Spa Staff
IO CERTIFIED MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Carrie Anderson is a second generation massage therapist who followed
in her mother’s footsteps after working in the beautiful mountains of New England. Her time as a student and therapist in Sedona, Arizona put her in a rich learning environment with some of the nation’s most talented bodyworkers. As a massage therapist, Carrie uses a breadth of modalities to provide a customized experience for each person with whom she works and considers bodywork a vehicle for creating and sustaining a nurturing world. Carrie also specializes in prenatal massage and is working towards her certification as a Certified Instructor of Infant Massage.
Ana Claudia started her encounter with therapeutic work in 1999 with a Reiki session she received as a gift. She became fascinated with energy work, and the body as an incorporation of mind, body and spirit. Ana has pursued bodywork, and Reiki (reaching the level of Reiki Master). With her education at National Holistic Institute, she has been trained in various modalities including Swedish, Shiatsu, Acupressure, Reflexology, Pregnancy Massage, and Deep Tissue work. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. With Ana, you can rest assured that you will be in good hands, that your massage therapy session will be approached with the utmost respect of you, and catered to your specific needs.
Alicia Cobb has been drawn to holistic studies since childhood and since has sought to gain a deeper understanding of the human body and how it works as a beautiful whole. She began her studies in 1999 at the International Professional School of Body Work, Pacific Beach CA. From there, she went on to study under an acupuncturist for two years. It was in those years that she was really able to devote herself to her clients and their well being. Body-Mind-and Spirit. Alicia believes that each of us has the ability to heal ourselves through nutrition, exercise, and healing touch. She incorporates deep tissue, grounding energy work, cranial sacral, acupressure, tui na, and swedish through a compassionate and nurturing touch. Each session is unique and tailored to clients and their individual needs.
Courtney Downey was first initiated into the world of alternative healing as a young child after both she and her mother became ill. She has been fortunate enough to be shown the way of the Shaman, and has achieved her Holistic Healthcare Practitioner degree from Mueller College of Holistic Studies, as well as a BFA in theatre/psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Courtney is also Level II Reiki Certified. She is very passionate about bringing together Body, Mind & Spirit through healthy eating, Meditation, energy work, and massage. Courtney’s aim is to listen to each client’s body and give a massage that will leave a blissful state of relaxation and awareness. She combines a blend of energy from the Universe along with shiatsu, tui-na, reflexology, Lomi-Lomi, acupressure, deep tissue, Swedish, and Ayurvedic techniques in her Massage.
Reina Frankfort specializes in neuromuscular retraining and myofascial release. She received her training at the Hawaiian Island School of Body Therapies studying many advanced soft tissue modalities such as cranial sacral, myofascial release, and neuromuscular reprogramming along side traditional Thai and Lomi Lomi massage. Reina has also developed her professional skills through working alongside chiropractors and doctors of Ayurvedic medicine. A Bachelors degree in environmental studies from the University of Oregon lead her to a medicinal botanical apprenticeship in medicine making, wild crafting, and herbal formulation. A session with Reina is a unique experience, where she incorporates her knowledge of physiology, extensive massage training and sincere passion for healing.
Michelle Lyn is a Massage Therapist and Holistic Coach practicing in San Francisco and Marin. She provides an integrated approach to massage, drawing from her varied background to allow each session to unfold on its own. Her fluid style incorporates focused techniques that access and release trigger points and deep muscle fibers. She sees each client as an individual, clearing the layers of discomfort or dis-ease (including the physical, emotional and mental) to help them become more aligned with their true being and experience more ease and freedom. For some, it may be pure relaxation they’re seeking. For others, it could be a connection between a life event and a physical sensation. Her blending of modalities includes Advanced Deep Tissue, Swedish, Vibrational Healing Massage®, Lymphatic Massage, Reflexology, Cranial Sacral Balancing, Shiatsu and Sports Massage.
Sarah Pedlow has been practicing massage since completing her certification at the Finger Lakes School of Massage, Ithaca, NY, in 2005. An interest in alternative health and thinking about bodywork as a meditation led her to follow a path in the healing arts. Her work combines Swedish, deep tissue, elements of shiatsu, Trager, sports massage, and reiki (Level I) to assist the body’s natural healing process and to return a sense of wholeness. Clients have commented on her intuitive, deeply listening presence and healing hands. Sarah holds a BA in Studio Art and French Studies from Scripps College, Claremont, CA, and an MFA in Visual Arts from Rutgers University. She views bodywork as an extension of her creative practice. A Sonoma County native, she is excited to be living in San Francisco, after spending several years in the New York area.
