Inspiring Conversations with Rebecca Jones of Spa Jones / Massage Enby

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Jones.

Hi Rebecca, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a queer, fat, trans-friendly massage therapist based in Altadena, CA. My style of massage is a mix of Deep Tissue, Swedish, and Myofascial Release. I use my knowledge of anatomy, chronic pain, and the nervous system to provide a safe, relaxing experience and help clients feel at home in their bodies.

As someone who has worked a wide variety of jobs in a plethora of fields, I never expected to land on a career in massage therapy. Touch has always been a captivating sense for me, and it seemed too good to be true to be able to make a living from comforting people and helping to alleviate their pain.

In the intensive isolation of the last few years I realized how many people were touch-starved. As businesses started to open back up with restrictions, I thought about gifting my friends massages. However, many of my loved ones are are trans and I wasn’t sure who to send them to that would be safe and welcoming. That’s when it dawned on me that I could work in a field I’ve always been interested in while also providing a safe environment for the trans community. I quickly realized the need for queer and fat-friendly massage therapists as well. So I started looking at schools and decided to attend the Hands on Healing Institute in Tujunga.

Now I practice out of my home full-time, provide massage at events, and hold workshops. And I still love it!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Everything is more difficult in a pandemic. It was strange to attend school for a very in-person trade after having stayed home for so long. Fortunately, Hands on Healing Institute is very conscientious of mitigating risk and enforces a mask policy, sanitizing processes, and quarantine protocols in case of illness. Because of that, I learned how to practice my trade safely–how to protect myself and my clients. I’m extremely lucky to live in a house with an attached garage studio, so the space where I practice massage is optionally open-air. And now I’ve had plenty of experience giving massages while masked, which is a skill I never knew I would need!

We’ve been impressed with Spa Jones / Massage Enby, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The goals of my practice include providing a welcoming therapeutic space for those who might not feel comfortable in a typical spa setting (especially trans, fat, and queer people), helping clients achieve their desired amount of pain relief and freedom of movement, and sharing information about the neuroscience of chronic pain. A session with me can look very different depending on the client’s desired outcomes: some sessions are more active and educational, while others are grounding and meditative. Regardless of the style of the session, clients always leave feeling great. As one of my clients put it, “Rebecca is a thoughtful and empathetic therapist. I felt safe, wholly relaxed, and reconnected with my body.”

I also want to show people how to touch and talk about touch, which is why I’m doing 2.5 hour 2-person workshops in February and March! 2 people (romantic partners, friends, roommates, any two people who are comfortable working on each others’ bodies) each choose 2-3 areas where they experience discomfort, pain, or limited range of motion, and I’ll show the other a few moves that can help while discussing what kind of touch feels best. More info can be found on my Instagram @massageenby or booking page: calendly.com/spajones.

What were you like growing up?
Curious! I’ve always wanted to know how things work, especially human bodies. I’ve also always been driven by empathy and compassion. It makes sense I ended up becoming a massage therapist!

Pricing:

• $45 for 30 Minute Massage
• $90 for 60 Minute Massage
• $120 for 90 Minute Massage
• $150 for 120 Minute Massage

Contact Info:

• Website: rebeccajones.me
• Instagram: instagram.com/massageenby
• Other: calendly.com/spajones

Image Credits
Allegra Messina