About

Hello!

I believe that we reach our potential through connection with ourselves and others through touch, and that nurturing touch at all stages of life is a human right. I see massage not as a place to lose yourself, but rather to find yourself or explore what matters to you. It is a doorway to deeper layers of consciousness, wisdom, and creativity. You may walk through the door with the goal of relieving a sore back or a migraine, but by creating a set and setting that allows for deeper exploration, you may find yourself releasing accompanying emotions or old thought patterns, thereby achieving more lasting pain or stress relief. This is as internal and private an experience as you desire. I am there as facilitator and a keeper of the space--a witness, if you will. You are the healer, or the creator of your own growth experience--your own unfolding.

Massage and energy work are somatic practices--they use the body to affect changes, and these changes can be emotional, cognitive, or spiritual. Injury happens on more than the physical level, so it is no surprise that addressing physical injury can release trapped emotions, or create space for moving in positive directions in one's personal life. Conversely, addressing emotional injury using purely a cognitive-based approach is incomplete because it ignores the connection of our bodies to everything we experience. Our bodies do keep the score, as Bessel van der Kolk, MD, puts it. That is why bodywork is a great accompaniment to any other kind of therapeutic work you are using, including psychotherapy, expanded state retreats, or hypnotherapy. 

Somatic and energy work can also be powerful tools to prepare for or to integrate an experience with a psychotropic substance--one that causes an altered state of consciousness, such as ketamine, cannabis, etc. It can allow the journey to fully unfold for you and for you to draw deeper meaning and insights from your experience, literally incorporating them into your new being. I have worked with people as a trained sitter (guide) during and after psychedelic journeys, and have found that nurturing touch or presence can help move a journey along or enhance the process of making meaningful connections. There are many ketamine clinics opening up across the Wasatch Front, but not all offer ways to integrate the experience, which is key to turning any psychedelic journey into a long-lasting growth experience (see my "Resources" page for recommendations). Medical cannabis is also available by prescription in Utah, but is usually self-administered without opportunity to integrate the deeply moving experiences and insights that can arise from this plant teacher. 

From my personal experience with psychedelic medicines, including receiving ayahuasca-based Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine (TAPM) within a Shipibo community for 30 days in Peru in 2021, I have learned the power of combining plant medicines with ceremony, set & setting, and intention. I was able to heal from PTSD and find healing for rheumatoid arthritis, so I know that deep healing is possible when all parts of the self are honored and brought together. Even when plant medicines are not taken, creating a sacred setting around any massage, coupled with your consciously formed intention, can guide you to the same inner space and mystery where healing and transformation happen.

I understand the importance of being a trauma-informed provider. While massage therapists are not licensed to treat emotional trauma (rather, physical trauma), no one walks through the door and leaves their history at the doorstep. Massage therapists and energy workers must educate themselves in how to prepare for spontaneous release of difficult emotions or trauma. I try to create a compassionate, safe environment to allow for gentle, but powerful growth-oriented experiences. Massage therapists are actually in a unique position to help their clients regulate their own responses to surfacing emotions by modulating their touch to meet the client where they are at. This requires careful tuning in without directing the experience for the client. You, the client, are your own pilot during the experience.

My professional training and education include the following:

• Experiential Nautilus Method Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Training Retreat, The Lotus Center for Healing and Wellness
• Psychedelic Mentorship Training, Onaya 
• Psychedelic Harm Reduction Training, the Zendo Project
• Infant Massage Educator Certification, Infant Massage, USA
• Sexual Trauma Training for Doulas, Midwifery College of Utah
• Birth Doula Certification, Midwifery College of Utah
• Pre- and Perinatal Massage Certification, Carol Osborne
• Professional Massage Training, Myotherapy College of Utah
• Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, University of Utah

My most recent direction of study involves completing a 6-month course in psychedelic mentorship through Onaya, an institute that also performs research on the effects of ayahuasca and Amazonian plant medicine. Psychedelic mentors help people navigate the risks and benefits and the sea of information to find what is the right path for them, to prepare for psychedelic experiences, and finally to integrate or make meaning from the experience and translate it into action and growth. If you are curious about what mentoring sessions can offer you, feel free to call me for a free 15-minute consultation and pricing.

As you can see, I enjoy working with all kinds of people, from those seeking an unrushed, personalized spa experience, to weekend warriors, to pregnant mothers, to people confined to bed rest in a hospital, nursing home, or hospice setting. Please contact me and we will explore together in a free consultation the best way to assist you or your loved one. The only thing I ask is that you be open to change.

Sincerely,

Karen Salas, LMT

Licensed Massage Therapist since 2003

Member, American Massage Therapy Association