Karl Reed takes a grounding and nurturing approach to massage therapy. A native of San Francisco, he studied massage at the National Holistic Institute and has been a certified therapist since 2003. Karl believes in taking a personal approach to the art of massage, and sculps each session to fit each client’s individual needs. He incorporates a variety of massage styles, including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, and Anma, a massage which focuses on the balance and movement of energy in the body. Karl’s journey into the world of healing began after a life-threatening injury, when he realized the divine connection between the body and the spirit. In his spare time, Karl enjoys cooking and playing his drums.
Angie Simpson incorporates compassion, awareness and a commitment to helping others into every bodywork session. She has been drawn to studies of holistic awareness since childhood, and has been a body worker since 2002. Her style incorporates nurturing Swedish massage with focused deep tissue and Shiatsu. She believes slowing down and mindfully listening to be key to unlocking the body’s healing potential. She is also trained as a certified yoga teacher and has a Masters in Somatic Psychology.
Lisa Souza has dedicated her life to facilitate others in their health and wellbeing. Helping people as a whole; Body, Mind, and Spirit. She has chosen Massage Therapy as a tool in hopes to reach out to all who need assistance in healing. Lisa has been energetically drawn to alternative therapies since she was a child, though her massage journey began in 2002. Since then it has blossomed into a full time passion, leading her to study other avenues of holistic health care such as healing through nutrition, aromatherapy, yoga, and herbal and homeopathic remedies. Lisa tends to her own garden of medicinal herbs, and seasonal vegetables, where she makes a variety herbal tinctures, salves, and flower essences. Lisa combines Reiki, Deep Tissue, Acupressure, and Stretching into her sessions and she is also trained in Bowen Pain Relief Therapy, and BodyTalk Therapy.
Mieze Steinberg has an approach that can best be summarized by the phrase Open Heart Open Mind. She enters a session with no agenda, the issues that are discussed in the consultation may be different than what the body presents to her as what it needs. For Mieze, a good massage is a dance, an ebb and flow, a fine-tuning to what the energy of the body and breath are subtly broadcasting. Fluent and attuned to the body after seven years of study and practice she still honors the daily learning that takes place in each and every session. Prayer, including visualization and positive affirmation, plays a major role in helping focus her abilities on each person that climbs onto her table. In tailoring each massage to each person’s particular needs, Mieze’s offerings range from trigger point therapy, reiki, and injury massage to cranio-sacral, acupressure, yogic and thai stretching and beyond.
Christy Swenson was born and raised in beautiful Alaska. She has been blessed to learn Thai massage, Hot Stone Massage, Reflexology, Raindrop Therapy, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aromatherapy, Hydrotherapy, Pre-Natal and an Ayurvedic philosophy that incorporates using your body type. Christy believes we can live in harmony with our bodies, we just have to listen. Her sessions are invigorating and thorough leaving you completely revived. She recently went to Yoga teacher training at New York’s Laughing Lotus and designs hand drawn and hand painted cards.
Jennifer Thaler gravitated toward bodywork while being mired in the abstraction of literary theory at UC Santa Cruz. While she maintains an affection for literature and language, massage introduced her to the power of touch and fulfilled what was previously left wanting in academics. She approaches each session as an opportunity for healing improvisation and draws from her training in Swedish, Sports-Massage, Prenatal, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point, Ortho-Bionomy, Cranial Sacral, Thai massage, and Reiki in order to address the uniqueness of each individual. Ultimately her goal is to draw her clients toward a deeper love of their own body through touch, breath, and release.
Monk Wellington started his bodywork journey after 10 years studying and practicing dance. His goal became to combine physical, philosophical and energetic focus to his practice of both dance and bodywork as he studied at the National Holistic Institute. Energy work is always a part of his massage as a Reiki Level 1 practitioner. Monk’s bodywork includes several modalities working in combination to give the body what it needs. These modalities include, Thai massage, shiatsu, deep tissue, myofascial and Swedish . Monk’s treatments are deeply relaxing in the spiritual sense yet powerfully effective in the physical sense. Intention, intuition and great communication guide clients through his sessions.
Angela Westlove is a skilled and intuitive massage therapist who takes a gentle and nurturing approach with her client’s in order to help relieve any physical or emotional stress they may carry. She designs each session to meet the needs of the individual with the goal of releasing long held patterns of dysfunction that cause pain and discomfort. Angela studied massage at the National Holistic Institute in Emeryville, CA. She is currently working on a BA in Kinesiology to pursue a doctorate in Physical Therapy.
Kala Wright combines Swedish and Vibrational Massage, with elements of Acupressure, Shiatsu, and Reflexology in order to address stress-relief, centering, integration, and soothing relaxation. Kala’s style is a nurturing Swedish. Her compassionate and caring nature, technical skill, and intuitive ability to pinpoint and release areas of stress all help to create an experience of deep healing and relaxation for every client. Kala was drawn to Massage Therapy during her own battle with cancer in 1999-2000. She began massage training in Hawaii and New York, and then came to study in California at The World School of Massage and Advanced Healing in San Francisco. She also spent time under the guidance of a talented chiropractor, providing pain relief/therapeutic massage. Kala’s goal is to assist and guide others on their journey towards wholeness, self-awareness, and vibrant, radiant health.
