I saw Mara for about 1.5 years. My main goals in working with her were getting rid of my IT band syndrome and tail bone pain. I did enjoy my sessions with Mara and usually left with a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation after our sessions. The sessions definitely helped to relieve my tailbone pain in the short term. I didn't see any changes with regards to my IT band syndrome though. She told me in the process that my muscles were not functioning correctly and therefore the IT band adjustment would take time. It did make sense to me in the moment but looking back I think we would have at least needed a treatment plan to actually make changes. But whenever I asked Mara about a plan or a timeline for success the response was very vague. I probably would have just gone further along with it and enjoyed the treatment in the moment, but my breaking point was when she 'diagnosed' me - unasked for and just based on a few symptoms and my age - to be in perimenopause. And even after me questioning that diagnosis insisting that this is the problem. This 'diagnosis' created a lot of stress and emotional turmoil for me especially since my husband and I had just gotten married and were still hoping to have kids. Which I had talked to her about, so to blurt out such a diagnosis outside of her field without any disclaimers made me lose confidence in her. It also put me on the wrong track for way too long but I'm glad that I know what is going on now, which is not related to perimenopause. I see the good intention here of making her clients aware of those things but if she wants to keep doing that would definitely need way more emotional awareness and attunement. read more

Mara has helped me with many issues like tendonitis, frozen shoulder and TMJD. She has over 20 years of experience and you can tell - she is very knowledgeable and skilled! I like how she is always learning and has new techniques for me for self care; she is always pushing me to improve! When I am having pain or tension, I try to see her once a week or every 2 weeks and sometimes combine it with going to physical therapy if indicated. She often finds areas that are contributing to the issue that other therapists do not, for example, jaw tension related to hip alignment. She has taught me postural corrections and diaphragmatic breathing that have helped me prevent further issues, especially when working out. I find her sessions both relaxing and therapeutic. read more

I came here after years of psoas and hip pain that culminated in my throwing out my back and having to go to urgent care. I had spent 2 months on a heating pad doing PT that I didn't feel was comprehensive, so I sought Mara out after a recommendation from a friend. I didn't know what to expect, but was hoping to find a more holistic, invested practice who could help bring me back to the type of mobility I had before, in addition to eradicating my short term pain. Pros: After a few days, I felt physically better after the session. I can tell there was more alignment and less pain. However, I was still on a heating pad and in continuing therapy. Cons: I left the office feeling relaxed but really disappointed. Mara told me my hips were misaligned, that the front of my ankle was tight, that i had poor obliques and pelvic floor. I asked her in 3 different ways what I could focus on after the session, and the only tip she gave me was "cat cow". My injury is a result of advanced yoga practice, so I do cat cow every single day. She just said to really tighten up when inhaling in cat cow. She couldnt show me because she had another client. I was probing for next steps and didn't get any. She didn't ask me to come back, or tell me what a treatment plan would be. She just said "how do you feel?" after the massage and goodbye, basically. I felt like I was left to figure out what to do next on my own. I emailed her several days later asking if she recommended a follow up session and which type of session, since we didn't talk about next steps. She then asked me what kind of hip bridges i'm doing in my normal PT. I responded that I was confused why we didn't have a conversation about my current treatment during the session, whether the session is intended to be a "one and done" or a treatment plan + prevention, whether i'm supposed to go to someone else to give me tips for the general conclusion that i have "poor pelvic floor". I told her I felt better physically but was mentally very frustrated with what felt like dismissal (I've had this injury in various forms for 2 years, but seemed like she thought 1 session was good enough for her and didn't provide any mechanism for finding out otherwise). She proceeded to argue with me that I was not dismissed, that she did ask me these questions in the session (yet somehow had to ask me again in email?), and that if I feel that I was dismissed then I'm not a good fit. I told her that I felt better but felt like I was treated like a "one and done" instead of a focus on continuous improvement and no discussion on next steps. She said that if I felt better after the first session, then the assessment helped after only one session. It DID feel better, but it certainly didn't eradicate all my physical problems. Both can be true. Anyway, I wanted more from Mara, not less. Instead of holding space for my feelings about her bedside manner, she argued that they weren't valid. It's unfortunate, because this one session helped more than the Athletico PT I had been doing for about a month, but I still have more to go and am back at square one to find a practitioner who really cares to treat comprehensively and thoroughly. read more

Mara has been helping me with my recovery from surgery (hysterectomy). I have found that my way of moving and breathing, my overall strength and feeling reconnected to my body has changed and grown so much since I started with Mara. I've learned a lot, and have new tools in my toolbox to help me do my own work as well. Highly recommend! read more

I feel very lucky to have found Mara a few years ago. I had just had my implants removed for fear of breast implant illness and was in need of someone that knew how to properly do a lymphatic drainage massage. I was new to this so didn't have much to compare it to. I had tried a few others and quickly realized Mara was way more knowledgeable and better trained for this than the others I had seen. I have been going to her on and off weekly for almost three years now and I highly recommend her. read more

I always love my sessions with Mara. her work on my neck and jaw gave me such relief from the pain I'd been feeling. I highly recommend her work! read more

