Briana Borten, Founder, LMT, CAS

After a severe car accident in which she sustained a broken neck, Briana discovered the profound rehabilitative benefits of massage. She left art school and enrolled at Portland’s East West College of Healing Arts. Following several fulfilling years as a massage therapist, Briana became interested in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, and decided to attend California College of Ayurveda. She is one of a very small handful of certified Clinical Ayurvedic Specialists in Oregon.

Drawing from her arts background and her training in massage and Ayurveda, she founded the Dragontree Holistic Day Spa in 2003. Her intention was to create a gorgeous atmosphere where our patrons can feel entirely removed from their everyday concerns, yet without any "members only" exclusivity. Furthermore, she wanted a space where both clients and therapists would be treated like family. Over the past nine years, she has assembled a team of the most talented massage therapists, acupuncturists, and aestheticians in Portland to deliver exceptional care for our clientele. Meanwhile, her vision for the organization has become clearer: beyond the listed services it provides, the Dragontree’s mission is to support our beloved community. We do this through donations to local charities, patronage of local businesses, acting as an educational resource for our clientele, and most of all, by seeding the world with healthy, peaceful individuals.

Dr. Peter Borten L.Ac., DAOM

Peter became interested in herbal medicine while a teenager. He received his bachelor's degree in botany from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he focused on medicinal herbs and sustainable agriculture. He studied Traditional Chinese Medicine (including acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutrition, massage, and Qi Gong) at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM). While at OCOM, Peter became a certified Qi Gong instructor and also wrote a popular book on herbs. Following this training, he completed a two-year program in San Francisco in Classical Five Element Acupuncture - a form that focuses on the mental and spiritual origins of disease.

Peter completed one of the first accredited doctoral programs in Chinese medicine in the U.S., a rare opportunity to hone his skills and to work with experts in all areas of medicine. He has taught Chinese philosophy at Lewis & Clark College to Master's students in the social sciences, and he expects to publish a book on the subject in the forthcoming year.

He treats a wide range of health problems as well as doing general balancing treatments, and he maintains a pharmacy of over 250 raw herbs at The DragonTree.

Megan Martin LMT, Licensed Esthetician

Megan graduated from the Desert Institute of the Healing Arts in 1991. She has completed training in Reiki, Kripalu massage, myofascial release techniques, Pranic Healing, Body Rolling, and Esthetics (skin care). Megan infuses her massage work with an awareness of the energy body. She has had a lifelong passion for natural wellness and her study of yoga and ecstatic dance enhance her understanding of this from within. She has a strong desire to assist people in having a more loving, peaceful, and vibrant experience of their bodies. Megan especially enjoys giving Ayurvedic treatments, facials, and Sangha Room treatments.

Ciara Riley LMT

Ciara graduated from Florida School of Massage in Gainesville, Florida, in 2004. Her work as a massage therapist is focused on holding space for people to be exactly where and who they are in the moment. She strives to encourage people to understand their bodies and deeply connect with themselves. Ciara uses her knowledge of touch to show each person how to grow, inside and out, and knows that being present is a vital component to the healing process. Her technique is a slow, melting style that is deep without being painful. Specific work is her strong point, as it focuses on the source of pain, and is an extremely beneficial way to heal and achieve mind, body, and spirit wellness.

 

Piper Williamse LMT

Piper Haser has been an active and impassioned practitioner of massage therapy for over half a decade.  She received her National certification and Oregon Massage license from East West College of the Healing Arts in 2005. During this time, Piper developed a penchant for the study of human anatomy and physiology as well as a keen understanding and respect for the practice of the healing arts.  Currently, Piper works as lead massage therapist as the Dragontree where her massage work ranges from soothing Swedish techniques and delightful Deep Tissue to Swedana and Garshana and healing Hot Stones.  Areas of focus in her career include: women's health and fitness, working with adults with disabilities as well as treating repetitive strain and stress related injuries.  In her extracurricular pursuits, Piper enjoys the company of fellow Dragontree employees, working on arts and crafts and composing music. It is Pipers mission at the Dragontree as well as in life to engender love, kindness and compassion in her community through the practice of the healing arts.

