Felice Freiwald
Tonic Trails Lead Therapist
The power of touch is something I’ve been aware of since I was a child. Whether it’s the calming effect of a parent rubbing a child’s back, the healing warmth of a hug, or the love of holding someones hand, touch can have a profound effect on one’s well being.
At a young age I was always asking for someone to rub my neck or starting a massage train with my friends. It was no surprise to many that I found myself in massage school after 7 years of trying to figure out what to do with my English Literature degree from The University of Maryland. I was waiting tables and bartending, enjoying mountain life, when my right leg started to occasionally give out from under me.
I spoke to a friend who had just graduated from massage school and she knew immediately what I needed. I went to her office and she worked the trigger points in my piriformis muscle along with the many other knots and dysfunctional parts of my body. Heaven. Leg healed. The next day I was filling out an application to massage school. I graduated from The Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 2000. While in school I focused in Neuromuscular Therapy, I wanted to heal peoples aches and pains. I had amazing teachers that went above and beyond to share their knowledge of the body with me. My first internship was at Mapleton Rehabilitation Center in Boulder.
There I worked with people recovering from various surgeries and learned a tremendous amount about not only the healing process, but the emotional tole of being in pain for so long takes on people. I quickly had patients asking to see me and I found great joy in watching them progress in their rehab. My second internship was at the University of Colorado working with the track and football team. Here I got to work on athletes after practice, games, and meets.
It was at this point that I really started to build the foundation for my future as a massage therapist. Recognizing repetitive use disorders in athletes, how the body responds to massage before and after exercise, stretching, listening, and watching bodies move. After graduating I immediately rented an office with a Chiropractor near where I lived in Nederland. I will never forget that old office with the wind blowing right through the walls, some days I was sure we would get blown to Kansas.
From the beginning I aligned myself with Chiropractors and Physical Therapists offering therapeutic massage and injury recovery. In 2009 a Chiropractor in Golden encouraged me to move my practice down the mountain so she could refer her patients to me. I went for it and my practice has thrived ever since. Throughout the years I have helped people recover from such things as whiplash, migraine headaches, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, low back disorders, repetitive use imbalances, computer neck and arm, and more. Many of my clients come to me after they have tried everything, they are defeated, and looking at surgery or have just decided they will have to live with the pain.
I work with an incredible team of professionals here in Golden and together, we strive to get people back to life and back out on the trail. When I’m not working you can find me running on the trails, skiing, mountain biking, fishing, taking pictures, and all around adventuring. I have lived in the mountains along The Peak to Peak Highway for the last 20 years.
I am at peace here, these woods are my home. I have the great honor of raising my son, Dagan, in this beautiful place. Being outside and active is what keeps me going. I believe what adds to my skill as a therapist is that I have experienced many injuries myself and I deeply understand the pain process as well as the emotional toll it takes on a persons spirit. I look forward to helping you find your healing trail!
John Hansen
I graduated from Carrington College in Tucson, AZ in 2010 as a Licensed Massage Therapist. Prior to this, I worked in the I.T. field for 15 years where I sat at a desk for hours at a time. I was also dealing with a shoulder injury that resulted in reconstructive surgery. It was during my rehab for my shoulder that I became interested in massage therapy as a healing modality. The bodywork I received post surgery greatly helped my recovery and I knew this was something I wanted to pursue as sitting at a desk all day was also beginning to take a toll on my body.
I specialize in deep tissue, sports massage, range of motion, pain management, injury/ surgery recovery and prenatal. I truly understand how sitting at a computer all day can cause great stress to the mind and body. This, combined with the knowledge I gained going through reconstructive surgery myself has helped build upon the skills I learned while in school. I am very aware of the ups and downs that come with healing an injury and enjoy helping clients on this journey.
When I’m not doing massage therapy I enjoy skiing, hiking, music, and billiards.
Lisa Anton
Lisa graduated in 2020 from The Colorado School of Healing Arts. She specializes in custom integrative massage by using a variety of techniques including deep tissue, sports, swedish, cupping and essential oils in each treatment. She is also a Reiki Master Practitioner and incorporates this modality with bodywork upon request. As a Colorado native, she loves spending free time exploring outdoors with her Meximut Luna, hiking, traveling and visiting all the hot springs.
“Changing careers and becoming a massage therapist was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself. I am truly in my element and enjoy helping clients on their healing journey.”
Brook Jordan
Brook was born and raised in Colorado and has been practicing massage therapy in a variety of settings for the past 11 years.
Brook completed her massage training at Colorado School of Healing Arts. She specializes in Deep Tissue and Sports massage focusing on therapeutic massage techniques for injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, return to sport and muscle recovery. Brook has a passion for sports and has been coaching girls basketball for 20 years giving her the opportunity to work with many athletes focusing on their performance goals. She is well practiced in prenatal massage and uses safe massage techniques combined with aromatherapy to support every stage of pregnancy. She is highly skilled in providing massage services to clients utilizing appropriate techniques in Swedish, deep tissue and sports massage which are slotted into massage sessions depending on the requirements and preferences of the client. She is committed to providing individualized bodywork to restore, maintain and promote the overall health of her clients.
Ji Kim
I want to first start by thanking you for your interest in having a session with Tonic Trails and to commend you for taking the steps in considering care for you!
