I have been fascinated by human healing capabilities and the mind-body connection for as long as I can remember.
Perhaps the stars aligned when I was born with ruptured shoulder tendons, nerve damage and a paralyzed arm. My parents were given two choices: operate on their newborn with no guarantees of improvement and the risk of more damage or instantly start swimming lessons, physiotherapy and manual therapies like massage. Luckily they chose the latter.
Today, I operate at the intersection of soft tissue mechanical manipulation and central nervous system (CNS) regulation aiming to improve and restore well-being for others. I do this in a physically demanding health care practice that I was told I should not pursue due to the permanent damage in my arm.
As a veteran Registered Massage Therapist with over 17 yrs of experience, former clinical educator, mind-body health practitioner, and Clinical Hypnotist my entire framework is built around a singular objective: resetting, reconnecting and repairing body and mind. I go through the body with manual manipulation of soft tissues to still muscles, the nervous system and the mind. I hope to help patients explore, unpack, understand and utilize the mind-body connection and the emerging science of psychoneuroimmunology.
My clinical philosophy is rooted in my academic background from the University of Toronto, where I focused heavily on the Mind-Body Connection and consciousness studies. I translate this foundation into real-world recovery protocols—bridging passive soft tissue manipulation, deep myofascial releases and active trigger point techniques in combination with deeply calming massage, visualization techniques, neurobiofeedback, HRV monitoring and active sports loading science. I aim to relieve muscle pain & tension, decrease myofascial restrictions, improve functional movement, calm the central nervous system and down-regulate pain reception to achieve maximum well-being.
My Core Performance Pillars:
🔹 Structural Decompression for Load Readiness: Deploying advanced Myofascial Release (MFR) and deep tissue massage techniques to untangle disorganized scar tissue from old injuries. This restores the vital three-dimensional movement along anatomical slings, allowing muscles and joints to absorb massive mechanical volume without localized injury.
🔹 Neuromuscular Resetting & Trigger Point Elimination: Utilizing myotonic muscle release and targeted ischemic compression to deactivate hyper-irritable muscle trigger points (knots). This suppresses protective muscle-guarding, corrects mechanical compensations, and returns muscles to peak explosive power.
🔹 CNS Fatigue Mitigation: Providing deep somatic relaxation to systematically down-regulate neural fatigue. This shifts highly stressed individuals out of sympathetic dominance (fight-or-flight) and into the deep parasympathetic zone required for accelerated tissue repair and increased restorative non-REM deep sleep.
Massage therapy can be a powerful part of one’s recovery and self care. From preparing an athlete’s frame to handle rigorous workload management protocols and accelerating total systemic recovery between competitive cycles, to undoing everyday overuse syndromes and resetting the CNS, my practice ensures structural longevity and optimized physical output for all.
In our clinic, I strive to offer a space where all humans find the peace and quietude required for physical and inner healing. Where the body, mind and spirit can reconnect, reset and repair.
It is also my goal to help other RMTs develop their own independent practices within our community.
I currently run the A Vital Touch collective and operate a full time practice where I strive to help all people (not only athletes) harness their innate healing capabilities using the mind-body connection and its brilliant (yet misunderstood) biofeedback mechanisms. I incorporate registered massage therapy with neurofeedback, biofeedback, guided meditations, muscle testing, hypnosis and exciting new research in neuroscienc and psychoneuroimmunology in my treatments.
When I’m not working, I love spending my time with my husband gardening, hiking and sourdough baking. I love challenging myself and learning new things and am currently having fun trying to teach myself mandarin, stock market psychology and working my way through A Course In Miracles.
I am proud to say that I am passionate about what I do and feel honoured every time I am given the opportunity to contribute to the healing journey of another. I recognize that all true healing is indeed self healing, but I hope to aid and help speed things up along the way.
Angela