Roxanne Patruznick, LMT

Roxanne received her massage education at The Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing in Culver City, California, a school with a very strong body-mind connection approach to their teaching. She chose massage as a profession after recovering from a stress-related illness. She decided that she wanted to give back to others the gift that helped her in her healing process. Roxanne's intention behind her massage is to facilitate a safe, comfortable place for people to connect with their body and allow for healing and greater relaxation.

Roxanne specializes in Swedish, Deep tissue, and Hot Stone therapy. She enjoys working with all ages and body types. Her style is flowing. She works with the breath and often employs some myofascial and sports massage stretches in her deep tissue work, when applicable. Her deeper work is slow and uses a melting approach, sinking slowly and deliberately into the muscles.

Heather Wade LMT, Esthetician, Integrative Health Coach

Heather graduated from Cedar Mountain School of Massage in 1999 and the Oregon Institute of Aesthetics in 2002. In her years of working in this field, she has had experienced mentors who have inspired her to always continue to deepen her knowledge and skills. Heather integrates education, results, and deep relaxation into her services so that her clients leave feeling and looking wonderful, with a better understanding of how to maintain their bodies or their skin. Heather prides herself on listening intently to what each client wants as well as paying close attention to what the muscle tissue or skin seems to be communicating. Each treatment is customized to the individual whether their needs are deep therapeutic work, soothing and relaxing techniques to calm stressed nervous systems, or providing a combination of the two. Heather is passionate about giving her clients the customized service and information that they need to reach their goals, while also delivering one of the most relaxing spa experiences ever!

Heather is also a certified Health Coach. She has often heard clients say over the years that they want greater balance in their lives, to have more energy, to maintain a healthy weight, to alleviate stress, to stop experiencing recurring pain or inflammation, to calm chronic skin problems, etc. Through her work as a health coach she hopes to help each client make sustainable lifestyle changes that support foundational health and balance. This work has become more than a job for Heather, it has become her vocation. Through this work she has had a dramatic positive shift in her own health and is very excited to support her clients in their journey towards greater health. Heather received her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, she will help you create a completely personalized "roadmap to health" that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals. Click here for more information on Health Coaching.

Serena Harker LMT

Serena graduated from East West College of Healing Arts here in Portland, in 2006. Serena has dreamt of being a massage therapist since she was a child. She loves connecting with clients and is committed to improving their quality of life through touch. She has a deep understanding of how massage nurtures the mind, body, and spirit, and through therapy, transpires this understanding. Her technique is soothing and relaxing, mixing deep tissue with passive stretches.

Chrissy Claybrook, LMT

Chrissy graduated from East West College of Healing Arts, in March 2008. After completing an extended program there, she joined our family at the Dragontree as a massage therapist. Chrissy’s goal is to ease each persons suffering, support ‘good touch’ within the community, and help people reconnect with their bodies. She approaches each issue with an understanding of chronic pain, and an ability to relate to clients specific needs. To her, massage is active meditation, an art form; the body is her canvas. Her techniques include Swedish, Deep Tissue, and Thai. With each massage session, she blends passive stretching with skin and table work.

Aster Wolfe LMT

Aster completed his initial training at the Florida School of Massage in 2006. He has always been drawn to the healing arts and brings an ability to connect with people in a real way to promote self-empowerment. Aster has enthusiasm for working with all walks of life, including members of the GLBT community and people of size. He especially relishes working with clients who want to participate in the work of healing and the larger journey of self-discovery that can be carried into life. Deep tissue massage is one of his strongest skills.

Lori Reising, BA, LMT

Lori began a path in healthcare her senior year in high school becoming certified as an EMT-A. Knowing she wanted to continue in the field she went on to earn her Bachelors of Art degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa. Hearing of thebeauty Portland had to offer she packed up and headed west. After experiencing a very spiritual connection to massage she decided to continue her journey at East- West College of Healing Arts to earn her certificate and license in massage therapy.

