Stella Pena

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #3497

Stella graduated from Virginia College in 2011 with an Associates degree in Therapeutic Massage. She is Alabama licensed and certified in Clinical Massage for pain relief. She is able to customize each session to every individuals unique needs and is a true believer in using massage as a way to calm the mind as well the body.

Justin Weirich

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #4834

When his youngest son was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, Justin Weinrich started researching at-home therapies to help him. This led him to discovering massage therapy and its benefits, becoming a licensed massage therapist in 2017. “I have developed a style of massage that is both relaxing and therapeutic,” he explains. “It’s important for you to relax enough so that we are able to get the work you need done.” 

Justin has also received training in fire cupping, an Eastern modality that gives you the result of a deep tissues massage without the pressure. He also gives a TMJ massage for those who can’t fully open their mouths. “I’ve had clients who haven’t been able to turn their necks for months to years and in one session find they can move it again,” he says. “Seeing clients with chronic issues get better is so fulfilling.”

The South Texas native spends his free time with his children and enjoys checking out new local eateries and breweries with his wife.

Matthew Romano

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #4608

Matthew Romano has a heart for advocacy. As a supporter of mental health awareness and End Heroin Birmingham, Matthew wants to ensure others around him are not suffering in silence. “What drew me to massage therapy was the ability to help someone escape for a while through the process,” he says. 

Once introduced to the profession, Matthew immediately fell in love with massage. After graduation from Birmingham School of Massage, Matthew has spent the last six years helping people feel better. “Every client has different needs,” he explains. “I tailor the treatment needed so when they can stand up straight or feel relief from pain or soreness, I know that I did my job well.”

Matthew and his dog, Gypsy, enjoy discovering the ins and outs of Birmingham, patronizing local venues and shops, hiking and reading fantasy novels. 

Anne Lofton Kendrick 

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #4136

After graduating from Furman University with a degree in Spanish and a passion for languages, Anne Lofton Kendrick found herself at a crossroads. “I love languages and being able to make connections with people,” she explains. “But teaching wasn’t for me.”

Her Spanish fluency came with a lot of volunteer opportunities, but nothing that was considered a career. Then Anne Lofton remembered how she enjoyed massage and looked into the program at Birmingham School of Massage. “I fell in love with the practice and am still so passionate about it,” she says. “I love the hands-on nature of massage and seeing how much better people feel after their time with me. It’s wonderful to have a job where people are happy to see you and even happier after.”

A Mountain Brook native, Anne Lofton is a voracious reader, loves yoga and enjoys spending time with her two cats. 

Marlon Ford 

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #5744

After he lost his previous employment during the pandemic, Marlon Ford took advantage of the opportunity he had and returned to school. “I’d been a massage enthusiast on the receiving side and completely believe in the power of touch communication,” he explains. “I have extensive experience in Healthcare Management, including physical therapy acute care, home health orthopedics and acute care rehab hospitals, so this was a natural fit for me.”

Because it was too late to begin the term at a Birmingham massage school, Marlon enrolled at USCI in Fort Collins, Colo. “I was able to do a lot online with local mentors and then finished up my clinical training in Colorado,” he says. “I spent six weeks there completing my final 200 hours of hands-on training under four very different instructors.” Although he still lives in his hometown of Barney, Ala., Marlon now practices in the Homewood office several days a week.

In his spare time, Marlon enjoys his family, especially his son and grandson, the outdoors and spending time on the water.

C. J. Wade

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #5140

C.J. Wade has been literally dancing through life since she was a child—and it was this love for the arts that set her in motion to eventually become a licensed massage therapist. “I noticed that on stage artists were exceptional, but backstage they would be in a lot of pain, taping up ankles and wrapping wrists,” she says. “It touched my heart and I knew that I some point I would do something to help them.”

C.J. received an undergraduate degree in communication management and a master’s degree in social science education from UAB. She has been licensed since September 2018 and spends her free time choreographing various projects. “I love how massage can help people be a better version of themselves,” C.J. explains. “They have less stress, function better and have some time for themselves.”

Using her dance background, C.J. focuses on stretching and deep breathing with all her clients. “As a dancer, I am very aware of my body and how it moves,”she says. “I pay attention to my clients as well and enjoy watching them change over time.”

Tyra Barganier

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #5766

Massage Therapist Tyra Barganier began her career as a social worker, but the case load and impersonal nature of the work frustrated her. That led to a new calling and Tyra graduated from Birmingham School of Massage in 2021. “I’ve also been studying reiki—energy healing—for the last three years,” she explains. “During the massage, I pull positive energy and give it to my client so they will feel better and understand that I care about them.” Knowing she has made her clients feel relief, both mentally and physically, is her goal.

In her spare time, Tyra enjoys entertaining, crafting specialty cocktails, yoga and meditation. She also is an avid lover of nature, crystal mining and gardening, a hobby she picked up during 2020.

Rachel Mims

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE 

Rachel Mims likes to renew things, whether that is a craft or art project or the clients that she

relieves from pain and stress. “In that moment, I hope I have done something to change their

lives,” she says. “The gratification I get is seeing them move freely like they are supposed to.”

A massage therapist for the past 20 years, Rachel has a passion for working with older adults

who are committed to their health. “I have seen people who are able to walk out of the room like

they are 20 years younger after a massage,” she says.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, painting, enjoying time with friends and family and

watching sports.

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John Hamm

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE # 4449

As a musician, John Hamm knows how the strings of a guitar should feel between his fingers. That level of sensitivity in his hands translates to his work as a massage therapist. “Playing music requires empathy and understanding, which I definitely experience when I am giving a massage as well,” he explains. “I can feel someone’s tension beneath my hands and tell how they are feeling.”

