About Massage Therapy of Boston

We focus on working with people experiencing tension or pain, on people who are working through an injury, and on those who are in need of maintenance massage.

Your therapist has a detailed understanding of anatomy & physiology and will craft a session tailored to your needs, focusing on the areas experiencing discomfort as well as on other areas that might be contributing to your symptoms.  At Massage Therapy of Boston, we strive to identify the source of your pain or tension and to treat it effectively in a calming and relaxing environment.  Every session has the goal of bringing you relief.

Whether you are suffering from low back pain, neck and shoulder tension, sports-related tightness or injuries, computer-related pain, chronic headaches, stress or anxiety, or one of many other symptoms of discomfort, we would love the opportunity to help you on your path to being healthy, balanced, and pain-free!

Our Therapists

Alexandria Donlan

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After graduating with a degree in Marketing from UMass Boston in 2010, Ali moved to Hawaii where she spent the next few years using Hawaii as a base to travel to many parts of the world, exploring different customs and traditions. She found her true calling in Thailand, where she was first exposed to massage therapy and was instantly drawn towards leading a holistic lifestyle. Ali went on to complete the esteemed Holistic Massage Therapy program at SpaTech Institute in Plymouth, MA where she found a particular passion for Sports Massage, Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Therapy and Deep Tissue Massage. She also incorporates Cupping Therapy when need be to help myofascial restrictions and improve range of motion. In 2018 Ali obtained a certification in Medical Massage and has found a true passion in pain management. She is also certified in Lymph Drainage Massage and Myoskeletal Alignment.

Ali excels at working with people dealing with sports injuries, postural issues and imbalances, and chronic pain of all kinds. One of the most meaningful times in her career was when she volunteered at the finish line of the Boston Marathon helping runners recover. While helping these amazing athletes, the spark was further ignited that her true passion is working in the clinical massage setting helping people achieve optimal health and well-being.

Ali has a thirst for knowledge in the clinical massage field and believes she learns something new every time she gives a massage. She has a genuine love of helping others and believes everyone should know how amazing life can be when the body and mind are balanced and healthy.

In addition to being a business owner and mom of 2, Ali is an avid yogi, citing that yoga has taught her so much about the mind-body connection which she keeps at the forefront of any treatment plan. She is a nutritional health coach specializing in working with people looking to make healthy lifestyle changes and parents learning how to nourish their children.  She also enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, and being in nature.

Susan Diaz

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From a young age, Susan knew she wanted to contribute something positive for the greater good and to help improve people’s lives. Susan has always had an intuitive understanding of the body and the effects stress can have and after doing a little research, she realized massage therapy is a great way to do that. Susan went on to complete the 770-hour Holistic Massage certification at Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth. While in school, Susan discovered the intangible connection between mind body and soul. She felt a calling to spirituality and energy work and educated herself further on physical and psychosomatic aspects. Massage therapy is a very effective way to help in those aspects.

At the start of her massage therapy career she initially focused on Therapeutic Massage and after a year of practicing, she noted the positive impact that Sports Massage and Deep Tissue modalities had on clients in addition to Therapeutic techniques. This helped her focus on communication with clients to identify their needs and provide a better service. In addition to improving her craft. Susan never stops learning, ever curious and always developing knowledge of kinesiology and holistic wellness to share with her clients.

Susan is a strong believer that versatility and being able to read people’s bodies and understand their needs is extremely important. Examples of things she looks for are daily stressors, the ergonomics of clients workstations, habitual holding patterns in the body, types of daily activities, etc.  She specializes in chronic pain and can provide a wide variety of services to meet each individual client’s needs. Her intention is to identify and unravel underlying issues/stressors and exacerbating factors as clients come in with discomfort and pain such as trouble sleeping, chronic headaches, muscle aches, etc.  Susan likes to get to know the client personally, not just the presenting issue.

Excited for the next chapter in her journey at Massage Therapy of Boston, she is looking to further her knowledge and technique with the goal being to provide client’s the best service she can.

 

 

Jay Tonge

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Jay (they/them/theirs) has worked as a full-time massage therapist (LMT) since 2018 – with a focus in addressing mind-body disconnect through a holistic recognition of one’s lived experience. They became a Certified Orthopedic Massage Therapist (COMT) in 2019. Jay has always been inspired by observing the ways in which our sociocultural environs can contribute to the patterns of our day-to-day experiences. Jay brings particular attention to the habits and patterns of patients’ daily lives, in order to best understand the sources of tension and restriction in their bodies.
 