Discovering Myofascial Release during her massage therapy studies she saw and felt first-hand the power of emotional cellular release. This prompted her to spend time over the next two years in Hawaii and Arizona working directly with John F. Barnes, world-renowned authority, visionary and author, to become an Advanced Myofascial Release Practitioner. When able to access this area, deep healing of past traumas stuck within our emotional cellular memory may surface and release. This therapy has helped her work through the most impactful tragedy of her life. As a result she hopes to bring that same powerful healing to anyone who is a survivor of physical and emotional trauma.

Through her education and experience, Lori uses Deep Tissue, Swedish Massage, adult and infant Craniosacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, Polarity Therapy and Acupressure to work with each client's individual needs. Her specialties include chronic pain therapy, scar tissue release, abdominal work, headache treatments, pelvic balancing, deep tissue therapy, pregnancy and relaxation massage. She also holds a certification in Pregnancy Massage.

Since the beginning of her career in 2001 Lori has worked diligently to bring the best possible therapeutic care to each and every person she works with, as well as spending time addressing at-home self-care to maintain the benefits of each session. Continuing to learn and be humbled by the potential in this field for health and wellness, she looks forward to becoming a member of your healthcare team.

Michele Stokes LMT

Michele has been practicing massage for 16 years in many capacities (wellness clinics, spas, chiropractic offices, health clubs, private practice and on- site chair massage) after receiving her license from East West College of the Healing Arts.   She is well-versed in Swedish, deep tissue, sports, pregnancy, trigger point, reflexology, reiki and hot- stone techniques.   To her, the most important aspect of therapeutic treatment is listening to and observing clients in order to anticipate individual needs and sensitivities.  Comfort, warmth and aromatherapy are also part of her practice.   She is also an esthetician and has been working for 8 years with natural skin care, facial waxing and body treatments.   She has taught in the academic world focusing on massage treatment, spa, fitness programming, nutrition, and the sciences including anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and pathology.

Her interest in bodywork and movement therapies extends back to her studies in modern, ballet, and ethnic dance at the University of Oregon.   She had her own non-profit dance company for 7 years and has taught dance, movement and exercise, including yoga and Pilates for the last 17 years.   For the last 10 years, she has studied hatha, ashtanga, vinyasa, yin and some therapeutic yoga. She holds a great interest in nutrition, herbs, and food preparation as well, and is always hungry to continue her studies and learn new things.

Coko Cavallo, LMT

Coko came to massage with a love for movement and alternative medicine. A former college athlete, she studied at the Swedish Institute in NYC; a program based in both Medical Massage and Five-Element Shiatsu. She uses both of these systems
to assess and treat a person's needs within the context of massage therapy.

The goals of her work are improved posture, function and mobility; as well as greater Qi flow and balance. Working with the energy meridians of tui na, thai and shiatsu techniques gives her work a unique feel that is at the same time gentle, Deep, grounding and thorough. Pain And tension are symptoms of imbalance, and Coko's work seeks to tame the yang (excess) and nourish the yin (depletion) to support your body's natural healing ability.

Coko wants to be a guide to your body's intrinsic wisdom, both in the work itself and in bringing attention toward the imbalances and what your body may be trying to say. She will be fully present with you during a session and listen to your body's needs at that time.

In addition to massage therapy, Coko is an avid biker, hiker, cook, student of herbal studies, yogini, and is very involved with her new and passionate love of Portland.

Mason Crumley, LMT

Mason graduated from the East West College of Healing Arts in 2007 where he trained in deep tissue, Thai massage, traditional Swedish massage and trigger point therapy. He has continued his training with work in Chinese foot reflexology and more intensive study in Thai massage.  Mason chose massage as a profession based on early interests in anatomy and helping others achieve a closer connection to their bodies. He specializes in deep, focused work to lengthen shortened muscles and release holding patterns while adapting his approach to best fit the client's needs. Through his practice he strives to offer intuitive and compassionate touch to alleviate pain and assist people in gaining a heightened sense of comfort and well-being.

Kelly Hirstein LMT, Certified Integrative Health Coach:

Kelly has been exploring and working in the wellness field for over 11 years. She attained a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2003. At the same time she was graduating, her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away.  This opened her eyes and invoked a pure passion for finding balance and wellness in life.  She began practicing yoga shortly thereafter and discovered a whole new way of being in the world. Her dedication to this practice became an empowering lifestyle choice. These experiences led her to massage therapy and the healing arts.

