Lee Stang is the owner of Bridges To Health Therapeutic Massage Center. In practice since 1995 Lee’s work has grown to specialize on facilitating recovery following injury or trauma and pain reduction. A graduate of The CT Center for Massage Therapy she specializes in Orthopedic Massage and Myofascial Release. She brings advanced assessment skills to her work with clients in order to best meet their individual needs.

Lee has experience working in a variety of clientele ranging in age from newborns to 90 +. She incorporates a great deal of movement into her work to augment the effects of massage technique. Lees’ thought is that if we are trying to improve mobility of the body we should move it as much as possible. Active and passive movement techniques of varied forms enhance the quality of her work and assist her client in developing or redeveloping health movement patterns.

In addition to working with clients in the office Lee teaches at the CT Center for Massage Therapy. She also teaches nationally with OMERI (Orthopedic Massage Education and Research Institute) and has presented at locally and at the New England Regional Conference for Massage Theapy.

She was the team therapist for the Springfield Spirit of the National Woman’s Basketball League and has traveled with the National Powerlifting Team to the World Championships in Prague in 2000, worked at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games in 2002, and worked with members of the 2002 Woman’s Championship College Basketball Team in San Antonio, Texas. She headed a Team of Massage Therapists at Olympic Stadium at the 2004 Summer Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Lee received the National Sports Massage Achiever Award from the American Massage Therapy Association in 2006. She received the Community Service Award from the CT Chapter of the AMTA in 2008 and was past recipient of the CT Sport Team Member of the year.

With a long history in health care Lee states that “This is one of the most exciting and rewarding professions to be involved with. The benefits of Massage are remarkable, and truly vary with each client I work with. I enjoy assisting someone in becoming more aware of their body and to move toward a more, healthy and pain free, active life.”

Dayle Stark has been in practice for over 13 years. Blind since birth Dayle is a natural for the massage therapy profession. Using her sense of touch to navigate the world she has a keen sense when it comes to the palpation of the soft tissues of the body. A graduate of the CT Center for Massage Therapy in Westport Dayle brings experience and compassion to her work. Specializing in relaxation along with pain reduction Dayle combines Swedish, Deep Tissue Massage and some Myofascial work to design a massage session to meet individual client needs. Dayle has completed advanced studies in pregnancy and infant massage and is an ideal therapist to assist a woman through the changes of pregnancy. She is adept at teaching how to massage the new infant and can help the new mother (and father) in the development of a special bond with their child through touch.

Dayle also has an expertise in working with older clientele. Focusing on improving or maintaining mobility in the senior years Dayle possesses both the skills and personality to make our older clientele feel comfortable with massage and get the most out of their sessions.

Matt DeMichele specializes in deep tissue, orthopedic and sports massage along with myofascial release. He has advanced training in Orthopedic Massage through OMERI (Orthopedic Massage Education and Research Institute) and Active Isolated Stretching through Aaron Mattes founder of AIS.

Matt combines his knowledge of anatomy and physiology, orthopedic assessment and excellent palpation skills to tailor therapy sessions to meet the needs of individual clients. Adept at working with all types of individuals Matt is equally comfortable with clients ranging in age from 10 to 80. Focusing on specific soft tissue problems and conditions that limit mobility and may cause pain Matt is able to combine various massage techniques with stretching to facilitate positive change in his clients. Greater mobility with less pain is the goal of many a session.

Ruth Lasota brings a unique background to Bridges To Health. A graduate of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy Ruth is also a Registered Nurse. During the day she works for the Visiting Nurses Association of Central Connecticut in the Hospice Program. This alone tells you a bit about her personality and compassion.

Ruth has varying experience within the Massage field. She has worked extensively with women’s professional basketball players as a Therapist for the Springfield Spirit. She provides event sports massage for teams and at community runs. She is adept at working with people with illness and medical conditions such as MS and Cancer.

Diverse in her massage approach Ruth can focus on deep tissue work, Myofascial release, sports massage and Swedish massage to help clients reduce stress, recover from sports and work related injuries and rejuvenate. She also applies a gentle touch in working with older clients to improve mobility and relaxation.

Ruth has recently completed course work in Reflexology and is available by appointment for reflexology sessions.

Karen Jensen grew up on Cape Cod and developed her love for swimming and biking while growing up alongside the ocean. Her passion for movement and discovery lead her to cycle touring which enabled her to explore the United States while meeting numerous wonderful people. A graduate of the CT Center of Massage Therapy, Karen received honors in both hands-on skills and academics. She has excellent palpation skills and sessions often place special emphasis on myofascial work and deep tissue massage. Her interests in massage center on specific work improving injury recovery, reducing pain and promoting relaxation.

As an adventure cyclist Karen recognized the incredible power of the human body. That combined with a strong desire to work with others in order to encourage healthy movement brought her into the field of massage. Karen uses her creativity, intuition, and attentive listening skills to meet each unique client where they are. Karen utilizes deep tissue massage, myofascial release, active and passive movement techniques, and stretching to address acute and chronic pain, to assist in injury rehabilitation, and to increase overall relaxation. Karen’s goal is to support clients in reaching their body’s optimal functioning level.

Carolyn Coughlin is a long time Plainville resident. She brings a gentle strength to her massage work. Experience with Facial Rejuvenation and Hot Stones Massage combined with Swedish Massage Carolyn specializes in stress reduction and relaxation. Carolyn also has an expertise and additional training in pregnancy and infant massage. She has a very compassionate touch and works will with the elderly and less mobile client.

Bradley Schmaling graduated from the Medical Massage program at the CT Center for Massage Therapy. His work focuses on the specifics of medical conditions and tailoring massage therapy sessions help facilitate the healing and rehabilitation process. He has advanced training in myofascial work and trigger point work. Both modalities are instrumental in the reduction of pain and increasing muscular relaxation.

Linda Buckley is a graduate of the CT Center for Massage Therapy. Following her graduation she continued her studies and obtained a Reflexology Certificate from the CT Center for Universal Reflexology. Linda has also been a practitioner and Reiki Master for many years specializing in the Usui System of Natural Healing. Linda brings her education in massage and her unique talents as a Reiki Master and Reflexologist to all of her clients at Bridges To Health. By combining the soft tissue effects of massage with the energy and neurological principles of Reiki and Reflexology clients benefit from a true eclectic approach to wellness. These modalities can be powerful tools in addressing the various needs of clients and Linda utilizes her expertise to its fullest.