Massage Therapy
Andrew graduated from the program of Registered Massage Therapy at Langara College. He has had an interest in massage therapy after receiving treatments to help heal from a motor vehicle accident. Relating to stress management and providing patient comfort, Andrew hopes to give back the same therapeutic experience he received.
Andrew understands each patient presents in a unique way. His approach to therapy is to identify and treat the cause of dysfunction. Some of his techniques include myofascial and trigger point release, joint mobilizations, active therapy, deep tissue release, and Swedish massage. He has experience in treating headaches, motor vehicle accident injuries, low back pain, piriformis syndrome, and pregnancy massage.
In Andrew’s spare time, he can be found working out in the gym, or spending time with family and friends.
Andrew works at Balanced Anatomy on Saturday and Monday.
Ash grew up in Victoria and earned a BA in English with a minor in Biochemistry before moving to
Whistler for a decade. They gradually returned to their science roots, eventually joining the world of
massage in a “pandemic pivot,” and graduating with Honours from VCMT in 2022.
Ash brings compassion, empathy, and an inquisitive mind to assessment and to designing individualized
treatments. They recognize in particular the challenges posed by chronic conditions and they enjoy
collaborating with clients on finding strategies to manage them. Ash strives to create a safe, inclusive
space for clients to find rest and relief.
Outside of clinic, Ash enjoys drinking tea, working on DIY building projects, reading several books at the
same time, and relaxing with the world’s greatest cat, Casper.
Bethany is a registered massage therapy (RMT) graduate from West Coast College of Massage Therapy. During her time at school, she participated in many outreaches, which included Canucks Place Children’s Hospice, BC Woman’s Hospital, UBC track and field and the MS clinic at the college to name a few. She has experience treating a wide range of conditions but takes a particular interesting in low back pain and tension headaches. As part of her multi-focal practice, Bethany believes in educating her patients to encourage them to become active participants in their therapy. She also believes in working together with her patients’ other health care providers to meet their goals.
Bethany does not currently work with Sunlife. Sunlife claims will not be reimbursed.
She direct bills to Pacific Blue Cross, and all other insurance plans will be reimbursed.
Gwyn is an RMT and graduate of the West Coast College of Massage Therapy 2007. She incorporates a variety of techniques into her massage treatments including: Swedish massage, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, muscle energy techniques, deep tissue massage, joint mobilizations, hydrotherapy, and remedial exercises.
Therapy sessions start with an assessment and consultation and a post treatment discussion regarding home self-care includes: remedial exercise based on the clients abilities and lifestyle, hydrotherapy, self-massage and diaphragmatic breathing or meditation.
Gwyn is available Wednesdays from 11:30am until 7pm.
Marina graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in Victoria. Marina has always had an interest in human anatomy and physiology, and grew up playing a variety of sports, which led her to discovering just how beneficial massage therapy can be for both injury recovery and general well-being.
Marina enjoys working with a variety of different concerns, with particular interest in sports and overuse injuries. Her treatment style has been described as intuitive, and focuses on the individual patient’s needs as they present. Marina incorporates a variety of techniques such as General Swedish Massage, trigger point release, and active and passive stretching and strengthening.
In Marina’s free time, she can be found lifting, reading, running or enjoying the outdoors.
Miranda is passionate about helping people live and move to their full potential. She believes that you are the expert of your own body and as such, works to create a self-directed care plan to meet your individual needs. While stress and anxiety can take a toll on our overall health and feeling of wellbeing, massage promotes deep relaxation to increase the bodies’ natural healing ability.
In addition to being an RMT, Miranda has a degree in Human Biology from the University of Toronto, is a Respiratory Therapist and has experience as a personal trainer. She draws on her extensive experience when assessing and treating her clients. She treats clients presenting with a wide range of concerns including chronic pain, musculoskeletal injuries, anxiety and stress. To help your body heal, Miranda employs techniques such as Craniosacral Therapy, deep tissue massage, myofascial release, neuromuscular therapy, joint mobilizations, assisted stretching and therapeutic home care recommendations.
When Miranda is not treating clients, you can find her reading, running, riding, or practicing yoga.
