About
What is the Back to Center Experience?
W h y U s
Back to Center’s relaxation experience begins the minute you walk through our doors and enter our bright, clean and comfortable space. Our Oakland oasis is serene, soothing, and welcomes everyone– from the massage newbie to the seasoned pro. We customize each client’s visit by focusing our energy and attention on you and how your body is feeling. By listening to your unique needs and concerns, our experienced massage therapists help you gain a better understanding of what is causing the pain and provide long-term solutions on how to manage / avoid future pain and injuries. Post-session, we make recommendations and suggest exercises that can ease or prevent recurrences of pain.
Professional Team
T e a m
Kathleen McCombie
CMT #31625
At-a-glance:
-
17 years of experience.
-
Esalen-based style with long, nurturing flowing strokes, with a bit of deeper focused work as needed.
Blending the long, nurturing, flowing strokes of Esalen massage, subtle energy work, and focused deeper work as needed, my work will leave you feeling both deeply relaxed and physically integrated.
The flow of Esalen massage, inspired by the ocean waves, works at the nervous system level, helping you to let go of stress, anxiety and invites in a deep sense of relaxation. From this state of letting go, we can begin to work into layers of holding that no longer serve, and release further into your body’s true natural state. I believe in honoring the body’s ‘Yes’ and never forcing through the ‘No’. Honoring where you are and gently inviting into greater surrender is how deep healing takes place.
I was lucky enough to be able to live, work, train and play at the Esalen Institute for over 7 years and have been a practicing massage therapist for over 17 years. Since moving to the bay area I have been studying somatic therapy and trauma work and have completed the two year Hakomi Somatic Psychotherapy comprehensive program.
I truly believe the body holds wisdom beyond our conscious understanding. By slowing down and invoking mindfulness through breath, touch and inquiry, we can become aware of unconscious patterning and let go into deeper and deeper layers of healing and inner peace.
Standard hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9am – 3pm
Meghan Johnson
CMT #83074
Christian Rosales
CMT #82624
At-a-glance:
-
Relieving postural and trigger point causes of pain and stress.
-
Welcoming, calm presence.
-
Medium/firm to very strong pressure.
Christian is passionate about helping people, and loves to assist and guide people to improve their quality of life through massage therapy. Certified as a Massage Therapist and Health Educator, he also completed the Advanced Neuromuscular Training program at NHI in Emeryville. Christian specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Dynamic Cupping, and Hot Stones. He’s a strong advocate of posture awareness and body mechanics, and how it can help alleviate pain and prevent pain.
Standard hours: Sunday morning through night, Monday 4pm – 10pm
Kelley Schaffer
CMT #45271
At-a-glance:
Includes myofascial therapy, trigger point therapy.
Balanced, intuitive, versatile
Kelley has been practicing body work for over a decade and comes from a background of learning and using a balance of Eastern and Western modalities in her sessions. She uses her knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology (movement), neuromuscular dysfunction, and fascia/connective tissue, along with the principles and personal experience with breath work, postural awareness and release, and whole-body balance to address the needs of each unique body. Every body has its own story, and Kelley likes to look at a “zoomed out” and holistic approach to how we come to have the issues in our tissues, and how we can begin to reconnect to the body’s own sense of center and equilibrium. She has a firm pressure, but also knows when to hold back for bigger results. In short: you will leave feeling like you can move and breathe a little better…and you can feel in your body what needs your attention for the future. She firmly believes that to relax and release stress is therapeutic. She’s also an easy and down-to-earth person to talk to and is happy to help answer questions or hear your concerns to alleviate any anxiety you may have about the session…she knows what it’s like to tango with fear, and she’ll help you let it it see its way out of her treatment room so you can be more at ease.
Standard hours: Tuesday 4pm – 9pm, Thursday 4pm – 9pm, Saturday 10am – 3pm.
Andrea Reynolds
CMT #74459
At-a-glance:
Slow, intentional, deep work.
Integrated awareness of the emotional with the physical.
Medium to strong pressure.
I am endlessly fascinated by our bodies’ amazing ability to heal itself. To me, bodywork is one step of the journey to feeling more connected with ourselves, including parts we may have lost communication with… We realize how every condition in the body, emotional and physical, is interconnected. My role as a healer is to assist in that process, to listen, to pay attention, and to relax and enliven what brings life. I can share with you what I learn, or leave the experience up to your own interpretation. But, regardless of how many words are exchanged, I believe the benefits of massage therapy expand beyond our knowledge. I am honored to be part of your healing process and excited to see what we can both learn.
I studied both Eastern and Western modalities at McKinnon School of Bodywork in Oakland. I am trained in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger-Point Release, Shiatsu, Acupressure, Reflexology, Hot Stone, Myofascial Cupping, and Trauma-Informed Care. My approach incorporates multiple modalities into each session, tailored to the specific needs of each client, which is why client communication is key to getting the most out of every session. Through my knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Practices, Energy Healing, and Anatomy and Physiology, my sessions are slow, deep, and intentional. My goal is to bring clients closer to a pain-free lifestyle.
Additional info: andreajreynolds.com
Standard hours: Monday 9:30am – 3pm, Tuesday 4pm – 9pm, Wednesday 4pm – 9pm, Thursday 10am – 3pm.
Alex Gwozda
CMT #58617
Administrative Director & Lead Therapist
Currently accepting new clients at this time!
For urgent care appointments, return or referred clients can text or email.
At-a-glance:
-
Intuitive, precise, often intense but somehow relaxing.
-
Great at solving complex or challenging pain problems.
-
Firm/medium to very deep.
Alex’s gifted perceptiveness in touch begins from being severely deaf for the first three years of life, which has been fully aided with hearing aids. He thoroughly understands muscular ailments from personal experience having scoliosis, past poor posture, computer work pains, repetitive labor stress, athletic aches, and injuries! Informed by these experiences, he excels at providing immediate relief, lasting treatment, and a shifted awareness toward bodily function and health backed by a deep knowledge base.
Alex graduated with Honors in Massage Therapy (Everest College), and is also highly trained in injury, sports, and pain treatment from experts in Seattle. He holds a B.S. Biology and B.A. Sociology (University of Washington), and has had NASM and NFPT certifications in personal training.
Since 2011, he draws from over 10,000 hours of hands-on massage experience, both clinical and relaxing. Strongest modalities include Deep Tissue (exactly deep enough for client and effectiveness), Injury Treatment (acute and chronic), Pain Relief or Management, Sports Massage (clinical, recovery, and preventative), Spinal Conditions, Structural Realignment (posture), Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Massage Cupping, and Swedish (both relaxing and therapeutic).
In addition to relieving normal aches and stress, he has a notable track record of providing effective treatment after clients have unsuccessfully sought relief for years. He looks forward to working with you!
Standard hours: Monday – Friday 8:30am – 3pm.