my body that shows me she's paying careful attention and is very inquisitive when she works. I would definitely recommend Helena, especially to my friends in the martial arts and those who have the sensitivity to respond well to her subtler work. She is gifted in this art! read more

Helena is awesome. She's helped me with everything from sore muscles to stress to a recurring issue with my knees. Her massages can be purely relaxing or very therapeutic, depending on what you want. She is a great listener and passionate about helping people feel better. 5 stars! Definitely. read more

I used to think that the 'tougher' the bodywork, the better, as in 'no pain, no gain'. However, as a sensitive person, I gradually realized that the standard approaches I was using were not doing it for me. When I started working with Helena, I had a series of long-standing issues that I had tried to address with physical therapy, or even using yoga classes where I tried to power through and strengthen the ankle I had injured. I was impatient that I hadn't fully addressed the original injury that had thrown off my alignment on my whole right side. Not only was Helena's gentle approach immediately effective in jump-starting my healing process, but she also supported me in practicing patience with myself and my body as I gradually re-aligned and strengthened my ankle, and she walked with me step my step as I (quite literally) found my footing again! She is intuitive, pragmatic, kind, insightful, and extremely skilled. She also called in a second opinion from a colleague so we had more information to work with. I cannot say enough good things about Helena and the work she does. Thank you, thank you, thank you! read more

Helena gave me one of the best massages I have ever had in my life. I have received many types of massages in many different countries. But Helena topped them all. She had a great balance between deep tissue and gentle relaxation. My neck and shoulder pains have been relieved. During the massage I kept hoping it would not end. Everything was perfect. I was thoroughly relaxed for the rest of the day. read more

Not surprised at all to see only 5 star reviews here for Helena! What a gem she is. Aside from just having an amazing sensitivity and healing touch, she is such a sweet presence and I looked forward to every delicious minute on her table. She got me back on my feet after several injuries, from meningitis-related stiffness to pulled muscles, and general muscle tension and I couldn't recommend her more highly. Do your mind and body a favor and spend at least an hour with her a month! I miss her down here in LA but will be back on any adventure north. read more