With many years of experience as a Registered Massage Therapist, Petra Jurcak has enjoyed treating with a gentle heart and strong hands. Her first year was spent practicing out of a chronic-pain multidisciplinary clinic, and she later joined the wonderful team of therapists at Balance Acupuncture and Massage to gain more experience with a wider range of clients and conditions. Petra focuses on the the clients needs first, and then the condition, treating through knowledge and intuition.
Petra is trained in the safe and effective treatment of a wide variety of acute and chronic orthopedic and neurological issues, as well as numerous systemic concerns. Therapy sessions often follow a myofascial approach to relieve muscle tension and release internal adhesions, however if deeper pressure is also required, she is pleased to accommodate this.
When she is not at Balance performing treatments, Petra can be found teaching at Utopia Academy, training future RMTs in Hydrotherapy, and working as a clinic instructor. She thrives on sharing her knowledge with others, which includes her clientele. She is an advocate of keeping body and mind balanced to achieve overall health and well being, and always encourages a proactive approach towards optimum healing and rehabilitation. Every treatment is personalized with your safety, comfort and relaxation as the primary objectives. Home-care recommendations are regularly integrated into each session.
In her free time, Petra enjoys keeping an active body and mind. Her health-focused lifestyle includes riding her bike, practicing yoga, snowboarding, spending time in nature, and playing in her kitchen with delicious, healthy recipes. Researching the latest studies in the fields of massage therapy, health, and wellness is also very important to Petra, and she strives to stay up to date on such topics by continuing her own education.
Petra is available Tuesdays and Fridays 12pm – 7:30pm.
Samantha began her exploration of the human form by studying the brain at the University of British Columbia. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology and then continued on to graduate school to examine how the brain processes information. Examples of her research can be found under her maiden name Zuvic at:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946593
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12198780
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12669749
Upon completion of her Masters in Psychology, Samantha wanted a more comprehensive understanding of the body and worked in the health field for 6 years. It is at this time that she discovered her true passion; Massage Therapy. She graduated from Utopia Academy’s Faculty of Massage Therapy program in 2010 and is an active registrant of the College of Massage Therapists of B.C.
Her approach to therapy is to identify and treat the source of pain or dysfunction. She is concerned with bringing balance to the body in order to bring an end to discomfort. By working with muscle tissue, fascia, the nervous system, ligaments, organs and bones, Samantha aims to bring stability and relief to problem areas. She still has an enthusiasm for research and in 2010 won first prize in the Massage Therapy Association’s Clinical Case Report Award.
Learning continues to be a passion for Sam. Since 2012 she has taught Neurology to future RMTs at the Vancouver College of Massage Therapy. She strives to pass on a love of learning to her students and works hard to make the course as inspiring and as up to date as she can.
Her own continuing education in massage therapy has focused on Visceral Manipulation, Fascial Release Techniques and Cranial Sacral Therapy.
Samantha is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Hi, I’m Stella!
After starting my education in Kinesiology, I switched to, and graduated from the Registered Massage Therapy Program at Langara.
My practice is based on my fascination and respect for our bodies’ natural wisdom and desire to move towards balance. My approach to treatment will be unique to each individual I work with. You know your body better than anyone, and I believe in building a treatment plan together that caters to what works best for you. That being said, the techniques I enjoy using the most are myofascial release, active release, trigger point release, active and passive stretching and joint play. Regardless of why you’re coming in, I find treatments are most effective and enjoyable when working together to reach your goals.
I am dedicated to creating a safe space and welcoming anyone, no matter why you’re coming in or how you present yourself, including your pronouns, gender expression and identity.
Susan is a Vancouver-born RMT that has been practicing for almost 20 years!
Her focus is on chronic muscle pain and tension, and also works with the relaxation component of Massage Therapy.
She can direct bill Pacific Blue Cross, Green Shield and Great West Life insurance plans.
Book an appointment with her today to get some Balance back in your life.
My main focus in establishing a therapeutic relationship is to help people reconnect with their bodies so that together we can assist the body in healing itself from the effects of repetitive strain, stress, grief, trauma, chronic pain and illness.