Kelly attended massage school at the Nevada College of Massage Therapy in Las Vegas and graduated in 2005. Since then, she has practiced in numerous spa settings, yoga studios, with the whole body department of Whole Foods, and alongside a chiropractor. Kelly has been with the Dragontree for two years, and she is our lead trainer. She loves any opportunity to teach and share her knowledge.  With the strong desire to keep enhancing her skill set, she enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition program and graduated in July of 2010.

Kelly's amazement of the profound effects of this work enhances and grows everyday. Through her own experience with food allergies and hormonal imbalance, she has found a deeply authentic place within to listen to her body. Nourishing your body helps calm the mind so that each can work to support each other.  This is not an overnight solution, it is a way of life.  As a health coach, she has been trained to listen and bring awareness to the clients' individual needs, helping co-create attainable steps towards achieving their own personal health goals. She hopes to cultivate with her clients a more centered, grounded, calmer, and energized way of living.

Lauren Garverick, LMT

Lauren has enjoyed being a massage therapist for over 7 years. Her initial training took place at the Baltimore School of Massage and since then she has continued her studies in myo-facial release, Thai massage, trigger point therapy as well as a variety of energetic balancing techniques and nutrition therapy. 
Lauren is a strong therapist with a sensitive touch.  She  specializes in deep tissue/  fusion massage and strives to personalize each massage to suit her client's needs.

Kerry Jones, Licensed Estheticians

Kerry Jones studied here in Portland at the Aesthetics institute graduated in 2009 really enjoys working with clients to problem solve skin concerns and educate clients about their skin care needs. Looks at skin care with a holistic view.

On free time she enjoys reading all things skin related and receiving facials herself! Also walking, cooking, taking the time to live a healthy life style.

She plans on furthering education through specialized classes and resources from community of fellow estheticians.

Susan Bass, CAS

Susan is a consultant for those who want to heal thier bodies naturally.  Her work can best be described as proactive healing using the oldest continually practiced health care system in the world, Ayurveda.  In Ayurveda we say "A person is as old as thier digestive system".  Her work focuses on eating, moving and adjusting your life based on the needs of your particular body type.  Self-healing is about developing awareness and making careful choices that allow you to transform organically.

Susan's personal experience of healing several chronic ailments and improving her overall wellbeing through Ayurveda and Yoga opened her eyes to the power of this ancient Eastern medicine and the wisdom it brings today's society.  Susan attended Kripalu School of Ayurveda in Lenox, MA and the Ayurvedic Institute in Albequerque,NM to complete over a thousand hours of study in Ayurveda and Yoga.

Valentine Clark, LMT

Valentine has been actively practicing massage for over 5 years after graduating from the Pacific College of Bodywork and Awareness in Kaui in 2005. Throughout her early life, she enjoyed a long and rewarding career as an amateur and professional athlete and traveled extensively throughout the world performing and competing. During that time, she experienced the value of touch therapy to help relieve stress and injury, nurture the spirit, and bring the body into a more natural uprightness and comfort.

She specializes in the therapies of structural integration, connective tissue, deep tissue, trigger point, nurturing swedish, and specific neck/shoulder work, as well as offering the modalities of hot stone, fijian, and biodynamic cranial sacral. Her focus is to  address each client's specific needs within a space of peaceful awareness for the whole body, mind, and spirit.

Val loves the Dragontree for its wonderful support of an excellent and inspiring team, and for the therapeutic, nurturing space that it provides. She is dedicated to her work as a massage therapist as well as assisting in furthering the well-being of each person she has the opportunity to connect with.

Jesse McElwain, LMT

Experience:

Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado
Two years in the field of massage therapy

Modalities:

Swedish, Deep Tissue, Myofacial, Trigger Point, Neuromuscular, Pregnancy, Hot Stone, Trager, Reiki and Cranial Sacral.

Massage/Life Philosophy:

Assisting others to become more aware of their bodies so that they can live happier, healthier lives.

Interests:

Be outdoors, meditate, yoga, fully enjoy life.