Meet the Team: Tichelle

Welcome, Tichelle!

Last month we gushed over the sensational Bodywork Team at SuNu Wellness and introduced you to June. This month, we’re continuing to talk about Massage and Bodywork because it’s important that you met Tichelle! We’re so happy to have her at our Minnetonka office and we know you will be, too.

Tichelle brings a calming sweetness to SuNu. She’s both grounding and ethereal. While it seems those would be opposing characteristics, she exudes both power and softness which translates not only to how she shows up as a person, but as a Bodyworker as well.

I was lucky enough to both interview Tichelle, and receive a 60 minute massage with her and let me just tell you what, book 90 minutes – I didn’t want it to end! The worst part of any SuNu massage is when it’s over, and that rings true with Tichelle as well. She has a hypnotic way of working the muscles deeply without it ever being uncomfortable. She’s intuitive and fluid in her movement and gently guides your body and mind into a peaceful state of release and relief. It was phenomenal. Here’s the link, do yourself a favor and call to book your appointment now.

Learn more about Tichelle here: how she got started in this field, what brought her to SuNu and what keeps her going.

A conversation between Tichelle & Erica Ciardelli:

 

What drew you to bodywork/massage therapy? How long have you been doing it and how do you stay curious? 
I’ve been doing massage for over 6 years now.  I was first drawn to massage through my interest in anatomy and giving family/friends little feet and shoulder massages every so often. I suppose I’ve always seen the healing value and power in human connection and physical touch. As a child, I even used to give my mom little massages in the evenings after she’d get home from a long day at work. It helped her to relax and that gave me self-esteem and reward, to know that I could help her.

In addition to traditional massage therapy (deep tissue, trigger point, myofascial work), you have lots of other certifications, training and specialties. Can you explain how you incorporate some of those other techniques into your bodywork sessions?
I love learning and am enamored with the human body. It doesn’t feel like training, work or anything I don’t want to do. I’m always looking to expand my knowledge and experience. That’s how we grow, evolve and transform. There are so many ways to “treat” and care for the body. I have lots of techniques and protocols to choose from and I enjoy listening to each individual client’s body in order to be guided in the right direction for them. Therefore, having training and experiences in many different types of bodywork including Reflexology, Trigger Point, Prenatal and more, make it easy for me to avoid burnout or fatigue. I am always changing things up in order to best fit my clients needs and goals. And even those vary from session to session as well.

While every session is individualized based on the client’s needs, etc., can you describe what someone can expect when working with you?
My goal is to leave the client feeling all the benefits of a deep tissue massage while still being very relaxed and in less discomfort than when we started. Clients can expect deep muscle work without pain. I’m more of a listener than a talker and I like to let my client’s body speak for itself. You can learn a lot from listening first. I think that’s certainly something that clients can expect, I will always listen first, without trying to push any agenda or “fix” anything. 

I like to think of myself as a “body listener” – I am able to learn a lot from the client’s body without having too much chatter or verbal storytelling getting in the way of what the body actually needs.

What’s something you wish more people knew about how to care for their bodies, perhaps a recurring injury or ailment you see?
I wish people would just simply drink more water!

But also know that healing takes time. Sometimes the best you can do is to just be kind to yourself during the process. Even while it may seem like your body is working against you or that healing isn’t coming at the pace you’d like, be kind to yourself first and always.

As a newer member to the SuNu Bodywork Team, what are some things you’re really enjoying about being here?
I’m excited to be working more closely with prenatal and postpartum clients, as well as doing more personal injury work. Being part of a team and having that support around me all the time really helps to make my days brighter. It also makes me a better therapist. It seems like everyone says that about SuNu, but the team dynamic and co-op approach to care is inspiring, uplifting and of such value – to both the team and our clients.

What do you hope to see more of, grow into, and learn more about at SuNu?
My hope for myself since starting with Sunu is to sharpen my skills as I work alongside some of the best bodyworkers I know, and to help Sunu grow so we can reach more clients who are just trying to better their quality of life.

 

Connect with Tichelle & SuNu Wellness