I'm Katrina Koleto, Licensed Massage Therapist, and it's my deepest Joy to be a facilitator of health and wellness.
A lifetime of kinesthetic interest has led me to many body-focused pursuits throughout the years, including a dance minor in college, a year as a group fitness instructor, and several years as a Physical Therapy aide.
Eventually, I was working as a caregiver for a man who was partially paralyzed by a spinal cord injury. His Physical & Occupational Therapists and Massage Therapists taught me several bodywork techniques that I used with this client daily, to improve his function. Eventually, it dawned on me that doing this bodywork with my client was my favorite part of the day, and that with a little training, I could make bodywork my primary occupation.
Unfortunately at that time, I was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer, and in the midst of receiving treatments for that, I also broke my wrist in a scooter accident. The wrist was so painful I had to quit my caregiving work, and I took on a couple of part time jobs that were easier on my wrist. I spent the next two years trying to figure out what to do with my life if I wasn't going to be a massage therapist.
Then, one day, it dawned on me that I was sitting there cancer-free with a healed wrist, and that there was nothing stopping me from going to massage school. Within a year, I was enrolled at the Cortiva Institute, and in 2013 I became a Licensed Massage Practitioner in the state of Washington. I began working right away, both in a supervised setting with others and in a part-time private practice, and in 2017, I left my position as an employee and transitioned to a thriving full-time private practice.
Since 2016, I have also been a co-facilitator for a dance at a dance I founded for women and nonbinary folks, called Moondance: A Gender-Intentional Dance, though we only met one time in 2019, due to my struggles with adenomyosis (which eventually led to a hysterectomy in November). I hope to lead more Moondance events in 2020.
I bring with me a history of education in a variety of movement/healing modalities, including but not limited to:
Anatomical Kinesiology
Structural Integration
Feldenkrais
The Alexander Technique
Aikido
Karate
Tae Kwon Do
Tai Chi
Yoga
Modern Dance
Ballet
Jazz Dance
Tap Dance
Ecstatic Dance
African Dance
Ballroom Dance
Nia
Zumba
Bodypump/Weight lifting
I LOVE MY WORK! That's the bottom line, and the main thing you need to know about how I approach massage: I love what I do. Massage is a powerful healing modality that I feel honored to be able to practice. It's fascinating and rewarding and fun! And my love for the work shines through in every session.
My clients know I truly care about what they're going through and that I will do everything I can to help them relax, reduce pain, reduce stress, and just feel more comfortable and at ease in their bodies. I am an empath who can sense subtle shifts in each client's tissues and moods while they are on that table, and I use that information to tailor the massage to the needs of the moment. I have training in caring for folks with PTSD (and as someone who has experienced my own various traumas, I have direct experience with some of the ways PTSD can feel & manifest).
Because I offer non-judgmental, open-hearted care, I end up with a lot of repeat clients who aren't as comfortable with other practitioners. I have a gentle and accepting philosophy that there is no wrong way to have a body, which means I adore bringing health and healing to folks who have any shyness around their bodies-- from clients who identify as fat, to folx who are trans, to persons with disabilities. I've seen it all, and your body is beautiful and sacred to me, exactly as it is. I value a body-positive, trans-inclusive, non-ableist approach to life and to my work.
My massage approach uses a blend of many different styles of massage, including slow deep-tissue and myofascial work (to really get the knots out), and soothing, nourishing Swedish massage and gentle Craniosacral holds (designed to calm the nervous system). I want you to feel good on the table AND for several days afterwards! With clients' consent, I also occasionally employ tools such as cupping, gua sha, essential oils, and CHABA. And as we go, I always encourage feedback-- I want you to tell me what works for you and what doesn't, so together we can create the perfect experience.