Jay regularly utilises breath awareness and intentional touch in their sessions, which are informed by training in orthopedic, neurokinetic, trauma-informed, pre- and perinatal, and other modalities. Further, Jay recognizes the importance of safe spaces in which people can receive body-affirming care, and seeks to become a resource available to the Boston transgender and queer communities and their families. Their practice is rooted both in acknowledging the myriad ways in which life experiences can contribute to postural patterns and soft tissue dysfunction, and in finding means for clients to help address mind-body disconnect. Jay seeks to establish in their clients a sense of well-being, rest, and composure. 
 
When not providing massage or learning more about the body, Jay enjoys writing, gardening, cooking and baking, rock climbing, and fiber arts.
 

Phil Buchanan

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I graduated from the Massage Institute of New England and have been working as a Bodyworker and Licensed Massage Therapist in the Greater Boston Area since 2006. My certifications include Deep Tissue Therapy, Clinical Massage Therapy and Core Movement Integration (CMI). My work can be described as intuitive drawing on a core of anatomical understanding transmitted through myofascial release, neuromuscular, trigger point therapy and deep tissue techniques using light to deeper pressure to break up adhesions. A session may also be active involving CMI gentle repatterning exercises engaging the client’s brain as we reinforce positive movement pathways through the entire body solidifying better movement habits and postural correction.

CMI is a modality expanding on the principles of Feldenkrais. Each exercise is accompanied with hands on guidance through gentle movements used to lengthen the spine and muscles while training the brain to learn efficient movements. This is called neuro-somatic reprogramming. All movements of our body are wired in our brains. Neuroscience 101: neurons that fire together wire together. When we retrain our bodies to move more efficiently, we retain that in our brain which in turn translates into our bodies and movement.

I found myself drawn to bodywork several years ago in the 1990’s through my exploration in the martial arts. Trips to herbal shops and acupuncturists in Chinatown working through inevitable injuries attained through hours of training. Into my late 20’s I worked physical jobs. My career at the time was as a field technician for an environmental consulting firm. Hard, long days in all the weather New England has to offer lifting heavy equipment for remediation systems rewarded me with a back injury that still speaks to me occasionally to this day. By the time I was 29 I was enrolling with the Massage Institute of New England as a steppingstone to better understand the human system, as well as learn about extending my own health and well-being.

What was learned by this journey? Healthy movement habits, hands-on treatments through massage and other bodywork modalities work. I have brought myself out of physical crisis when my low back has “gone out” through repatterning exercises and with the help of trained practitioners. It is possible to live well through a discipline of self-care. What does this mean for you as a client? My mission as a therapist is to provide my clients with bodywork that relieves their pain, as well as empowering them with the tools to enhance their well-being and health on their own.

Li Alsagoff

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As a lifelong lover of martial arts and athletics, Li has led a highly physically demanding lifestyle. In an effort to create balance and sustainability in these pursuits, he found a solution in the practice of massage therapy. Throughout his education at The Massage School in Boston’s South End, he developed an affinity for therapeutic work — incorporating Myofascial Release, Deep Tissue Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, Active Range Therapy, and Sports Massage principles and techniques into his skillset. Since then, he has further diversified his repertoire with certifications in Thai Massage and Cranial-Sacral Therapy.

Having experienced various injuries and chronic pain throughout his own journey, Li has developed a deep passion for understanding pain as a function of lifestyle. As a result, one of the hallmarks of his bodywork philosophy is helping people simultaneously balance both their bodies and their day-to-day habits. Whether you are an office worker, in the service industry, or an athlete, Li loves to help each and every individual find their own path to freedom within their bodies. It is strongly his belief that giving someone agency in managing their own pain is one of the greatest gifts a massage therapist can give.

Outside of office hours, you may find Li working out, wrestling, or swinging swords in parks throughout Boston – always in search of greater understanding of kinesiology and the world around him.

Stay healthy and active!

We would love the opportunity to help you on your path to being healthy, balanced, and pain-free.

***HOLIDAY SPECIAL***

Holiday Special of (3) sessions of your choice at a discounted price.

Holiday season is upon us and with all the JOY comes a bit of stress for most of us as well.