Ilya Yacobson has been on the quest for vibrant spiritual and physical health since 1992. His dream was to become a mystical shaman awakening the potential of each soul to thrive and celebrate their lives in harmony with their world, loved ones, and their path. Ilya has been strongly influenced by native healing modalities in the US and Russia. Meditation, healthy food and prayer are his foundations for balanced living. After finishing his pre-med Bachelors in Molecular and Cell biology at UC Berkeley, he proceeded to earn his Masters in Chinese Medicine and is practicing Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy at IO as well as massage. His passionate and playful yet deeply attentive and thorough style draws from his training in Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tui Na, Deep Tissue, Swedish, Breathwork, Cranial Sacral, and Chi Nei Tsang (visceral massage). His outgoing yet serene personality and penchant for the balanced structure and fluid movement of the body create relaxed yet invigorating massage with joint mobilizations, and yogic stretches, along with deep muscular relaxation.
IO LICENSED ESTHETICIANS
Jennifer Gallegos is a perceptive and skilled Esthetician offering thorough skin treatment with a warm and relaxing style. She enjoys providing in depth information about client’s skin and home care recommendations to help keep it looking its best. Jennifer also includes an extensive, tension-relieving massage in her facials to help her clients feel their best. Jennifer’s well-known waxing technique is gentle and meticulous. Many happy clients of Jennifer’s recommend ending any facial treatment with a brow shaping for the perfect brows. Trained and licensed in Esthetics in San Francisco, and continuing to update her education with advanced courses, Jennifer has been providing excellent skin care in San Francisco since 2001.
Jennie Hooker has been an Esthetician since 2000, balancing the art of pampering as well as striving to see amazing skin care results in her clients. Jennie is also a certified massage therapist and enhances her facial work with her lavish massage technique, helping make the client experience even more soothing and enjoyable. With her attention to detail, love for extractions and making clients feel at ease, Jennie is dedicated to working alongside clients and zeroing in on their skin care needs. Jennie has been the Esthetics Manager at IO since its inception and continues to happily build and grow her team and clientele.
Abbie Lewis has been a certified clinical Esthetician in the Bay Area since 1999. She has a true passion for her work and is skilled in every aspect of esthetics, from clinical-level treatments and pampering spa facials to precise and gentle waxing. Abbie’s nurturing and warm bedside manner, as well as her attention to detail and excellent listening skills, make her treatments truly exceptional. A Bay Area native, she has extensive experience with a number of skin care lines and has a love for customizing home care regimens and educating her clients. Abbie is also known for her thorough yet painless extractions, as well as her highly-regarded talent for shaping and perfecting even the most unruly eyebrows.
Alicia Moody has been a Licensed Esthetician since 1997 and began lecturing to junior and senior high school students on skin care hygiene and self-esteem issues on a weekly basis in 2001. A recent transplant to San Francisco from Los Angeles, Alicia has worked in various aspects of the spa industry and hospitality for nearly 12 years. Alicia believes in total body and mind wellness where skin care is one important part of the puzzle. She is a great listener, a positive person and is also specifically talented with problem skin, having had her own bouts with acne as a young adult. Alicia is an enthusiastic newcomer to the Bay Area and to IO. She intends to stay involved in the spa culture for many years to come.
Yolanda Porrata creates an unforgettable spa experience with passion, creativity and a love for all things beautiful. She is an experienced esthetician with an exceptional gift for cultivating genuine relationships with her clients. Listening carefully to their needs and concerns, she is able to make well-informed recommendations and provide outstanding service. Yolanda thrives on providing the appropriate atmosphere, from the quiet and grounded facial to the great sense of humor and confidence during waxing. She’ll make you feel safe and at ease even while receiving her highly reputed Brazilian bikini wax. Growing up in the beautiful wilds of West Marin, Yolanda’s appreciation for the natural world has given her a holistic approach to skin care. She believes that the health of this planet depends on each and every one of us. These core beliefs and her commitment to educating her clients on their best choices in skincare are evident from the beginning and keep loyal client’s coming back for more.
Ashley Smith grew up in Utah where in her teens she began struggling with acne. Although the skin disease proved troubling, it began a lifelong interest and passion for understanding health and skincare. Ashley began her career in the medical spa setting working for prominent dermatologists in Northern and Southern California. She brings a results oriented approach to her work at International Orange. Ashley loves listening to her client’s stories, struggles and successes while in the room. She is a warm and intuitive esthetician who strives to make the spa treatment an opportunity for her clients to fully relax while achieving beautiful skin.