My name is Ji (“G” like the letter) Kim. I am a Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki Master, yoga enthusiast and have my certifications in yoga teaching and personal training. I am currently in school for Integrative Health and attending acupuncture school with hopes in being able to graduate in 2027. What can I say, life is short and there is so much to learn and explore! I truly love to be able to find ways to bring the most joy, calm and healing to all those I come across.
My main intention when one arrives, is to be able to provide them with a clean, warm, safe and welcoming space. I take an integrative approach in the way I care for each client and treat them as a whole; mind, body and soul. Each session is individualized as I meet the client where they are within the present moment. I utilize all the knowledge and experience I have gathered throughout my life to be able to find the best course of treatment for each individual’s needs. I am a resource, a guide and an instrument to help you find your path in being your own healer within your life.
I look forward to sharing space with you and being able to be a part of your journey.
Kaiya Gates
Kaiya Gates is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Spiritual Guidance Counselor, Somatic Trauma Informed Facilitator, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist, Lymphatic and Pachakuti Mesa Tradition Shamanic Arts Practitioner ~ as originated by don Oscar Miro-Quesada.
From early on, Kaiya has walked between realms as a devoted Earth lover, intuitive and visionary. Healing Arts studies have been an intentional path since 1996. Studies include a 1000 hour certification in Integrative Therapeutic Massage Therapy (2006-2007) Following a 200 hour course training and certification in Biodynamic Craniosacral (2009-2011) Biodynamic Lymphatic Certification (2015) and Somatic Trauma Resolution Training (2014-2016), Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training (2019-2020), Pachakuti Mesa Tradition Shamanic Studies Certification (2019-2020).
Specialties include Intuitive Integrative Bodywork, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage, Somatic Trauma Resolution, Energy Systems Balancing, Shamanic Journeying, Soul Loss Recovery/Retrieval, Energy Balancing, Embodiment Practices, Limpias/Clearings.
Intuitive Integrative Bodywork/Massage includes a wide range of skills to meet clients at their level of intentions and needs through steady, intuitive, listening, healing hands; offering a strong yet sensitive, grounded, attuned presence. This can be a blend of Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports Massage, Trigger Point, Polarity, Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tuina, Lymphatic Drainage, Body and Energy Systems Balancing, Reflexology, Myofascial Release, Hot stones, etc. I believe in the powerful, self corrective intelligence of our human health that never actually leaves us, yet may become imbalanced, fractured or fragmented through certain human experiences. My presence and offerings of my own experience and skillset simply assists others along on their journey of healing from the inside out. Sometimes we need a strong foundation of support in a witness that holds the crystalline memory of the purity and essence of the waters that run through our body temple. It is an honor to be a witness and facilitator at any stage of the journey from all walks of life to whomever feels called to work with me.
Biodynamic Lymphatic Drainage a manual lymphatic drainage modality that helps to decongest lymph nodes while supporting lymph to move through the vessels. Biodynamic Lymphatic Drainage (BLD) is a version of Lymphatic Drainage where the practitioner follows pathways of the lymphatic systems at a pace of deeper presence and therefore listening without an agenda. Skills with great sensitivity are honed through many hours of training and practice to assist this powerful purification process. Practitioners can feel the flow of the lymph through the vessels and detect when that flow has been compromised through stagnancy, constriction or even dis-ease. Lymph nodes are encouraged to flush new fluid through as the educated and experienced fingers of your practitioner very gently glides over the skin in the direction of the lymphatic flow. In the Biodynamic version we only facilitate this process at the lymph’s own intelligent pace. Biodynamic Lymphatic Drainage is a gentle and noninvasive experience to moving lymph that otherwise does not move on its own. Often people find themselves so relaxed in a full treatment, that they may even find themselves falling into a deeply healing rest. One must be especially hydrated to receive this treatment.
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is a Healing Arts modality and holistic approach to supporting optimum health in all body systems with gentle, trauma informed touch. Originating with roots in Osteopathy, this approach allows for nervous system regulation, along with stress cycle re-patterning and trauma resolution in a non-invasive way. Influences include prenatal, perinatal, human development psychology, anatomy and pathology, as well as trauma resolution, embodiment integration and neuroscience. The practitioner will follow the Primary Respiration, aka ‘Breath of Life’, cerebrospinal ‘Fluid Tide’ and biorhythms in the body systems with an educated skill of deep listening and open focus presence that allows for the health to take the driver’s seat. Within this process, the injured, traumatized, unwell or unhealthy patterning and conditioning can pivot the focus back to the body, spirit and mind’s innate ability to heal thyself. When clients are open to this experience during Bodywork, this is an option that can be included. For a full BCST treatment, the client is fully clothed, typically lying supine (unless during certain stages of pregnancy or in certain cases of injury) and relaxed on the massage table, comfortably and safely receiving healing touch hand holds that are guided towards supporting the possibilities of where quantum healing can be felt and/or experienced in the energetic and physiological systems of the body. The potentiality for self sourcing, equilibrium in the waters of the body and balanced regulation while surrendering to relaxing into this healing modality is extremely high. This may feel similar to energy work or a Reiki session, though the focus and intent is specific to its own mode of expertise.
