With a career spanning more than 40 years, Blaine has a singular skill for assessing his clients’ needs. He brought therapeutic massage to Miramar Beach in 1984 as the first licensed practitioner to open for business here.
His knowledge and experience have been honed around the globe. Blaine loves to travel, and he’s experienced massages on many continents. He’s taught classes in other countries, as well. Whatever bodywork modality you’re interested in, Blaine has it in his repertoire.
“For each massage, I choose techniques that will be most helpful for this person,” Blaine says. “Combining different modalities allows me to give them the best massage I know how.”
One of his overarching goals in working with a client is retraining the brain and body to communicate. “I do relieve pain, and I also try to remind the client how perfect their body feels,” Blaine says.
He graduated from The Florida Institute of Natural Health, also known as The Florida School of Massage, in Gainesville, FL, and was licensed in 1981.
DEBORAH ROJAS, LMT
Deborah brings broad experience in health and wellness to her massage therapy practice. Over her long career, she has worked with arthritis patients, providing physical relief and emotional support. She has 25 years of fitness training and instruction experience, plus proficiency in nutrition, stress management, and meditation practices. Swedish, Connective Tissue and Sports Massage, and Neuromuscular Therapy are among her tools. And she’s applied creativity to adapt her practice to meet a variety of needs.
“Some of the massage techniques I use are methods I’ve personally developed over my career, integrating my fitness experience and other areas of health studies. And, over time, the results I’ve seen with massage clients has taught me what really helps different ailments,” she says.
Deborah studied at The Florida Institute of Natural Health, also known as The Florida School of Massage, in Gainesville, FL. She was licensed in Florida in 1988 and in Texas in 1997.
MICHELLE DENNARD, LMT
Michelle loves creating a comforting and therapeutic experience for each of her clients. Her most popular modalities include Thai Table Massage, Deep Tissue, Sports, Hot Stone and Swedish massage. She also has expertise in Hawaiian, Indian, and Thai massage techniques.
Incorporating aromatherapy into a massage session can enhance positive moods and help induce the body’s relaxation response as well as reduce pain. Ask Michelle about whether using scented essential oils in your treatment can help you achieve your treatment goals.
“One of the best things about this work is getting to know my clients and figuring out how I can blend multiple approaches into the massage I give them, to customize the session so that it’s a unique treatment for them,” she says.
Michelle earned her license in 2008. She graduated from Soothing Arts Healing Therapies School of Massage and Skin Care.
CHRIS LaFLAIR, PT, CMT
Chris blends hands-on physical therapy and massage techniques to provide a truly healing massage therapy session. He’s mostly worked in the military, Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. He has expertise in the Maitland, McConnel and McKenzie methods, counterstrain therapy and myofascial release.
“I’ve always considered myself a manual physical therapist and I’ve been fortunate enough to attend advanced education in most major modalities used today,” Chris said. “Having a variety of skills helps tailor massage to a client and definitely offer a little more to their overall physical well being.”
Chris offers a chair massage. “It’s convenient and a quicker way to target the neck, shoulders and upper back,” he says. If you’re interested in a chair massage, please let us know when you make your appointment.
After Chris finishes a massage session, he usually offers advice on ergonomics and safe exercises clients can do at home to help with problem areas.
Chris got his BS in physical therapy at The State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo, NY, in 1994. He earned his physical therapy license in 1994. Chris graduated from Emerald Coast Massage School, Fort Walton Beach, FL, in 2004. He earned Florida certification as a massage therapist in 2004.
PALMA COOPER, LMT
Palma finds deep satisfaction in helping others facilitate their own healing through massage therapy and Jin Shin Jyutsu treatments. She has studied both western and eastern techniques for over 25 years.
She blends all her extensive studies, knowledge and expertise to provide clients with optimum health. She teaches them to induce deep relaxation, and thereby reduce the damaging effects of stress.
Using eastern healing arts on herself helped her recover from a chronic illness in 1997. It inspired her to teach clients how they also could improve their well-being, with a better understanding of how the body, mind and spirit are connected and healing is facilitated.
Her specialties include Swedish, Meridian Massage, Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ), Reiki, and Craniosacral Therapy (CST).
Palma served as a guest lecturer from 2004-2009 at her alma mater, Soothing Arts Massage School in Miramar Beach, FL. She earned her massage therapist license in Florida in 2008.
