LMT
Massage Therapist
Chelsea Gleason is a dedicated Massage Therapy practitioner who works with patients suffering from an injury or chronic pain.
She received her diploma in Therapeutic Massage from Herzing University in 2013. Her focus is Deep Tissue / Sports Massage. She also provides relaxation and prenatal massage.
She has practiced spa settings and found that her passion for Massage comes from helping others feel better especially how to help others deal with chronic pain or everyday aches and pains.
She is a member of AMTA – American Massage Therapy Association, Wisconsin Chapter.
Book your next massage with Chelsea on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays. Call us at 414-265-5606 for appointment availability.
Q&A with Chelsea Gleason
Q. How long have you been a massage therapist?
A. I graduated from Herzing University, Brookfield, WI from their Massage Therapy program at the end of 2013.
Q. What areas do you specialize in?
A. I specialize in Swedish Relaxation, Deep Tissue / Sports Massage, and Prenatal.
I’m pretty good at customizing a massage for a wide range of needs, yet my passions lie with sports massage and deep tissue work. If you have a very localized or specific area that is bothering you, I’m your massage therapist. I also enjoy doing prenatal and relaxation massages.
Q. What brought you to your current style of practice?
Honestly, my initial expectation of what my life as a massage therapist would be like was pretty different from where I am today. I didn’t think I could handle doing deep tissue, so I was set on marketing myself as strictly a relaxation massage therapist. I would tell people that I aspired to become a real-life Phoebe Buffay – the fictional character from the TV show Friends (and in my mind that meant only relaxation, I guess).
As I worked on more clients and found techniques and modalities that taught me how to massage smarter and not harder, I recognized that I really enjoyed taking more of a therapeutic approach to massages. I found ways to perform deep tissue and sports massages without injuring myself or causing undue stress for my clients. I realized how much I like bringing relief to athletes and other people with chronic pain.
Q. What can a new client expect?
A. I am here to help. I’m very interested in figuring out why a muscle is bothering my client. Is it from an injury? Is it overcompensating for a completely different muscle because of postural reasons? Are you recovering from surgery? Do you sleep on your side? Let’s figure that out and make you feel better.
Q.What recent industry trends have you found most noteworthy?
A. Emphasizing “therapy” in massage therapy. That also means taking care of our mind and body outside of the massage room. All therapies are here to help us manage a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but we cannot “fix” ourselves if we don’t make changes to our own bad day-to-day habits. Therapy is a team effort and I am now on your team.
Q. What are your current personal wellness goals and how are you addressing them?
A. My main focus lately has been taking care of my mental health and understanding my own personal boundaries. I have both ADHD and generalized anxiety, so I get overwhelmed easily. I am learning to take breaks without feeling guilty is both helpful and necessary.
Another thing is making sure to choose a physical exercise I enjoy doing. I believe mental health and physical health go hand-in-hand. So, if I’m doing a workout that I hate, then I’m really only catering to what I think is helping me physically and completely ignoring my mind screaming at me to stop because IT HURTS. I’d prefer walking a mile with my dog rather than jogging it alone. Allowing myself to listen to what my mind and body can handle has been a huge game-changer.
Q. What is your favorite beautiful spot in Milwaukee?
A. Atwater Beach. It’s actually in Shorewood, but that’s just a technicality. It’s still in Milwaukee County so I think it counts. It’s been my family’s go-to beach spot since I was a child, and while it has changed a lot over the last two decades, it’s all been for the better. I also occasionally enjoy a nice quiet evening visiting the Bronze Fonz on the Milwaukee Riverwalk.
Q. What is your favorite place to eat in Milwaukee?
A. My absolute favorite restaurant in the city is Mekong Cafe (on the corner of 60th and North). I am known to order from there at least three times a month.
Q. What are your top three favorite things to do/hobbies?
A. 1.) I love being an aunt, so I think my very favorite thing to do right now is hanging out with either of my nieces whenever I get the chance. 2.) One of the things I miss the most since COVID-19 took over our lives is karaoke. I can’t wait to sing, Man! I Feel Like a Woman to a crowd of strangers again. 3.) I’ve recently gotten into cross-stitching. I’m not that good at it but I’m having fun.
Q. What do you do to de-stress?
A. Besides trying to get myself a massage, I like to walk my dog, take baths and binge-watch foreign dramas (which I also count as reading because of the subtitles).