Massage Therapist

West End (235 Wallace Avenue)

Alexandra Timoteo

Practice style (Philosophy)

Touch is the first sense we have that lets us know we’re not alone. Touch is “the first to develop in the embryo and the first to offer an experience of human connection” (*Dana, 2019). Alex Timoteo (she/her) approaches massage therapy as a way to provide safe touch in a professional healthcare environment. Through safe touch and therapeutic rapport, massage therapy has the ability to support people in accessing their parasympathetic nervous system state – i.e. the “rest and digest” state, the one that allows you to sleep better, digest well, dial down pain and overall feel more calm and grounded. If you’ve ever left a massage feeling like you were blissfully floating on a cloud, you already know how powerful of an effect massage can have on your nervous system and your overall wellbeing. By working collaboratively together, Alex’s goal is for you to leave treatments feeling more at home in your body, with a renewed sense of empowerment in your own healing.

Alex graduated from Sutherland-Chan School of Massage Therapy in 2022. For ten years prior, Alex worked in community-based services supporting people living with trauma and mental health across various intersections of marginalization. Through her work as a feminist counsellor and advocate at a shelter for survivors of interpersonal violence/abuse, she saw what a tremendous positive impact bodywork can have on ones’ physical and mental health. She realized she needed to learn about the body, and how to treat the body, so she could treat the person as a whole. Alex holds an Honours Bachelor degree in Psychology and a diploma from the Assaulted Women’s and Children’s Counsellor and Advocate program. Alex weaves together her experience in mental health and counselling with her knowledge and skills in hands-on treatment of soft tissues and joints in order to create a massage therapy treatment that is holistic and effective. She strives to create an inclusive, trauma-informed, body-neutral and trans-inclusive environment, as all bodies deserve dignified care.

*Dana, D. (2019, April). The Touch Taboo Are We Missing a Vital Source of Healing? Psychotherapy Networker. Retrieved from https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/article/touch-taboo.

Unique Facts

When Alex isn’t massaging, you can find her taking long walks in parks and ravines, doing yoga and pilates, or cooking while listening to podcasts that make her snort with laughter. She also loves to dance, read, and dabble in DIY body-care and herbalism.

Credentials

RMT, BAPsych, Dipl. AWCCA

Specializations

Eight-week placements completed in the following Sutherland-Chan clinics:

Mood & Sleep Disorders Clinic
Thai Massage Clinic
Breast & Top Surgery Clinic
Seniors Clinic
Scar Clinic

Experience

Diploma of Massage Therapy – Sutherland-Chan School of Massage Therapy
Diploma of Assaulted Women’s and Children’s Counsellor and Advocate, with Honours – George Brown College
Bachelor of Arts, Honours Psychology – University of Waterloo
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills for Mental Health Professionals Certificate conducted by Marsha Linehan – 2021
Five Day Certificate Program in Narrative Therapy conducted by Bonnie Miller, MSW., RSW. – 2020
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Certificate conducted by Noah Lazar, PhD., C.Psych. – 2020
Motivational Interviewing conducted by Adam Lodzinski, PhD. – 2020
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Certificate conducted by Octopus Garden Holistic Yoga Centre – 2019
Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training conducted by Mental Health Commission of Canada – 2019
Getting to Equity: Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression Training conducted by Kike Ojo of Kojo Institute – 2019
Trauma Counselling for Front-line Workers: 6-Day Certificate conducted by Natalie Zlodre, M.S.W., R.S.W. – 2018
Fostering Trans-Inclusive Environments conducted by the 519 – March 6 2017
Yoga Teacher Training Certificate conducted by Asia Nelson of Pranalife Yoga (now called The Movement Life) – 2011

Alex Timoteo is a settler of Portuguese and Swiss ancestry living on the traditional territory of many nations including the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, the Chippewa, and the Wendat peoples. She is thankful to have the opportunity to work in community on this land.