More than anything, John enjoys helping people experience relief from chronic pain and an improvement in their quality of life. Since graduating from the Birmingham School of Massage and receiving his license in 2016, John has used his skills to explain to his clients how massage can benefit their daily lives. “I take a scientific approach to what is going on in the muscle and tissue and how massage can help break up those knots,” he says. “While I am capable of accommodating any type of pressure from light to very heavy, my skills as a massage therapist shine the most through my deep tissue work.”

Sha' Doss

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #4000

When Sha’ Doss talks about being a massage therapist, the excitement in her voice bubbles over. After a series of unfulfilling warehouse jobs, Sha’ knew it was time to return to school. A quick assessment sent her on a career path of therapeutic massage. “I knew I loved animals and I loved people, so massage seemed like the perfect fit,” she explains. “Since I received my license in 2012, I have continued to expand my knowledge on what I love to do.”

Known professionally as Doss, Sha’ enjoys deep tissue massage the most. “There’s nothing like getting down into those muscles and relieving that deep pain,” she says. “No one likes to hurt, so I start out with moderate pressure until the muscles begin to relax then I get into that  deep tissue.” Sha’ also loves watching someone’s tension leaving their body. “That alone is a stress reliever for me,” she says. “Helping someone have a better day or sleeping at night is the part that is the most rewarding.”

In her spare time,  Sha’ enjoys her bengal cat, Tabitha, being outside, exercising and being with family. 

Maya Edwards

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #3981

Maya Edwards came to massage therapy after an introduction during a high school cosmetology class. “I was really interested in how massage can play a part in healing the body. That’s when I decided to go to massage therapy school at Virginia College.” 

As a licensed massage therapist since 2011, Maya enjoys catering to the needs of her clients.

“Each session is different, so being able to understand what they need versus what they want is what I’m most passionate about. I appreciate their gratitude for doing my job well.”

In her spare time, Maya attends cosmetology school at Lawson State Community College and is busy with her family: husband Amariah, son Amir, 4, and son Levi, 1. “I absolutely love being with my boys. Amariah is originally from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, so we hope to travel there soon.” Maya also enjoys watching movies, particularly rom com and action films and eating American and Italian food.

Ally Mann

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #4923

Ally Mann enjoys working with her hands—from drawing and painting to arts and crafts, she loves creating. She also uses her hands to heal as a massage therapist. As an athlete, Ally understands the benefits of massage and how it can overall impact the body. “Massage combines perfectly with my desire to work with athletes,” she says. “I love to make my clients feel better and to know that I did it using my hands.”

Because she has experience recovering from injuries herself, Ally knows firsthand how important massage can be for the recovery process. “I was in a car accident in 2015 and massage helped my injuries and allows me to be able to exercise,” she says. “I’ve witnessed what it has done for others as well as myself.”

Ally specializes in Classic Relaxation, Mellow Mama, Active Recovery, Knot So Painful Anymore and Hurts So Good massages and has been a licensed Massage Therapist since 2014. She is a graduate of Heritage College in Columbus, Ohio, and has lived in Alabama since 2018.

Ian Hull

Alabama License # 5719

Ian Hull is a big fan of symmetry and paying close attention to detail. Whether it’s as a sushi chef where he creates and plates beautiful food or as a fire spinner, his favorite pastime, Ian loves to present things as perfection. “From the moment I saw someone spinning fire with poi—Kevlar balls on Kevlar rope that are dipped in kerosene and set on fire—I knew I wanted to learn how to do that,” Ian explains. “It’s artistic and exemplifies symmetry and perfection.”

Since graduating from the Birmingham School of Massage, Ian is thrilled to be working with his clients to help them feel better. “I have always been good with my hands and can feel how to make someone’s pain decrease,” he says. “Massage therapy is a way for me to help people—I get as much out of it as my clients.”

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Connor “Finn” Finnagan

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE #5389

As a competitive dancer from the time he was 11, Connor Finnagan was familiar with the kinds of injuries and strains that dancers experience. That’s one reason he decided to go to massage therapy school. Practicing since October 2019, Connor enjoys helping his clients—especially those in chronic pain—feel better. “You can see when there is an obvious difference in how someone feels when they get off the table,” he says. “Their posture is almost always different."

As a part of the LGBTQ community, Connor also hopes to reach out to those who may feel stress and angst and offer them relief from their physical and emotional pain. He is a single parent to daughter Harper Kai and enjoys spending all his spare time with her, going to the park, the pool, the zoo or just snuggling watching television.

Jessica Peterson

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE

Jessica Peterson has always enjoyed art, but her canvas came in the form of wedding cakes.

As a pastry artist for a dozen years, she expressed her creativity through icing. In the

background was the desire to do something medically related, so when she found massage

therapy, she finally knew she had found her purpose.

“I love what I do,” Jessica explains. “I enjoy helping people in chronic pain regain some

semblance of normal life.” A graduate of Birmingham School of Massage, she has been a

licensed massage therapist for five years.

In her spare time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband James and their daughters,

Ariel and Emory, playing video games, camping and participating in small groups at Church of

the Highlands.

Robbie Jackson

LMT/NMT ALABAMA LICENSE

As a professional musician and teacher for more than 25 years, Robbie Jackson understands the importance of her fingers. Becoming a massage therapist gave her the ability to use her hands in a different, yet similar, way. “My goal is to provide every massage client with techniques that will specifically address each on’s needs,” she explains. “There is definitely a correlation between music and massage for me.”

Robbie has a bachelor’s degree in communications and music from UAB, graduated from the Massage Therapy Institute in Decatur, Ala., and is currently working on a Sports Massage Certification. Robbie uses many modalities, including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Pre-natal, Hot stone, Neuromuscular and Lymphatic Drainage.

In her spare time, Robbie enjoys fishing and playing the piano.