Mara is a dream!! I have been seeing her for shoulder and neck issues related to several broken bones. I initially went to a physical therapist with whom I made some progress, then went to an ART (Active Release Therapist) with whom I made additional progress, but I was still unable to use my arm and shoulder correctly. I was also still in pain. It wasn't until I started to work with Mara that I really began to see leaps and bounds in my progress. She has a way of finding the underlying muscular problems that are causing your issues. Her massages are functional massages; ones where she moves your arm or leg in a certain way to feel how the muscles work. Once she feels the problem, she massages it out and readjusts your body so that it is back to working properly. I saw another massage therapist for several weeks before Mara and made slim to no progress. I switched to Mara and immediately saw results. When I describe her to my friends, I refer to her almost as a ninja; she finds the places in your body that are causing you your pain and without you even realizing it, she fixes you. Before I saw Mara I was in constant pain and had limited mobility on my left side. I was unable to perform many tasks with the left side of my body and was completely unable to sleep on my left side. After working with her for a few months, I am pain free, can sleep on that side, and am making many strength training strides on my left side. I was pretty banged up after my accident, so continue to see her on a weekly basis, but her appointments mean so much to me, my body, and my health that I will literally reschedule things around my appointments. I highly recommend her for any muscular body ailments. Her bedside manner is very warm. She listens to what you are saying, and is in constant communication with you to see how you are feeling. You'll walk away from her table feeling like a new (and better) person! read more

Godsend! I had so much pain in my jaw for months and was in tears thinking it wasn't going to go away. I went to a TMJ specialist who told me it was going to be over $12,000 to fix the issue. I had massages, mouth guards, etc. and still couldn't open my jaw or eat hard foods. Mara found the imbalances in my body that was causing jaw pain and fixed my mouth after the first time I saw her. Thank you so much Mara! read more

Mara helped me after a neck injury and I am so grateful for her expertise. I would give more stars but after about 10 sessions I could no longer afford her services. She knew my situation and never once followed up to check in or see how I was doing. I expected more from a body worker/healer in that regard. It's basic human kindness. read more

Bye bye back pain! For years I've assumed that my spine gets misaligned when I over exert myself, and hence I'd suffer a week or two in pain. Mara's patience and unparalleled understanding of muscular anatomy helped me realize that I have a few extremely over active muscles that turn off my core in simple postures, so my lower back muscles must work too hard. With some simple messages and a few simple exercises, I feel like I'm reborn! For anyone dealing with any sort of chronic pain or imbalance, I HIGHLY recommend seeing Mara.. She will change your life! read more

I initially saw Mara for chronic knee pain. I have had physical therapy for IT Band issues, but have been too stubborn to give up running. I started working with a trainer to build strength, but needed more than just hard workouts to address the underlying issues. While the treatments are painful (she is a master at finding where all my pain points are), they have helped a great deal. As an added bonus, I have had chronic shoulder and neck pain for over 10 years with at least a few instances each month where I can hardly move my neck and had limited mobility raising my right arm. However, since I have been seeing Mara, I have not had a single day of pain in my shoulders and neck (about 2.5 months). Mara gives a lot of information and exercises to do outside of appointments to continue to build on what she is doing during the sessions. My only regret is that I did not find her sooner. read more

I have had a lot of messages from places like Massage Envy and they were always nice and relaxing, but never seemed to add up to me feeling better. Just after a few sessions with Mara I could tell the joints were starting to move correctly and pain in my knee was gone. It is a very different experience. She is very deliberate and focuses time on the muscles that effect my mobility. You can tell during a session that she really knows what she is doing and there is a method to how she moves through your body. Sometimes at massage envy it just feels like they are rubbing any muscle they can hit, which is nice, but not the same focus that Mara puts on the places that need the most work. She has already helped me with a knee problem and I look forward to seeing her next because I just hurt my ankle. You can really tell she cares about you and I would suggest her to anyone. So if you are looking for a solution to a problem you are having with your body try Mara out, you won't be disappointed. read more

I've had occasional lower back issues for years. After the birth of my daughter last year, the occasional back spasm turned into a chronic issue. After re-injuring it two weekends in a row, I realized the old rest and heat tricks weren't going to cut it. My right hip began creeping up higher and higher and I began worrying that I was going to be permanently impacted. I googled and googled and came to think I had a lateral pelvic tilt and then read up on Neuromusucular Therapy. Mara's name came up in a search of local practitioners and her reviews on the Elemental Health page were excellent. I appreciated that Mara allowed me to express total panic about my back. She even hugged me when I started crying! She then took time to assess my posture and positioning, talk to me about the way I move and the lifestyle I have. She also didn't expect me to radically alter my life, something you can't really do with a one year old. There was no "Well, you just can't pick your daughter up." Instead, she also talked about longer term habits and how NMT can help realign the misaligned. The massage was incredible. Rather than a routine from a masseuse, this was a targeted approach that involved stopping to assess how my muscles were engaged and then working on areas that needed work...not just rubbing my shoulders because it feels good. It felt purposeful and effective. We discussed a multi-visit approach that would allow me to gradually work on exercises while allowing the NMT work to do its thing. I've had one follow up and was equally impressed. We've set a treatment path that feels thorough without being excessive and thoughtful towards the life I live. She's been great about communicating when I've needed to reschedule and just makes things easy. I was skeptical that anything could help and convinced I was headed towards a life of constant pain and limited mobility--not what you want to be imagining as someone in their 30s. I am now convinced that Mara is a gifted practitioner and someone who knows what she's doing. I am glad to have found her and glad to be working with her. I don't think I'll ever get a massage from anyone else. read more